Cracked pool, what now?
Why does a Swimming Pool Crack? Cracks can be caused by several reasons, we’ll take a look at them in this blog.
Once a swimming pool is cracked, seek advice and remedial services from a reputable swimming pool builder that belongs to the professional association in South Africa, the National Spa and Pool Institute (NSPI).
The remedial usually goes as follows:
-
Investigate the crack and identify the cause
-
Remedy the cause
-
Do the finishing touches
-
Hand over the pool
A fundamental when building a swimming pool is to make sure you build it into suitable ground (good founding material).
Experienced pool builders usually have enough experience to know whether the soil is problematic or not.
The second part to building a good, solid swimming pool is to make sure the specifications (or minimum specifications) are adhered to.
For example, the NSPI in South Africa insists on a certain size and type of reinforcing steel depending on the size of the pool and the soil conditions.
Sometimes the appointed engineer may request the builder to underpin the pool with piles to prevent the shell from settling or moving and cracking.
BLUPOOL recently had the task of rehabilitating an 8m x 4m cracked swimming pool in Durban North. The pool had cracked in several places.
Investigate the crack and identify the cause
On closer inspection of the pool, we discovered that the pool did not have a ring beam around the top of the shell, and the shell had also settled.
The movement caused long downward cracks in the swimming pool, and the pool ‘leaked like a sieve’. There were also places in the surrounding paving that the bricks had sunk into hollows in the soil.
Remedy the cause
Our first activity was to drain the pool and uplift the paving around the swimming pool. We then opened up spaces next to the shell which would enable us to build reinforced concrete ‘pillars’ to which we could strap the shell.
We stitched the cracks in the pool with steel ‘staples’ and strong epoxy.
Finally, we cast a steel-reinforced ring beam around the pool which would hold the pool shell in place.
Do the finishing touches
Once we were happy that the pool was stable and strong enough to hold water, we re-tiled the scum line and plastered the pool with a good quality Marbelite (marble plaster mix).
The preparation of the pool surface before plastering is essential for the longevity of the marble plaster. If done correctly, and with properly balanced water after the pool is filled, black algae, rough patches and pitting will not be an issue for many years to come.
Hand over the pool
A good, well-rounded pool company that is proficient in all areas of swimming pools (building new swimming pools, renovating swimming pools, maintaining water balance in swimming pools) will always balance the pool water after refilling the pool and before handing it back over to the pool owner.
Avoid the temptation of getting as many quotes as possible and going for the cheapest pool contractor. Nine times out of 10 this will end up costing more money.
Unscrupulous pool contractors that undercut reputable companies will take short cuts without the pool owner even knowing. Most times, this is a direct answer to the question: Why does a swimming pool crack? These short cuts will manifest into problems, and the pool contractor can often not be found.
Do your homework, get a good pool contractor, not a cheap one, and finally, happy swimming!
Related article: Cracking and Discolouration in Gunite Pools
