Skimmer Concrete Replacement Question

[HST123]

Hi - we have a 20-year old pool that we just had renovated: New plaster, tile, coping, and they also replaced both skimmers. After the renovation, the new skimmer is now sitting about 1.0 to 1.5 inches below the coping. (It was flush prior to the renovation). This was due to the original pool not being level. Note: other areas of the pool deck were also lower than the coping before the renovation and it shifted to different areas after the renovation.

We had a concrete lifting company out to fix about 90% around our pool, but they are unable to fix the area at the new skimmer. The lifting company felt that it could damage the skimmer.

My question is: Is it possible to just chip out the concrete around the new skimmer and then pour new concrete? When they replaced the skimmer, they packed stone/dirt around the skimmer, but only put concrete on the top 3-4 inches. The renovation company is telling me that they should have put concrete the entire way down around the skimmer, I really dont think that is the case unless they put dry concrete in there.

What is the solution here? Do we need to have this new skimmer removed and replaced? Does the pool need to be drained to do that? Or, could they chip out the concrete around the skimmer, then lift the pool deck, then add new concrete around the skimmer to be flush? Are there any other solutions?

We are using a renovation company that has a good reputation, everything else is good. They have been out to review the situation and said they would try to chip out the concrete, but they have not done the work yet because i think they are unsure and concerned about damaging the skimmer.

 

[Bperry]

Hi - we have a 20-year old pool that we just had renovated: New plaster, tile, coping, and they also replaced both skimmers. After the renovation, the new skimmer is now sitting about 1.0 to 1.5 inches below the coping. (It was flush prior to the renovation). This was due to the original pool not being level. Note: other areas of the pool deck were also lower than the coping before the renovation and it shifted to different areas after the renovation.

We had a concrete lifting company out to fix about 90% around our pool, but they are unable to fix the area at the new skimmer. The lifting company felt that it could damage the skimmer.

My question is: Is it possible to just chip out the concrete around the new skimmer and then pour new concrete? When they replaced the skimmer, they packed stone/dirt around the skimmer, but only put concrete on the top 3-4 inches. The renovation company is telling me that they should have put concrete the entire way down around the skimmer, I really dont think that is the case unless they put dry concrete in there.

What is the solution here? Do we need to have this new skimmer removed and replaced? Does the pool need to be drained to do that? Or, could they chip out the concrete around the skimmer, then lift the pool deck, then add new concrete around the skimmer to be flush? Are there any other solutions?

We are using a renovation company that has a good reputation, everything else is good. They have been out to review the situation and said they would try to chip out the concrete, but they have not done the work yet because i think they are unsure and concerned about damaging the skimmer.
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Check if the skimmer is a single piece or if the lid sits on a movable piece that is joined to the concrete deck only and the actual skimmer is separate. That way they may be able to move the “lid” half up without messing with the rest of it.

If it’s a single piece skimmer, you’ll need to dig up the deck around it, chip out any concrete that they should have encased it in along with any rebar that should be around it, cut out the skimmer and the plaster around the opening, then re-plumb it at the higher height and redo all the stuff that got chipped out.

 

[HST123]

Check if the skimmer is a single piece or if the lid sits on a movable piece that is joined to the concrete deck only and the actual skimmer is separate. That way they may be able to move the “lid” half up without messing with the rest of it.

If it’s a single piece skimmer, you’ll need to dig up the deck around it, chip out any concrete that they should have encased it in along with any rebar that should be around it, cut out the skimmer and the plaster around the opening, then re-plumb it at the higher height and redo all the stuff that got chipped out.

Thank you. I believe it is a moveable piece that they can add a collar to in order to raise it. But then we still need to worry about the concrete. If we add a layer of concrete on top of existing concrete - wont that crack?

 

[Bperry]

Thank you. I believe it is a moveable piece that they can add a collar to in order to raise it. But then we still need to worry about the concrete. If we add a layer of concrete on top of existing concrete - wont that crack?

Layering concrete on top of concrete will crack. When you said they were raising the concrete I assumed you meant they were slab jacking it or foam lifting the existing deck. What’s the plan for lifting it?

Maybe take a picture of inside the skimmer with the lid removed. The part holding the skimmer lid may also be able to pop out.

 

[HST123]

Yes they already foam lifted most of the deck. When the foam lifter got to the area next to the skimmer, there was resistance in the adjacent slabs so they stopped foam lifting. The lifting guy said that the concrete around the skimmer needs to be removed in order to finish lifting the concrete. His is afraid lifting adjacent slabs could crack the skimmer.

But even if all of the concrete deck was lifted, we still need to raise the concrete in the rectangle around the skimmer to be flush with the coping.

 

[Bperry]

Yes they already foam lifted most of the deck. When the foam lifter got to the area next to the skimmer, there was resistance in the adjacent slabs so they stopped foam lifting. The lifting guy said that the concrete around the skimmer needs to be removed in order to finish lifting the concrete. His is afraid lifting adjacent slabs could crack the skimmer.

But even if all of the concrete deck was lifted, we still need to raise the concrete in the rectangle around the skimmer to be flush with the coping.

Your skimmer is different than mine. Yours looks like the lower portion is embedded in the concrete deck and the upper plastic ring is just very small piece also embedded in the deck.

If your skimmer repair guys did thing by the book, then yea it looks like you gotta chip all that out.