Structural Pool Crack

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Finding & repairing swimming pool leaks.
Bretzky
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby Bretzky » Tue 23 Aug, 2011 16:51

Hi there. I'm a fairly new pool owner who is experiencing the joys(?) of pool ownership. We purchased our new home last October and at that time repaired (by epoxy injection) a very long (~50 ft) linear crack in the bottom of the pool and then had the pool re-plastered. This summer, the pool has dropped on one side about 1 inch due to the extreme drought and the crack has re-emerged. I am naturally frustrated with this and do not know what to do in terms of fixing the crack as I imagine that pool movement will likely occur every year.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to fix a crack caused by structural movements that don't appear to be going away? While trying to stabilize the foundation around the pool is probably the best way, I imagine this would be extremely expensive ($10k). My thought was to try some sort of flexible sealant such as Anderson Flexible Sealer (FS4B) which would stand up to the seasonal movement of the pool.


ChuckGeo
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby ChuckGeo » Wed 24 Aug, 2011 06:36

I hate cracks in pools - you just can't make them go away. However, you are on the right track thinking about a flexible sealant. My favorite is Vulkem 116 urethane caulking. It seems to last longer than anything else that I've tried and it has a little flexibility in case the structure moves. To apply it you saw cut the crack 1/4" wide x 1/2" deep, clean the crack with acid and hose out thouroughly. Let the area get completely dry (2-3 days) then install the caulk. After placing the caulk in the crack you can smooth it out with soapy water on your finger. Allow 5-7 days for the caulking to cure before adding water to the pool. It's not permanent, I know of nothing that is, but it will last longer than anything I know of.
Chuck
Owner, Superior Pool Services
25 years leak detection experience
Bretzky
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby Bretzky » Wed 24 Aug, 2011 09:21

Thanks Chuck. Your suggestion involves draining the pool. If this is the route to take, would you still recommend using a flexible sealer over any other alternative (e.g. saw cutting the crack, followed by an epoxy injection and followed by plastering over the crack)? I'm worried that attempting a "permanent fix" will actually prove less permanent than just using a sealer because of the seasonal ground movement.
ChuckGeo
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby ChuckGeo » Thu 25 Aug, 2011 16:23

Yes, I'd drain the pool, saw cut the crack and apply urethane caulking. It won't last forever, but it will last longer than anything I know of. Unfortunately, once you get a crack in a pool, you'll always have a crack in the pool. The only way I know to get rid of a crack is to tear out the pool and start over.
Chuck

Owner, Superior Pool Services

25 years leak detection experience
allclearpools
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby allclearpools » Tue 29 Nov, 2011 17:22

ChuckGeo wrote:Yes, I'd drain the pool, saw cut the crack and apply urethane caulking. It won't last forever, but it will last longer than anything I know of. Unfortunately, once you get a crack in a pool, you'll always have a crack in the pool. The only way I know to get rid of a crack is to tear out the pool and start over.


X2

Yes the main problem is sounds like is there is not enough steel and possibly your gunite is too thin. The best solution is to take out the old pool and start over. Sorry for the bad news.
kiwipool

Structural Pool Crack

Postby kiwipool » Sun 11 Mar, 2012 06:49

The Pool shell itself must be very poorly constructed for the crack to be that size.
My suggestion is build a new shell inside what you have but it might be wise to inject grout under the shell first to fill any possible voids under the pool, has it floated at some stage, has it got a Hydrostatic Valve.
Kiwi Norman
czechmate
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My Pool: 16 x 32 gunite21000 gal., Diamond Brite Blue, Swimquip XL pump, DE36
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby czechmate » Mon 12 Mar, 2012 10:33

Norman, the question is 9 MONTS OLD!! And it is from Texas not Australia.
Besides, your remedy sucks. It is completely "of the wall crap".
Bretzky
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby Bretzky » Sun 22 Jul, 2012 21:13

I thought I'd post an update. Last summer I ended up hiring someone to patch the crack. He used something like A+B Putty over the length of the crack, and did it underwater. This cost me $250 and lasted exactly one year.

This year, I am going to try something new. I am going to use 3M 5200 on the crack. The adhesive/sealant is extremely strong but also flexible. We'll see how it goes. The pool is required to be drained and then the adhesive needs to cure for 1 week. This will cost me around $450 ($36 for sump pump rental, $12 for 3M 5200 and $400 for water). If successful (I'll probably need to wait at least another year to know for sure), I'll re-post with an update.
Michel15
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Structural Pool Crack

Postby Michel15 » Tue 30 Oct, 2012 11:23

It won't last forever, but it will last longer than anything I know of. Unfortunately, once you get a crack in a pool, you'll always have a crack in the pool.

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Bob Smith
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My Pool: I have a concrete in ground swimming pool.

Re: Structural Pool Crack

Postby Bob Smith » Mon 24 Oct, 2016 17:27

I recently bought a house with a concrete swimming pool. I had pool guys tell me that they could fix the crack and reseal the pool but no warranty on how long it would last. So I looked around and found Carbon Fiber Staples and installed them every 8" they are stronger than steel staples, and they don't rust if they get wet. It worked great the pool guys were amazed by it and they only cost around $5 dollars to buy.

https://www.amazon.com/Rhino-Carbon-Fib ... te+staples

It locks the crack together and makes it stronger than ever before.

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