Swimming Pool Interior Deterioration

DessVornis

New member
Apr 13, 2025
1
Curacao
I’m reaching out for your expert guidance regarding issues we’re facing with our in-ground swimming pool. We live outside the U.S. and are unable to arrange for an in-person inspection, but we’d greatly appreciate your remote assistance or insights.

Pool Construction:

  • Reinforced with steel bars
  • Built using gunnite cement
  • Final coating is aggregate pool finish containing river pebbles combined with portland cement-based pigmented plaster

Current Problems Observed:

  1. The pool coating has started to soften and deteriorate—it can be peeled off easily by scratching it.
  2. Brown iron-like stains are coming through the coating and are now visible on the pool walls.
  3. Minor surface cracks have also developed in the coating.
We suspect this may be due to age, water chemistry, or deeper waterproofing or rebar-related issues. We're attaching photos and a short video to better illustrate the condition.

Our Request:

Could you kindly advise us on the following:

  • What could be the root cause of this deterioration?
  • Are we dealing with a surface-level finish problem or potential structural/rebar corrosion?
  • What is the recommended DIY repair method for this kind of damage?
  • Do we need to strip all the cement coating?
  • Advise which two component pool coating to use, as a cost efficient solution.
  • Any steps to temporarily maintain or slow further damage before full renovation?
We’re open to all advice



Thank you very much in advance for your help and time. Looking forward to your recommendations!