I built a concrete pool! Now what? Help with finish surface

[Andree]

Greetings from an American living in France (climate similar to CT without the deep winter freeze).

I really need and would appreciate your input on a finishing layer for a concrete block pool I built myslelf -

Right now it’s just the rendered cement with water repellent - flat bottom about 4 feet deep - it’s filled but I think the cement is still absorbing water

I am doing tons of research as I do not want a liner - so do I get a company to do a gel coat ? About 10k ! Maybe that does not last forever

Do I paint it myself?

Do I use three layers of AquaMaster which then needs to be tiled on top?

Of course much of the info I glean are from companies promoting what they sell

I really need an objective opinion please

Thank you very much,

Have a great week end!

 

[MAPR-Austin]

Pictures might help, but I think you will likely end up with a liner. It's the only thing I can thing of that is going to be flexible enough to mitigate and movement without causing a leak. Paint, gelcoat, etc will almost certainly end up with cracks unless you did significant structural work building the walls.

 

[kimkats]

I have to say I agree with @MAPR-Austin He know of what he speaks!

 

[Andree]

Pictures might help, but I think you will likely end up with a liner. It's the only thing I can thing of that is going to be flexible enough to mitigate and movement without causing a leak. Paint, gelcoat, etc will almost certainly end up with cracks unless you did significant structural work building the walls.

Good Morning! Thank you @MAPR-Austin

Attached are pics -- you will see there is ever so slight dampness coming thru - but for now this is not so "scary", because when we compare it to the water tank (to catch the rain/gutter water) we built in the same manner (and perhaps with even more interior render, and with hollow concrete blocks you fill up completely with poured concrete), that too has dampness.

We built the pool like we did our house - but for the pool an 8 inches (20cm) of steel reinforced poured concrete base, and steel in the cement blocks with wall stiffeners -- the whole sitting on the stone (natural) ground (it's not sitting on clay or earth) --

We were thinking that eventually a gel coat finish ? Or I Aquamaster (Aquamaster EVO) - which seems to be a rubbery (epoxy??) coating and tiles on top?

Liners are so "plastic" feeling...

Thank you again for your time!


Andrée

 

[MAPR-Austin]

On a slope like that, I'd say liner without a doubt. The structure will almost certainly have some movement going on at some point, a liner will keep the water inside.

 

[Andree]

On a slope like that, I'd say liner without a doubt. The structure will almost certainly have some movement going on at some point, a liner will keep the water inside.

Thank you again very much @MAPR-Austin again for your time and experienced advice!

Best regards,