Pool Replaster....Post Freeze Damage!

[Technobuyer]

I'm south of Fort Worth, and this week when it started looking grim, I drained the pool down to below the return lines, blew air in the lines, and pulled all the drain plugs. Now in spots where there was ice, like on the tanning ledge, steps sidewalls at waterline, all the pebbles are coming out of my pebble tech(like) finish. My pool is about 41'x'21' goes from 4' down to a depth of about 9.5 feet. My pool guy said this will need a total refinish. I should stress that the part that were under water, but no frozen, appear to be fine. Just talked to USAA.... On my own here. No accessory structure is covered for anything caused by freezing or a whole bunch of other things...

Any ideas, comments, encouraging remarks? I tried to everything I was supposed to do. And now my pool is trashed, and I haven't even turned the water back on yet. How much should I be ball parking for plaster redo? Thank you!

 

[ajw22]

That is from the water level being right at the plaster and freezing under it and popping it up. Only a replaster will fix it for the long term and look good.

When you drain down a pool for the winter you never want to leave the water right at a step or ledge. Leave an inch of water above any surface so ice floats above the plaster.

 

[Jimharris99]

I’m in DFW myself, and this happened to me, somewhat. I shut everything off on Monday morning, but didn’t drain the pool any. I must have a bad check valve (hoping it’s not something worse), because the water level in the spa is down about 6 inches, but the pool looks fine. For the small area that’s melted to where I can see, part of the plaster around the arm rest is flaking off.

For others reading this with experience, is it worth filling the spa now while the ice continues to melt over the next week, or whatever damage has been done to the plaster is already done....and it’s not worth it?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[ajw22]

For others reading this with experience, is it worth filling the spa now while the ice continues to melt over the next week, or whatever damage has been done to the plaster is already done....and it’s not worth it?

Thanks,
Jim

Jim, if you are expecting more freezing conditions then get the water above any steps. Otherwise the damage is done.

 

[Jimharris99]

Jim, if you are expecting more freezing conditions then get the water above any steps. Otherwise the damage is done.

Thanks for the quick response. Is something like this cosmetic, or structural in a sense that it needs repaired as soon as possible?

Much appreciated.

 

[j45]

Same boat here. Power out during the filter cycle must have let the spa drain because once I could get everything thawed and running the spa filled up and is holding water fine now. But we do have a lot of shed plaster on the seat and around the skimmers.

Is this a "drain and patch the bad spots" sorta thing or a total scrap and redo?

 

[ajw22]

Thanks for the quick response. Is something like this cosmetic, or structural in a sense that it needs repaired as soon as possible?

Depends on how deep the delamination goes.

If it is not leaking then it is cosmetic.

 

[j45]

Got a guy out to inspect my system. Says the heater is cracked, total loss. But everything else seems fine so far.

He did say its 2-4k to replaster the spa, patching wouldn't hold. But we could sandpaper it off and maybe wait a bit (years) before fixing it).

Its a little hard to see now that the spa is full of water again. Got a couple of areas like this. Since the spa only half drained maybe i can just redo the top half?

 

[ajw22]

Nothing to be gained by redoing the top half. It will cost you about the same. And the top half and bottom half will not match.

Got a guy out to inspect my system. Says the heater is cracked, total loss. But everything else seems fine so far.

He did say its 2-4k to replaster the spa, patching wouldn't hold. But we could sandpaper it off and maybe wait a bit (years) before fixing it).

Its a little hard to see now that the spa is full of water again. Got a couple of areas like this. Since the spa only half drained maybe i can just redo the top half?View attachment 176513

 

[dkinfowlkes]

Have same issue with spa plaster. Spa drained to the returns after pre-emptive shut down of pad EQ. Was having issue before storm and no chance to test changed out check valve flap. Pool not quite ready for re-start, so not sure spa will hold water above current level. Supposed to drop to 30 degrees Sunday. Any suggestions?

 

[Technobuyer]

I've got a guy coming tomorrow to bid re-plaster. Keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[Jane S]

Here's my spa plaster damage.

Got a guy out to inspect my system. Says the heater is cracked, total loss. But everything else seems fine so far.

He did say its 2-4k to replaster the spa, patching wouldn't hold. But we could sandpaper it off and maybe wait a bit (years) before fixing it).

Its a little hard to see now that the spa is full of water again. Got a couple of areas like this. Since the spa only half drained maybe i can just redo the top half?View attachment 176513

I have the same type of damage but no quote yet to replaster. What type of plaster do you have? Traditional plaster or is yours an upgraded quartz aggregate? I'm thinking if I replaster the spa, the pool will look bad. Am I going to need to replaster the entire thing??

