Moisture on outside of pool wall-New Poll Build

[Sspruill]

The PB just filled our pool and moisture has begun to make its way into the exposed side of the wall. My guess is that they didn’t use the correct product behind the tile. The two pictures are the back view and the one is the front view. Open for suggestions. Thanks for the input.

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

I will observe that if your problem was caused by not using the correct product behind the tile then the problem should show around the entire pool. This is showing in specific spots like where your waterfalls are in the wall and I think where the skimmer is.

I would look carefully at what is on the other side of the pool from around those spots. There may not have been proper grouting around openings into the pool.

What does your builder say?

 

[Sspruill]

Thanks for the input. The PB has been very responsive and communicating . He believes the water is coming from the inside of the scuppers and skimmer. He’s sending someone out to try to seal them up. I’m now tending to agree that’s the source of the moisture. I’ve taken daily pictures and you clearly see the moisture is traveling from those area and spreading outward. Here are a few progression picture.

 

[JamesW]

Swimming pools are typically considered to be watertight and not usually waterproof.

The horizontal and vertical wet spots are probably cracks in the gunite/shotcrete.

The plaster makes the pool watertight but not 100% waterproof.

The gunite should also be mostly watertight if the compressive strength and density are sufficient based on the mix and the placement at velocity.

The red lines are probably where the gunite has cracked.

This is most likely due to rebound being used to fill in the areas to build them up vs. shooting the gunite at velocity to compact it.

Rebound is not good to use because it tends to create weak spots.

If you watched the workers during the shoot, you would have probably seen them scraping rebound from the floor and putting it on top to build up the wall at those locations.

Waterproof: Completely impervious to water in either liquid or vapor state.

Watertight: Impermeable to water except when under hydrostatic pressure sufficient to produce structural failure.

https://shotcrete.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ASAPositionPaper_PoolRec_4.pdf

https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.npconline.org/resource/resmgr/technical_library/tech-bulletin-7-watertight-w.pdf

https://www.npconline.org/page/watertight-waterproof

https://shotcrete.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2018Sum_Hanskat.pdf

https://shotcrete.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2018SummerShotcreteEMag.pdf

https://www.nationalplastererscouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/what-happened-to-my-pools-interior-finish.pdf

 

[JamesW]

This probably happens more than people think.

Most walls are buried in the ground, so you will not see the water bleeding through.

When a wall is exposed, then the bleed-through is obvious.

Typically, the bleed-through is low enough to be written off as evaporation vs. a leak.

For an exposed wall, then you would want to be closer to waterproof vs. watertight.

At this point, it will be difficult to address the bleed-through without stripping off the tile and plaster and applying some sort of waterproof membrane.

 

[JamesW]

“Waterproof” Offers a Different Level of Moisture Barrier

There are unique instances when swimming pools may be required to be waterproof.

In such cases, specialized pool design and engineering should be used that prevent even moisture or water vapor from permeating through the structure.

Pools built on a shelf or pilasters, pilings, or grade beams; pools with negative edges; portions of pool or spas that are raised above ground, or wherever the outside or back side is visible, may require the pool to be waterproof.

Waterproofing manufacturers offer many types of waterproofing systems, from those that are added to the concrete or shotcrete mix or the interior finish mix, to separate coatings or membranes that are applied to the pool interior, or to spray-on applications that absorb into the concrete or shotcrete structure.

Waterproofing is generally accomplished by ‘enveloping’ the entire structure up to the deck (behind perimeter tile) and on top of negative edge walls so that water inside the pool cannot get through, around, or behind the swimming pool structure. Waterproofing prevents any moisture from passing through the structure and causing damage or showing unsightly mineral salt deposits on visible outer areas of the pool structure.

https://www.nationalplastererscouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/what-happened-to-my-pools-interior-finish.pdf

https://www.npconline.org/page/watertight-waterproof

The National Plasterers Council presents “Smooth Finish”: Is my Pool Supposed to be “Waterproof” or “Watertight”

Listen in as Smooth Finish highlights the technical bulletin #7 “Is my Pool Supposed to be “Waterproof” or “Watertight”. These are two entirely different standards within the building industry. What is required and what is important to understand for each standard. Let us know how we are...

npcpodcast.libsyn.com

 

[Sspruill]

Thank you for the very in-depth respons. Tons of great information.