Water leaking behind liner track has caused some issues.

[offtheclock]

So I have solved how water had been getting behind my liner. It was not a leak or ground water issue but seeping behind the liner track after running from the pool deck and also from heavy splashing while in the pool. I have taken a couple steps to try and stop it like sealing the expansion cuts on the deck and adding a liner lock. It has helped but not solved it completely . There is one area on the deck that does not have a good slope away and with heavy rain this will continue.

So having a couple water pockets in the walls has caused some issues. First I developed a couple quarter sized bumps on the wall which I suspect was sand and grit from the expansion cuts. The liner track has a lot of grit in it. They are about a 2 ft down and there is probably five of them. The second where the water would collect it has a caused my wall foam to get a slight wrinkle about a foot down.

So ideally there would be no water getting behind the liner but I would need to correct the deck drainage but I have no idea on how to stop it when the kids are splashing. How bad is this on my steel walls? Is there a trick to smooth out the wall foam wrinkle and to work out the sand grit collection? Any tips on further prevention of water getting behind the track? Will the water draining down to my vermiculite/ cement floor make it soft?

There are generally three spots of water about 1.5’ long up to six inches deep and feels spongy like there might be a quarter inch of water behind there. Sometimes it can take a week for water to go away.

 

[Texas Splash]

I'll tag @jimmythegreek in hopes he sees your post next time he hops online to see if he has any advice for you.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Not much you can do really. Would take draining the pool and unhooking liner to fix the foam and remove the debris. Seal it all up the best you can with deck caulk from above. The slope issue is unfixable without re doing that deck area

 

[offtheclock]

Whats your thoughts up the water getting behind the liner track when the kids are in splashing? How concerned should I be about the salt water on the panel? It is minimal from splashing but can stay there for a couple of days. The rain water can stay for a week. I have the liner lock pushed in tight but some how water still finds its way behind there.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Hard to say without being there to look at it. Regardless it's never good to have chlorinated water behind the liner, it speeds up decay

 

[offtheclock]

Any more input in how to keep water from getting behind liner from just normal kids play and splashing? Happened again.

 

[jimmythegreek]

How high is water level? Are you getting swells that run the water up to the coping and behind the track from the splashing? It's probably a good idea to caulk the coping bottom to the track if there's gaps. Normal splashing and cannonballs etc. shouldn't cause this. The ground should be dry under there and easily soak up some water without pushing it behind the liner. Any wall penetrations on this area that may be aggravated with use and causing a small leak? What's the slope and area of the yard here? Maybe pics would help paint a story for us

 

[offtheclock]

How high is water level? Are you getting swells that run the water up to the coping and behind the track from the splashing? It's probably a good idea to caulk the coping bottom to the track if there's gaps. Normal splashing and cannonballs etc. shouldn't cause this. The ground should be dry under there and easily soak up some water without pushing it behind the liner. Any wall penetrations on this area that may be aggravated with use and causing a small leak? What's the slope and area of the yard here? Maybe pics would help paint a story for us

I maintain the water level at half way up the shallow end skimmer. Pool was not built level (Another Problem) so deep end is 1.1” lower so water stays 3/4 up it. When the boys are jumping in and doing cannon balls water will roll up to the top of the coping and liner track but not out of the pool. Coping is cantilevered. Water also gets behind liner from rain water running over edge and into pool in one area that the slope is not right. Pool is built into a hill and the retaining wall side is backfilled in gravel.

 

[jimmythegreek]

I would caulk the coping to the track. Use double tape method and pull away wet. Practice on something first or YouTube it. Normal water play shouldn't have water behind the liner. I can see a bad pitched area taking water over the lip and down behind the track. Caulk will stop that

 

[SoDel]

I would caulk the coping to the track. Use double tape method and pull away wet. Practice on something first or YouTube it. Normal water play shouldn't have water behind the liner. I can see a bad pitched area taking water over the lip and down behind the track. Caulk will stop that

Can you recommend a particular brand / type of caulk? My guess is something marine grade?

 

[offtheclock]

I would caulk the coping to the track. Use double tape method and pull away wet. Practice on something first or YouTube it. Normal water play shouldn't have water behind the liner. I can see a bad pitched area taking water over the lip and down behind the track. Caulk will stop that

Hey Jimmy I am a really good painter so use a caulk gun often. Should I be removing the liner lock and caulking in there and then reinstalling the liner lock or are you thinking leave liner lock in and caulk just above it where the aluminum track meets the concrete? The liner lock significantly reduced the problem but I can not get it pushed in 100% in some areas and when waves hit that area I can see water running out from behind the liner lock after the wave recedes.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Any high quality tile caulk or an outdoor rated silicone is fine. Read the back label to be sure most are. It all depends on how much you need to work it in. Being you paint you know the difference in the finish on silicone vs am acrylic or blended caulk. Do a small test area I always tape off both sides and work it then pull for clean lines. Depending on how much room you have with the liner lock is gonna dictate removal. You don't want to pull the caulk out when the setting it. It's a PIA and time consuming to do it nice. Has to be a stress free day for me lol

 

[jimmynicho]

Hello. I have a similar issue. Did you fix it with the caulk. Would you mind sending a picture?

 

[offtheclock]

Hello. I have a similar issue. Did you fix it with the caulk. Would you mind sending a picture?

It ended up being a ground water issue.