Spa waterfall leaking under spillway shelf

[DLip]

Hi all. My spa has a spillover into pool. Water is leaking under the "shelf" for the waterfall. Not a problem when the feature is turned off, as the waterline is too low to reach the gap. But when turned on some water definitely leaks down into the spa wall, which is causing some tiles on the opposite side to fall out.

What would I use to seal this gap under the shelf? Looks like someone tried to repair previously. The shelf is a ceramic like material. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

Thanks in advance and thanks for the site, TFP has been a huge help to me.

 

[ajw22]

What is the current material on the edge of the shelf? Is it something silicone or flexible? Or hard grout or mortar?

The interface under the shelf should be sealed with grout. The grout will erode over time and it will should be inspected and repaired periodically.

Look carefully at the sides of the shelf. There is probably small cracks there that leak water also.

 

[DLip]

Thanks for the reply, looks like grout or mortar on the sides and hot tub side. Underneath the shelf looks like someone tried to caulk it. You're right - definitely some small cracks on the sides as well.

Is grout preferable to silicone?

 

[ajw22]

Is grout preferable to silicone?

Yes, once you put silicone on you will not be able to ever get grout to stick. Spa spillover grout needs annual checks and repairs. The water flowing over will erode the grout over time.

I use this to repair my grout...

E-Z Patch® 4 (White) Pool Tile Grout Repair

E-Z Patch® 4 (White) Pool Tile Grout Repair is our above water mixture. Grout repair products and tile grout repair.

e-zpatch.com

Spa Spillover Grout Repair

If you have a spa attached to your pool how often have you looked carefully at the grout around the spillover and on the spa walls for cracks? A few years ago I had some tiles come loose from my spa wall. I realized that the grout around the spillover had cracks allowing water to get behind...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[DLip]

Thanks for the link, this is exactly what I was looking for.

Is it best to remove all of the old or just the parts where it's loose / cracked?

 

[ajw22]

Use a grout saw and remove any loose grout. Open up the crack so you create space for the new grout to fill. Then put a new layer over the old and smooth it in.