Last year we had a few hairline plaster cracks and we used putty to fill them ourselves without draining the pool. We don't know if any of the cracks in the deep areas of the pool were leaking pool water but we determined with dye one near the surface was leaking. After puttying the leak stopped. We don't know the cause of the cracks - they are all tiny in width but some are long. Through this winter the pool vacuum has chipped away at some of the putty work we did - probably because the putty was not flattened with a putty knife or similar - so the cracks are starting to show again, and there are new cracks showing also. The water is too cold for us to dive down and and patch ourselves now, and last year it was really hard to perform the patching, having to dive hundreds of times! We're wondering several things - Can a professional do a better patch job than we did, and if so can they dive down and do it, or does the pool have to be drained? Who would we call to perform the patches for us? Or is it best to just get the whole thing replastered? $$$$!
Plaster cracks
- Thread starter BB_Sacramento
- Start date
mguzzy
Gold Supporter
Post some pics of the cracks so construction guys here have something to look at. The plaster is what makes your pool waterproof. The gunite shell is what gives it strength. The worry is that the gunite shell is compromised and causing the cracks..but that it just one possibility. OR it could be your plaster is just flaking off and you need a new plaster job. Pics will help those in the know.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,908
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I can't help with the severity of the cracks and what they mean. mguzzy summed it up well. Not to alarm, but it seems more likely that the cracks opened up more and caused your putty to fail, not that your pool vac had anything to do with it.
There are guys that will work on your pool in scuba gear, so that is a possibility. The trick is finding one. You might call local pool maintenance companies to see if they offer that service.
More importantly: there is a danger from working on the pool the way you did. It's called shallow water blackout. If you can't be talked out of doing that again, please, at least, don't ever do it alone. Have someone standing by that can pull you out of the pool. You really shouldn't do it at all.
www.shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org
There are guys that will work on your pool in scuba gear, so that is a possibility. The trick is finding one. You might call local pool maintenance companies to see if they offer that service.
More importantly: there is a danger from working on the pool the way you did. It's called shallow water blackout. If you can't be talked out of doing that again, please, at least, don't ever do it alone. Have someone standing by that can pull you out of the pool. You really shouldn't do it at all.
Underwater Hypoxic Blackout Prevention
www.shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org
- Jul 21, 2013
- 53,112
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Did you use epoxy putty like this...
www.leaktools.com
Epoxy Putty
Check out the deals in Epoxy Putty at Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Did you use epoxy putty like this...
Epoxy Putty
Check out the deals in Epoxy Putty at Anderson Manufacturing Company, Inc.
We used this putty from Leslies pool supply. Mix the 2 parts together by hand, then press into the cracks a little at a time underwater and allow to dry.