 

[Technobuyer]

Here's my spa plaster damage.

I have the same type of damage but no quote yet to replaster. What type of plaster do you have? Traditional plaster or is yours an upgraded quartz aggregate? I'm thinking if I replaster the spa, the pool will look bad. Am I going to need to replaster the entire thing??

We have NPT Stonescapes. A pebble tech knock off. There is a warranty in effect for the plaster, but somehow I'm sure they won't cover it. I will be going with a different brand for sure this time. My neighbor did the exact same thing I did in terms of winterization, with pretty much exactly the same size pool, and his plaster is fine.

We'll have to do the both the spa and pool, as we have damage in both.

 

[ajw22]

We have NPT Stonescapes. A pebble tech knock off. There is a warranty in effect for the plaster, but somehow I'm sure they won't cover it. I will be going with a different brand for sure this time. My neighbor did the exact same thing I did in terms of winterization, with pretty much exactly the same size pool, and his plaster is fine.

We'll have to do the both the spa and pool, as we have damage in both.

Brand of plaster does not matter.

The difference of 1” in water level makes the difference in if ice may damage the plaster. If the water level is right at the plaster such that ice freezes on it damage can occur. One inch more water and the ice is floating above the plaster and no damage occurs.

I am sure there was a bit of difference in water level between your pool and your neighbors.

 

[Technobuyer]

Brand of plaster does not matter.

The difference of 1” in water level makes the difference in if ice may damage the plaster. If the water level is right at the plaster such that ice freezes on it damage can occur. One inch more water and the ice is floating above the plaster and no damage occurs.

I am sure there was a bit of difference in water level between your pool and your neighbors.

We both drained our pools to the same point below the tile. Both our pools froze. We helped each other in winterizing our pools together. Apart from the damage I have to the tanning ledges, benches and steps, there is an entire circle of damage to the plaster at the water level(ice level) all the way around my pool. There is no damage to ANY of his plaster, at the level where his water(ice) was, tanning ledge, sides of pool or otherwise.

His pool is almost identical in dimensions and depth. We had the same thickness of ice on top of our pool. The only difference of significance is that he used a different brand and type of plaster. I hear what you are saying, and I get the point you are trying to make, and I think you to be on to something in the 1" above and below ice level damage.

That said, in this case, one plaster appears to have been much more durable than another. I won't be replacing with the brand/type(NPT Stonescapes) I used the first time.

 

[HeyEng]

Wow. I am so sorry to read of these developments, it's heartbreaking. Our neighbors pool (which was finished about a year ago) also had issues with water draining from the spa, so hopefully they aren't having to deal with this. They had A LOT of ice (still there). I can't believe how lucky I was.

This information is VERY important and I don't recall that it was ever discussed in any of the "Help! Freezing Emergency!!!" threads. Perhaps this should be added to the emergency winterization article @Leebo is putting together.

 

[Newdude]

We both drained our pools to the same point below the tile. Both our pools froze.

It’s probably more to do with how said pools melted. Yours caught the breeze and the ice shifted around and his was protected from the wind (one way or another that day) so his ice melted in place without slamming/bumping into the sides.

There are so many factors to the equation that even nexdoor, the end results can be night and day with all else being equal.

 

[Technobuyer]

It’s probably more to do with how said pools melted. Yours caught the breeze and the ice shifted around and his was protected from the wind (one way or another that day) so his ice melted in place without slamming/bumping into the sides.

There are so many factors to the equation that even nexdoor, the end results can be night and day with all else being equal.

Could be. It doesn't really matter in the big picture. Maybe any plaster in my pool would have resulted in the same damage. Maybe not. What I do know for a fact is that this did. Thus I'll be making a different choice, and hoping I never have to find out if I was right or not. Thanks for the feedback ya'll.

 

[JJOM]

I missed this thread! I just posted a similar thread a minute ago, anyone know if Home Owners Policy would cover this freeze damage?

Sorry for everyone who has to deal with damage from this event.

 

[Newdude]

missed this thread! I just posted a similar thread a minute ago, anyone know if Home Owners Policy would cover this freeze damage

‘It’s complicated’. Besides many insurers doing different things, many policies being miles apart and terminology/semantics...... yeah. Plus you need to meet your deductible and then a chunk more to make the possible premium increases worth it. Most companies will find a way out of covering it and then most claims of the few that will cover it won’t be enough damage.

But hey !! Get quotes for repairs and ask your carrier. People will get lucky. It could just as easily be you.