How to set tiles so they don't just pop off again?

[TreeFiter]

I work with a lot of Gunite pools with tile borders, and I've started to notice that the pools built by a certain pool builder tend to have almost no issues with tiles popping off over the winter. There are other builders, where just about every pool has missing tiles after a few seasons.

I have tried to reset the tiles in some of these pools only to have them pop off again. I'm wondering if there is a trick to setting tiles so they don't pop. Is there a specific type of thin-set that is best for pools? Is there a special adhesive that should be used instead? Is it a grout issue?

 

[zea3]

Try contacting the builder with the good tile and ask what products they use. It may not be the product itself but how the pool was prepped that made the tile work superior.