Cracked swimming pool repaired - albeit temporary perhaps.

[up2you2]

Nervously refilled my swimming pool, as the price of truck loads of water had reverted back to the normal price, because of the monsoon season.
Previously you would come down in the morning, to find the level has dropped substantially, believe me it breaks your heart not to mention your wallet.
 
When we emptied it last year, yes it was leaking in all the places that had been previously repaired, with really hard like bonding cement - not cheap.
So what do you do.
Well the first question to ask yourself is, are you trying to repair a moving sieve. That's right if the whole structure and foundations are actually moving.
The sand wash going around the outside of the pool, is cracked in the exact same spot as before. Which then extends into the pool itself.
This is the case, so then in this light do you still throw money at trying to resolve this problem.
No.

Accept whatever you do is just going to be automatically undone, so all you are doing is buying time.
So we spent days filling in all the cracks and crevices in the pool grouting, with the special chlorine proof swimming pool grout.

Next up were the steps
This was a major construction in granite previously, and what's more a learning curve, with the installation company never having installed steps for a swimming pool before.
These new granite steps had been laid on a bed of cement.
Underneath these steps, the bed of cement came right up to the water itself. Then they applied a very thin veneer of swimming pool grout.
This wafer thin grout was soon dissolved, then in turn the cement acted as some kind of bloating paper sponge, sucking all the water out of the pool.
When you ran your fingers along under the lip of the step, where the granite was sitting on, the cement all came away in clouds of grey.
They then it turn had to hack it all out to a reasonable depth, then insert and apply the special swimming pool grout.

Next up was where each granite section meet on these steps, up to three curved sections, they had not used the specific suggested grout. Again all gaps had to be hacked out, then regrouted with the special black colour coordinated swimming pool grout.

Why granite?
Do date it's chlorine proof, before being polished it has fantastic non slip qualities, the Indian variety it looks amazing when wet, just costs an arm and a leg.
But just how many times does one really want to go to the trouble, of having ones sand washed steps ripped up and replaced. Let alone the expense.
Still not persuaded, then all the sand you suck up when vacuuming the pool, which then in turn does wonders for one's pump.
Tiling - never seen a decent sized non slip tile here in Thailand.

Sure the whole operation may well need to be redone in a years time, but at least this way it has not cost me a fortune.

[johng]

Where's the photos ????

[BritManToo]

Wouldn't it just be easier to fit a liner, or spray the inside with fibreglass?

[up2you2]

21 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Wouldn't it just be easier to fit a liner, or spray the inside with fibreglass?

I wanted to keep the look of the pool.

Looked into liners and fibreglass, the costs were prohibitive.

Also you have to remember factoring the steps.

What I am saying that at least for me, and perhaps a consideration for others faced with the same predicament, is to bite the bullet, face you may well have to repair annually, and accept that this option maybe a long term solution, that is at least cost effective.

[up2you2]

1 hour ago, johng said:

Where's the photos ????

 

[Bagwain]

Wrong on so many levels! Where are you? Better advice could be had. PM me!!

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 3:42 PM, BritManToo said:

Wouldn't it just be easier to fit a liner, or spray the inside with fibreglass?

I was going to suggest fiberglass cloth. Can do it yourself.