I purchased a home with a pool in 2020. During my second season I noticed I was losing too much water. The pool had been painted by the previous owner and I learned this was done to cover up some structural issues with the pool. A large crack started appearing and quickly spanned the majority of the pool. This season I was finally able to afford a resurfacing. After having a chipout performed I learned my pool was not actually a gunnite construction but a concrete base with block walls. Additionally it appears not all of the blocks have been filled with concrete. The crack around the pool appears to only be in the plaster and not the blocks, though there are some big holes in the blocks now from the chipout, but the big surprise was to see tree roots growing behind the plaster spanning nearly the entire length of the pool. The contractor is advising to put a membrane along the portions of the block wall and then plaster over that. I'm worried the main structural issues of the pool are not being fully addressed and that the membrane and replaster will only last a short time before shifting and cracking again. I don't know what can really be done to address the structural integrity at this stage though. Mostly posting this for informational purposes but if anyone has insight on what questions I should be asking in regards to the structure or the membrane and it's longevity, I would appreciate it.
Structural Issues in Block Wall Pool
- Thread starter Jackpawt
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 58,988
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I think your choices are accept that you will be patching the pool every few years to fix cracks and stop leaks or blow up the pool and put a new gunite shell in the hole in the ground.
sktn77a
Gold Supporter
Well, based on pics 4-6, it looks to me like the block seam is cracked behind the plaster. Are you absolutely sure it's only the plaster that's cracked? I wouldn't bother putting a "membrane" behind the plaster. I'd patch/smooth up the surface an put a liner over it.
They did chip a little more of the area out around the crack on that wall and the block did seem to be intact. There has to be a penetration in the entire thing where the roots are entering the structure though. After talking with the contractor they were not keen on doing more demo to find where that was entering. Their reasoning was that cutting off the water source would then stop the roots from having water to get to. I'm a little worried they will keep trying to find a way in though. Are you advocating a vinyl liner? Is the thinking that it could withstand movement in the structure better than plaster?