Leak in stonework around raised spa

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J

Joliball

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Jun 3, 2024
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PA
I have a leak in the stonework around a raised spa with a water feature that runs into the pool below. There are signs of efflorescence and there is water leaking through the stonework on both sides of the waterfall. It appears to be coming through the grout. I guess it's the minerals leaching through the wall that caused the leak. What is the remedy? Is there a way to patch or seal the grout on the exterior walls? Or do I need to attack this problem from the spa? Thanks in advance for your help!

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I am not the expert at all - just inherited a pool / spa via a home purchase. There are experts on the way from what I have seen on this forum. In preparation for this, I would highly suggest you fill out your signature with all the info about your pool, equipment etc. A picture from the other side and top may also help - what does the transition look like between the spa and the spillway.

Help is on the way...
 
Welcome to TFP.

You have to fix water intrusion problems at the source where water is getting into the gunite and spa walls. Once water finds its way in it will erode the grout until it finds a way out.

The stone, mortar, and grout need to create a waterproof barrier on the inside of the spa. Any cracks need to be fixed.

While stacked stone has a great look it is more difficult to maintain the grout between the stones. There is no seal to simply slap on.
 
Thanks very much for the replies. I will post photos of the top side view to show the spa. I guess I need figure out how to drain the spa and look for cracks. I can't see any right now but maybe after it is drained something will show. Thank you again!
 
I took photos of the raised spa from the top side and when examining the waterfall, I see evidence of old repairs - some kind of caulk or sealant on every seam of the waterfall. Some of the sealant is peeling away.

I also notice in the morning, when the pool has been inactive overnight, the leaking areas are still a little wet but not that much. By the end of the day, when the pool has been running and the waterfall active all day, there is a lot more water in the leaking areas. Makes me wonder if the waterfall is the where the leaks originate. Photos below. The last photo shows the old repairs circled in red.

I am thinking I should keep the pool off for a day, let the waterfall get as dry as it can and then peel away the old repair media and re-seal all the seams. Does this sound reasonable? What would be the best material to use to patch or seal the seams on the waterfall? I'd appreciate any guidance you can offer. Thanks again!!raised spa.pngwaterfall.pngold repairs.png
 
Best material is Type S Mortar or grout.

I see many openings on the sides of the stones.
 
Leaving the pool off for a day confirms the only leak is when water runs over the waterfall - so patching those seams (repatching actually, since there's evidence of previous repair with some kind of white caulk-like material) seems like a first course of action.

What can I use to seal those seams that will cure within a day? Seems like the curing time for Type S Mortar is longer than I want to deal with. What about a product like PoolPatch? Any other products you can suggest? Thanks!!
 
Here's an update: re-grouting the waterfall has almost completely solved the leak. I still get a drip at the bottom of the waterfall, a drop about every 30 or 40 seconds going into the pool. I'm looking for a leak in the raised spa - will probably get a leak detection kit and see what I can find. But the problem is vastly improved, thanks again for your help!
 
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Update on this - the slight leak that persisted after the waterfall regrouting led me to a dye test of the raised spa. This showed a small leak around the outer rim of two of the jets. I am thinking about using something like pool putty around the rim of the jets to see if that stops the leak. Does this sound like a good approach? Or does anyone have other suggestions? Thank you!!
 
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