New fiberglass pool is full of cracks... HELP!
- Thread starter mcaswell
- Start date
Well, there have been some interesting developments over the past several months. The good news is that we reached a settlement with the builder, and our new pool is nearing completion... hopefully will be ready for decking later this week. The part that will probably be quite shocking to those who have been following this story is that we agreed to let this builder handle the replacement.
Although our attorney made it clear to us that we absolutely had no obligation to allow this contractor to do the work at this point and that we would almost certainly prevail in court (eventually) if we continued with the suit, she strongly recommended that we accept a settlement if a financially tolerable offer was made.
--Michael
Although our attorney made it clear to us that we absolutely had no obligation to allow this contractor to do the work at this point and that we would almost certainly prevail in court (eventually) if we continued with the suit, she strongly recommended that we accept a settlement if a financially tolerable offer was made.
--Michael
You are right ... that is a little surprising, but hopefully at this point they realize you mean business and will avoid any short cuts and make this the best install they have ever done.
I am glad you were able to come to an agreement and that you will be swimming this year
I am glad you were able to come to an agreement and that you will be swimming this year
I think you made the right decision...sounds like it was done right this time. I doubt the PB will take any short cuts this time around....best of luck!
Michael,
Congratulations!! You should be very proud of how you and your family conducted yourselves throughout this ordeal. I am ecstatic that y'all will be swimming soon and enjoying your pool for many years to come, long after most of the heartache has faded.
I would like to see the moderator(s) consider making this thread a "sticky" as it illustrates how to conduct yourself through a long, drawn out process and ultimately achieve the goal of owning the pool of your dreams.
Please be sure and post pictures of this build as it rushes to completion and again best wishes for the reality to eventually exceed your dreams,
Bill
Congratulations!! You should be very proud of how you and your family conducted yourselves throughout this ordeal. I am ecstatic that y'all will be swimming soon and enjoying your pool for many years to come, long after most of the heartache has faded.
I would like to see the moderator(s) consider making this thread a "sticky" as it illustrates how to conduct yourself through a long, drawn out process and ultimately achieve the goal of owning the pool of your dreams.
Please be sure and post pictures of this build as it rushes to completion and again best wishes for the reality to eventually exceed your dreams,
Bill
Glock
0
You deserve a cold beer for staying cool under pressure. Glad to see its coming to a close. Pics when you get a chance. Looking forward to seeing the new pool.
Well the pool builder has a year or so more experience now too so hopefully he has learned a few things and this will go smoothly.
Awesome news, I'm glad you've come thru the other side of all this.
Personally, I suspect that the builder this time will be EXTREMELY sensitive to doing everything properly, you'll probably get the best installed pool ever!
From what you've detailed I think your resolution was realistic and mature, naturally having the same guy do the install is not your first choice but clearly it is the easiest path to resolution, and the compensation in the form of credits is not a bad decision either.
I'm really happy for you and for family
Perhaps we can see some pics when it's all done.
Personally, I suspect that the builder this time will be EXTREMELY sensitive to doing everything properly, you'll probably get the best installed pool ever!
From what you've detailed I think your resolution was realistic and mature, naturally having the same guy do the install is not your first choice but clearly it is the easiest path to resolution, and the compensation in the form of credits is not a bad decision either.
I'm really happy for you and for family
Perhaps we can see some pics when it's all done.
cbink
0
Glad its been resolved for you. Know it must have been a tough decision but sounds like you were given good honest legal advice and although you may not have wanted the same builder (in an ideal situation), it should at least bring an end to the ordeal you've had to go through. Enjoy the pool, you deserve to!
What a saga! I can't wait until the day you're enjoy the pool with your family. Then it will all be over.
I'm way late to the party but I just spent most of the morning reading this thread from beginning to end.
Michael, you are so patient and diligent and I'm sure that you've taught valuable lessons not just to your own family, but to all of us who have read this. You were always kind, professional, and stood your ground.
As an owner of a fiberglass pool, your pictures made me sick to my stomach. How you persevered through that, I'll never know. I can only say that I admire you and your warm spirit. I think you were very fair and I can easily understand every decision you made along the way. (Each time, I nodded my own head in agreement.)
Something you said that literally brought tears to my eyes (no lie - and it brings tears to my eyes to try and type this part) was when you talked about your daughter graduating and losing that time with her. We installed our pool the summer before our daughter's senior year. We sold a summer cabin and used those funds to install the pool and backyard modifications (since all we really wanted out of the cabin was the ability to swim). We timed it out - just like you had tried to do - so that we'd have those last precious two summers to enjoy her company. We knew she'd go off to college and that time cannot be replaced.
I can offer no words of solace for that lost summer but am rejoiced to see that your new pool is almost done. It's now seven years later for me and that daughter is now married and lives 2 hours away. She's busy with her own life and career now :-(
Thanks for always keeping this thread updated and I am eagerly awaiting photos of your family jumping into the new pool. I wish you many years of pool enjoyment!
Michael, you are so patient and diligent and I'm sure that you've taught valuable lessons not just to your own family, but to all of us who have read this. You were always kind, professional, and stood your ground.
As an owner of a fiberglass pool, your pictures made me sick to my stomach. How you persevered through that, I'll never know. I can only say that I admire you and your warm spirit. I think you were very fair and I can easily understand every decision you made along the way. (Each time, I nodded my own head in agreement.)
