Wet Bottom verse new gunite installtion

[Weedeaterman]

Hello everyone,

I am getting a new pool installed and the bottom is wet and a pump is slowly keeping the water out. My question to the team and anyone can Gunite be shoot if there is standing water running in the pool at the time of the Gunite application?

Henry

 

[Flatag]

Before they shot the gunite for my pool they sunk well points around the outside of the pool area and pumped out the ground water. They let the sump pump run for a few days after they shot the gunite while the gunite cured.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Henry,

In my case they shot the gunite with water constantly entering the whole in the ground. It took an extra 6 months to fix the problem...

Each case is different of course, and your situation might not be the same as mine. Basically my pool sits right in the middle of a very small underground spring (or whatever is smaller than a spring). The problem is that once the gunite was in, there was no natural place for the water to go. So the pool acted like a dam and the water build up behind the gunite and then started weeping through the walls. They did everything to stop it, as the plaster company would not plaster the pool until the water problem was fixed..

In the end, they had to rip up about 50 feet of new deck, and install a 2' wide by 8' deep French drain on two sides of the pool. Where the two sides meet they had to install a 12" vertical pipe, 10' long, with a sump pump at the bottom of the pipe. The water now collects in the pipe and is then pumped to a drain. Even in the middle of the hottest summer, the water never stops.

If they had taken action before the gunite was installed, it would have been a much easier and less costly problem to fix..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Weedeaterman]

Good Info thank you!

Henry

 

[JamesW]

They should have a layer of gravel on the bottom of the pool for drainage and either a well point under the pool or a well next to the pool to make sure that the hole is dry before shooting the shotcrete or gunite.

This is important not only for the gunite shoot, but for future drainage when you have to drain the pool for service.

If you have a high water table and the pool is empty, the pool can float.

 

[Weedeaterman]

Interesting infor,

The water coming in is not that bad, mostly wet, I would assume and I will be there to ask they would leave the pump in and keep pumping as so the water coming does not hydraulically lift the Schell once it is dried. Great info guys. thanks for sheering.

Henry

- - - Updated - - -

Hi James.

I hear yeah, we live in FL and the water table is high and they placed gravel in and no well point was made. the pump is keeping up with the water. I read about floating and that worried me about the hydraulic lift effect on the Schell once the Gunite is poured and harden. I talked to other pool people that got theirs installed and they had the same issue and so far no issues and the PS for the company tells me not to worry FL is normal and they deal with it all the time. But as a owner I do worry. but you Info was very helpful.

Henry

 

[JamesW]

The problem is that they have to remove the sump pump to shoot the gunite. So, water will begin to fill the hole and the gunite can get too wet.

If they're experienced, they probably have a way to deal with the water.

If the pump was turned off, how far would the pool fill up?

When they were digging, how far down were they when they hit water?

How deep is the pool?

 

[Weedeaterman]

Hi James, the pool is 5' 5" at the deepest end, hit water at the 6' mark. of course we are much deeper than that like over 8' I would say for everything right now. I will turn off the pump and see how fast it fills. I guess a well type should be dug off to the back side and the Pump should pump from it and the water channeled to the ditch covered in gravel to the Pump suction. I think I said it right!

Thanks James I have a idea how to fix it now and move forward.

Henry

 

[JamesW]

Ok, I wouldn't do too much without checking in with the builder. You don't want to mess up anything.

Hopefully, they have it under control.

I wouldn't shut off the pump without checking in with the builder.

I was just asking to get an idea about how much problem the ground water might be.