Spa overflow repair

[Bill Winston]

I bought a house with a 15 year old fiberglass pool and spa with a spill over. I have tracked down three leaks and I am happy to say I'm on my last leak.

The leak is in the spa spillover where the fiberglass form meets up with the flat rock on the waterfall feature. I have not owned a pool before, but I am pretty handy. I have some ideas, but thought I would get some input from people used to dealing with this type of issue.

Really enjoyed the forum - I have committed to LC and the TFP methods and quickly realized the pool store were only experts at selling stuff.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello neighbor and welcome to TFP! I wonder if some grout or polyurethane caulking might be good between the shell and rock ledge? Have you spoken to any of our local installers in the area to pick their brains on such a repair?

 

[Bill Winston]

Hello neighbor and welcome to TFP! I wonder if some grout or polyurethane caulking might be good between the shell and rock ledge? Have you spoken to any of our local installers in the area to pick their brains on such a repair?

Hey neighbor, I have not talked to any installers - I figured I could do it myself. I was thinking of using caulk, but figured I would need to remove some material to get at least a 1/4 inch of caulk in there as I don't want it to impede the water and have it pool up on one side (keep the top flush).

I was also thinking of removing some material and using pool putty in the created gap and brought up flush.

 

[Texas Splash]

He may not work on fiberglass, bit he knows player, so I'll tag @AQUA~HOLICS just in case.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

No experience with fiberglass pools and can’t think of a product designed to adhere to both stone and fiberglass.
Are the pool and spa both fiberglass?
Personally I would start with removing the mortar and rock to find stable/un damaged material and replace it with a similar material as originally used.

 

[Bill Winston]

No experience with fiberglass pools and can’t think of a product designed to adhere to both stone and fiberglass.
Are the pool and spa both fiberglass?

yes both the pool and the spa are fiberglass.

Personally I would start with removing the mortar and rock to find stable/un damaged material and replace it with a similar material as originally used.

it was originally done with just mortar against the rock and the fiberglass so I guess I could try that first. I assume it worked like that for years - but not sure. Different question - but in a waterfall over rocks, will mortar between rocks keep water out? I get that the mortar isn't waterproof, but will it keep it from enough getting through that it would register as a leak? I mean would it basically just absorb some water like a limestone rock would - but not allow it to sort of drip right through?

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Can you draw a line on the picture provided in the area of the water intrusion?

 

[Bill Winston]

Can you draw a line on the picture provided in the area of the water intrusion?

Aqua-Holics - thanks for looking at this. It seems to be on the left hand side as your looking at the spillway - there is a gap - I have a video but the size is large. Basically I'm putting some food dye on the left hand side and instead of it puddling up and goiing over the rock side it is disappearing through the crack between the fiberglass and the rock. On the right hand side where the seal is still working it is flowing over the rock. Obviously this is all done as the overflow is turned off in the waning moments of water trickling over the spillway.

If I run the overflow over night, I lose about 3/4 of an inch. My pool is only 5200 gallons plus spa so not as dramatic as someone with a 10-15k pool - but enough to where I don't want to run it to aerate.

 

[Texas Splash]

I will also invite @MAPR-Austin as I believe they do some fiberglass work.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

To answer your earlier question, mortar will keep the majority of the water out and its main purpose is to direct water in a specific direction.
Possibly movement occurred and the mortar has been compromised and no longer exists.
As I stated earlier, removal of the bad product and replace with a similar product to fill the void.

 

[Bill Winston]

To answer your earlier question, mortar will keep the majority of the water out and its main purpose is to direct water in a specific direction.
Possibly movement occurred and the mortar has been compromised and no longer exists.
As I stated earlier, removal of the bad product and replace with a similar product to fill the void.

Thank you Sir - updated signature