Something you said that literally brought tears to my eyes (no lie - and it brings tears to my eyes to try and type this part) was when you talked about your daughter graduating and losing that time with her. We installed our pool the summer before our daughter's senior year. We sold a summer cabin and used those funds to install the pool and backyard modifications (since all we really wanted out of the cabin was the ability to swim). We timed it out - just like you had tried to do - so that we'd have those last precious two summers to enjoy her company. We knew she'd go off to college and that time cannot be replaced.
I can offer no words of solace for that lost summer but am rejoiced to see that your new pool is almost done. It's now seven years later for me and that daughter is now married and lives 2 hours away. She's busy with her own life and career now :-(
Thanks for always keeping this thread updated and I am eagerly awaiting photos of your family jumping into the new pool. I wish you many years of pool enjoyment!
forya
0
Wow, I just spent the whole morning reading this, and I am so glad it is finally getting resolved. We just went through the replacement of a Viking fiberglass pool. We bought a foreclosure and either the bank or the previous owners emptied their pool. It split open and heaved from end to end (40ft). It was built in 2008! We had quotes for repair, which entailed basically re glassing and coating the whole bottom of the pool, but we were told this had never been done buy the tech before. We ended up tearing it out and installing a gunite pool. By the time they removed the pool, all the decking (that heaved too), and the foundation. we were left with a larger hole that didn't fit any FG pools. We are 3 weeks into our new pool and love it. I hope you will love yours too.
Dear Michael,
Good for you. Living close to you all has made me think of you often. I am so glad to hear the family will be swimming this summer! Good luck.
David Hurley
Good for you. Living close to you all has made me think of you often. I am so glad to hear the family will be swimming this summer! Good luck.
David Hurley
Congrats. I have seen this thread referenced so many times to others encountering problems with a fiberglass install. You should as stated before be extremely proud of your effort, dillegence, patience, and every other word that could describe the good things you showed during this entire drawn out process.
P.S. My wife thinks im crazy cause i just called her to tell her about the guy on the pool webiste who was getting screwed to tell her the news.
P.S. My wife thinks im crazy cause i just called her to tell her about the guy on the pool webiste who was getting screwed to tell her the news.
Maybe we're just not meant to have a pool.
The deck was poured on Thursday (just a basic ~850 sq. ft. broom finish), and was looking good until about 2-3 hours into the job when, nearing completion, a heavy rain storm came through. Inexplicably, the contractor (who is not the pool builder... we contracted directly for the deck) opted not to cover the work, despite having plenty of plastic sheeting on hand and ample warning that rain was coming. It rained fairly hard for about 30 minutes, and the finish was ruined (basically turned it into an exposed aggregate finish).
As soon as the rain stopped, they began trying to get the aggregate back down with forceful troweling, but since the bulk of this concrete was, I believe, around 3.5 hours old at the time, they only made it about halfway through before this no longer was working. Next, they attempted to "skim coat" the entire surface with a thinned mortar mix and bonding agent, but gave up on this as well after a while.
So right now the deck is a mixture of areas of exposed aggregate and broom finish (with some of these areas having the thin crust of mortar on top).
Not sure what our next step is. The contractor is proposing bringing in someone to do Spraydeck or Sundek, but I've been told by a trusted expert that the water-weakened surface will be a perpetual spalling problem, even if covered with another type of finish. A tear-out / redo might be the only sound option.
--Michael
The deck was poured on Thursday (just a basic ~850 sq. ft. broom finish), and was looking good until about 2-3 hours into the job when, nearing completion, a heavy rain storm came through. Inexplicably, the contractor (who is not the pool builder... we contracted directly for the deck) opted not to cover the work, despite having plenty of plastic sheeting on hand and ample warning that rain was coming. It rained fairly hard for about 30 minutes, and the finish was ruined (basically turned it into an exposed aggregate finish).
As soon as the rain stopped, they began trying to get the aggregate back down with forceful troweling, but since the bulk of this concrete was, I believe, around 3.5 hours old at the time, they only made it about halfway through before this no longer was working. Next, they attempted to "skim coat" the entire surface with a thinned mortar mix and bonding agent, but gave up on this as well after a while.
So right now the deck is a mixture of areas of exposed aggregate and broom finish (with some of these areas having the thin crust of mortar on top).
Not sure what our next step is. The contractor is proposing bringing in someone to do Spraydeck or Sundek, but I've been told by a trusted expert that the water-weakened surface will be a perpetual spalling problem, even if covered with another type of finish. A tear-out / redo might be the only sound option.
--Michael
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
36racin
0
Micheal,
Congrats!!! Glad your family finally got your pool. Hope everyone enjoys it.
But you should know by now
Congrats,
Todd
PS: Know any pool diggers. My digger disappeared off the face of the earth and other 3-4 months out for my DIY gunite pool.
Congrats!!! Glad your family finally got your pool. Hope everyone enjoys it.
But you should know by now
Congrats,
Todd
PS: Know any pool diggers. My digger disappeared off the face of the earth and other 3-4 months out for my DIY gunite pool.
Michael,mcaswell said:
A tear-out redo could actually be relatively simple & quick, but I wonder if you want to use the same concrete contractor....
Re. the advice from the "trusted expert" - if you can find a Sundek guy you trust, I'd ask for info from him before you rule it out. Trust is key, though. I had to go w/ a tear-out & redo at the DW's "request," but the Sundek guy (who had 10+ years doing Sundek and was a pool builder for 20+ years prior) provided a guarantee that any concrete defects (cracks, etc.) they fixed would not reappear and "spoil" the Sundek or they would make repairs for free. He also readily provided me w/ the addresses of local jobs so that I could see their work before signing the contract. The work at the local Marriott was impressive! Just my $.02.
Good luck! You've had enough bad luck....