Pool coating?!?

[jspeacock1978]

I’ve lived in this house for nearly four years and for most of this time I’ve assumed someone painted my pool’s surface. Last year my neighbor remodeled his pool and tore up a fiberglass overlay on his concrete pool which I didn’t even know was possible. He had a crack that needed repair and I begin to wonder if my pool was coated in fiberglass due to a crack. How can I tell???

My wife and I have started the epic adventure of remodeling our pool and or first quote told us we needed to rip out the fiberglass liner (if that’s what it really is) so we could do that tile. I read yesterday that tile is typically installed over fiberglass, so I went for a swim earlier with goggles so I could really look at the waterline tile. It looks like someone ran tape over the bottom of the tile and used it as a guide. The accent tile on the step looks like the coating, whatever it is, is built up to it as though someone added a new tile to the top of the old surface and had to make it work. The pool walls and bottom are pretty smooth, but there are areas in the corners especially on the stairs on that are getting rough. Now I’m really confused. Can anyone help me sort this out?

I hope these pictures are helpful.

 

[Arizonarob]

Hang tight, let me ping some construction gurus.
@bdavis466 @jimmythegreek @Pool Clown

 

[Newdude]

Hey Peacock. The age is about right for a hybrid pool. If not you also, then maybe your neighbor. They used fiberglass walls which have been painted by now and a concrete floor. We need better pics once some water is drained but search ‘Hybrid pool’ and you’ll see plenty of pics to see if they match what you have.

 

[jspeacock1978]

Newdude - I didn’t even know that existed and I’m really hoping that’s not the case since its sounds expensive. I knocked on the wall with my ring a few times and found some areas that sounded louder than others and one that definitely sounded hollow. I don’t see any obvious bubbles in the surface but the sounds worry me. I’ll wait for the construction experts to chime in before I begin worrying too much.

 

[Newdude]

Sounds good. Worrying won’t fix anything anyway so have a beverage and hang tight.

 

[jspeacock1978]

Okay, I’ve been researching hybrid pools and the item that stuck out the most is the fact that they have 4-5‘ walls. I don’t think I have one base on the description and the images in the link below.

Best example of a hybrid pool pic:

DIY Hybrid Pool Restoration (Canadian Edition)

So who else here has fallen victim to "youtube DIY Fraud"? We had this brilliant idea last year of doing our own landscaping and paving stone walk ways, armed with more confidence than sense, an overly supportive spouse and a bunch of 20 minute youtube videos we figured we would be able to...

www.troublefreepool.com

I’ve attached another picture of my pool ...

 

[jspeacock1978]

Have a beverage
Sounds like you’ve given me a good excuse to jump in the pool.

 

[Newdude]

Much better pic. Its just regular plaster. A hybrid would have a distinction between the walls and floor. Yours is clearly all the same plaster. Maybe your neighbor had a hybrid which is why they found fiberglass.

 

[Pool Clown]

Concrete and gunite pools are often "fiberglassed" in an effort to seal a troublesome crack, one that continues to open after say, an epoxy patch. This is because fiberglass can be a little more forgiving to movement. This doesn't necessarily mean that yours may have been for this reason.

Plaster will come apart in time as you may be seeing in the corners. Is it rough like sandpaper or a grinding wheel? Then its probably plaster instead of fiberglass. When fiberglass comes apart, it will loose it's slickness. It's the gel coating that makes it slick. It will also become chalky. You may be able to rub your hand on it, and it will milk the water. If you are going to fiberglass and want tile trim, or accent tiles in-laid on the steps or floor, do your homework, and ask to see some of this particular work that he has done. Setting tiles in fiberglass can be tricky, and if not done correctly, can draw the eye.

 

[jspeacock1978]

Thanks for the info ... lots to learn.

Two PBs come over and both seem to agree that I have fiberglass overlay. Thankfully its easy to strip it off, then pull of the plaster before starting over with a new coating. Both suspect at least a small crack due to the fact that two neighbors with pools have also had cracks. They want to fix them in very different ways (staples for one and gunite for the other).

 

[wireform]

One of my pools is a hybrid pool with fiberglass walls and concrete floor. No amount of money was able to find where leaks were happening. Promises upon promises with much outlay couldn't get it done. In the end we got it lined with a custom liner and op couldn't be happier.

 

[Pool Clown]

See if your guy will let the pool set for a couple of days after the fiberglass strip. If he fears a high water table, dont push the issue. Let him continue. Letting the pool set for a while may reveal a crack that may had been attempted to be sealed by the fiberglass. You may begin to get water coming back in through the crack. Or you may even see a crack that had been dealt with before it was glassed, by epoxy injection. There used to be a couple of guys in Nor Cal that did that. Not sure if they are still at it though.

Not trying to get you scared about a possible problem the pool had, its just good practice when you strip something off that has been there a while, no matter what it is, to get in there and inspect. If nothing else, to get in front of a possible issue before it gets covered back up..

 

[Arizonarob]

If it is in fact a fiberglass overlay, I know I would want to know why is was done that way. PC is offering up some really sound advice in locating the crack (if there is one) and getting answers so you can proceed in the best manner.

If there is a crack, IMO staples are the best method to handle the repair, then a good plaster finish.

 

[jspeacock1978]

I like the idea of letting the pool sit for a day or so to check things out and I’ll bring it up once we’ve selected the PB. I’d be really surprised if we had a high water table due to where we’re located (Elevated within the subdivision).

We spoke with the neighbors who just had their pool remodeled. They removed fiberglass, then chipped off the plaster, repaired a crack with staples and put a new fiberglass overlay on it. They liked the idea that the fiberglass provided that little extra insurance against a future leak.

The bids are coming back from PBs so I’m starting to get excited. Although none of them have a crystal ball to tell what‘s under the fiberglass I feel good that all three have solid plans for dealing with an issue. One likes staples, one likes gunite. All admit that if its ugly, I can always go back to fiberglass (after repairs of course).

 

[Pool Clown]

I don't know where in NorCal you are but, personally? i have had NO luck with staples. Was it because my guys haven't done alot of them? Who knows. We installed as instructed, but still had them open up again. But, for whatever reason, i don't have the patience, or the resources to do it over again to tweak the procedure. Customers in my area frown on that. Maybe its the area (and the movement of ground in California) so, for that reason, i can only recommend epoxy injection. And i would recommend a guy that only does that. Not a PB that has a machine that "can do it". You want a guy that does it all day, every day.