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Wanna know how to repair a crack in a concrete swimming pool? I bet you do.
Let’s start with the basics.
Swimming pool cracks can provide enormous stress. Only imagining that a leaking pool can destroy your backyard is stressful. Pool crack is a sign that something went wrong with your pool. Pool surface crack is quite annoying, but pool structural damage can be a catastrophe.
Taking appropriate measures to repair a small surface crack is crucial. Pool crack happens if you do not maintain your swimming pool regularly or when the pool is built. First of all, you need to discover the type of your pool crack and contact a professional if you are not sure what type it is. This article will provide you with the types of pool cracks and techniques on how to repair them.
Types of Cracks in Concrete Pools
Before we provide some of the techniques for swimming pool cracks, you should know that there are: surface cracks and structural breaks.
Surface pool cracks
These cracks are pretty easy to solve. Surface cracks do not cause leaks quite often, but you should monitor if they will develop over time. If they develop in the future, they can affect the overall structure of your swimming pool. Surface cracks usually appear in the freshly poured concrete pool process.
Structural pool cracks
Compared to surface cracks, these cracks are more stressful and dangerous. Structural cracks appear in any place of the concrete pool and can lead to severe leaks. Do not avoid them if you do not want your pool repair process to be more complex and even without a solution.
Techniques on how to repair cracks
Polyurethane Injection
Water stop Solutions include polyurethane crack injection, and it is the most effective crack repair method for concrete pool leaks. Water stop Solutions utilizes the same techniques and products that have been approved for use on major civil structures with a design life of 100 years.
The process of sealing a concrete crack leak includes injecting hydrophilic polyurethane under high pressure. The injection of liquid polyurethane assists in ceiling voids, joints, and cracks. The Hydrophilic reaction chases moisture and rapid seals and fills a concrete pool crack while water is present.
Pool Pop Out from Ground
The reason for concrete pools lifting from the ground is because of water pushing upwards or Hydrostatic pressure. If swimming pool owners want to prevent this problem, they should maintain the hydrostatic pool valve is in good condition.
Peeling or Plaster Flaking
This process is also called spalling. The role of the plaster is to help protect the swimming pool structure. And If there is a crack, the leading cause is low calcium levels or low chlorine levels. Sand the area down to provide smoother underlay and fix the plaster crack. However, pool owners who want to prevent spalling are to do repairs on time and maintain chemistry levels in your concrete pool.
Pool Discoloration
Concrete can quite easily absorb stains. Pool discoloration is a minor concrete pool issue, yet it can be pretty frustrating for a pool owner. The chemistry disbalance of your pool water can provoke discoloration. A shirt fading of your pool leads to surface cracks. No matter if these cracks are not severe, they can be if you do not prevent the discoloration. To prevent a crack repair due to pool discoloration, test the pH of your swimming pool pH and maintain that water chemistry.
Replastering
This process includes adding a new layer of the entire pool surface inside. This method is quite expensive, but it is highly effective for swimming pools with flaking plaster, surface cracks, and rough pool surfaces. A pool owner who owns a concrete swimming pool should consider this technique.
Acid wash
Most pool owners use acid wash for rough concrete swimming pool surfaces. It can easily remove stains from chlorine, minerals, algae, and plain dirt. Yet, we recommend you regularly maintain your pool to not have to acid wash your pool.
Plumbing repairs
Plumbing repairs include replacement or installation of Polyvinyl Chloride. It is a long time process, but you can do it by yourself. You just need PVC cement, repair tools, and equipment that are easy to use. Just make sure you have the proper materials to do the job.
Pool Shell Crack
Deeper cracks require intensive repairs than the plaster pool surface. Professional for pool repairing use drill or grinder to widen the crack before they fill it. The next step is to clean the crack out decently and then use a pool plaster to fill the crack. After they fix the crack, they cover it with a plastic cover.
Vinyl Liner Tears and Cracks
It is the most accessible crack to repair. You can use a vinyl kit, and most of them you can use underwater. In this case, you do not have to drain the pool. First of all, you should cut the vinyl patch more extensively than the hole in an oval or circle. Then, put vinyl glue on the patch and fold it for three minutes. Finally, unfold the patch and apply it to the crack to repair it.
Pool inspections
It is the most helpful technique if you do not want any crack in your concrete swimming pools. Identifying on time if there is any structural or surface crack will cost you less later, and the repair process will be more straightforward. Pools inspection is crucial to elevate the surface and pump functionality.
Filling concrete crack with silicone
Pool owners often inject silicone into a crack of concrete swimming pools. Usually, they cannot fix the problem on their own, so they contact a professional if injecting will work or not. Sealant can prevent water from escaping, but silicone is not a proper solution for it.
Injection of silicone in concrete pools is not such a good idea to improve the problem, so you need to pick something powerful than silicone. Even two applications of silicon are not durable sufficient to fix the crack in the long term.
Filling cracks with concrete urethane
This silicone named concrete urethane sucks. You cannot clean it up and sticks to everything. But, it is excellent to inject it into cracks in a concrete pool. The new structure is relatively better than patching up the cracked structure. Yet, this is too expensive, and most people do not have that money to spend on a new pool structure. The concrete urethane resolves any crack repair in the very long term. You can find various products to use for applying it.
Ending thoughts on how to repair a crack in a concrete swimming pool
Every concrete pool can crack, yet some swimming pools crack more. Keep in mind that it is quite probable that the pool will break someday if it is old. If the pool was not installed or designed correctly, crack repair will be necessary if you do not want to widen the crack. Widen cracks can continue through the pool shell and cause hazardous leaks.
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