Pool Repair

[Stef]

I'm sure someone here has some advice/clues...

My Marbelite pool suddenly developed a small crack with the first cold snap. I'm not going to pat R30k to have the whole pool done with marbelite again.

I'm looking for an epoxy/ sealant for the purpose that i can work into the fracture en re-marbelite just the 1st 5mm off the crack. Anyone that knows where I can find it?

[Mr_B]

At a pool shop!

[Mud Dog]

It won't be effective for long, Stef. The shell has cracked for a reason - it became stressed and the possible causes for this are many. The reality is that the stress fracture will open / close (depending on the underlying reasons - like heaving clay for example) and that unfortunately the shell is terminally compromised.

You can attempt repairs, but they will end up being a recurring requirement. For many folk this is preferable since it's cheaper (in the short to medium term especially) and less disruptive than a complete shell rebuild - in addition, a new shell may also eventually crack if the original cause is not determined and adequately addressed.

I have to admit that I personally would also be inclined to do repairs as and when the need arises. Glass fibre would be easier and longer lasting since the repair would form both a chemical and mechanical bond, but a concrete shell relies mostly on a mechanical bond.

Best is to chop it open, about 150mm wide and down to the reinforcing and then to re-caulk the excavated area (work it in thoroughly) with a stiff concrete mix using crusher dust for the aggregate and "Dri-Kon" as an additive (follow the manufacturer's instructions by premixing with the water). Dri-Kon will seal the concrete against moisture ingress, speed up curing time and result in a harder concrete. Use a ratio of 5:3:1 - aggregate:cement:sand. Allow surface space for marbelite topping, approx 12mm depth.

The best time to do it is after a long dry spell so that the surrounding water table can drop sufficiently so as not to result in seepage while you work and also so as not to exert undue external pressure on the shell once it has been emptied.

Maybe not what you wanted to hear, but hope that it helps. Have fun!!

[ChrisF]

Andy is it an option to do a complete glass fibre finish of the inside of the bath ?

certainly very costly .... but is this the long term answer ??

[Thabogrobler]

I believe in a Fibreglass coating!

Praat met my as jy die Fibreglass roete wil gaan.

[pietpetoors]

Fibreglass makes sense to me as well.
The concrete can move behind the fibre glass and the fibre glass can stay in tact.

The other option of course is a veggie garden.
A pool cost you money and it is not energy efficient.
A veggie garden is not only good for your health but also generate extra oxygen which we need to survive.

Instead of spending all your time cleaning the pool you can spend your time weeding the garden.

If your wife always argued that the pool is good for the kids, so is a veggie garden. Veggie gardens bring you closer to nature and teaches you where healthy food comes from.

The nice thing of a veggie garden is after heavy rain it also turns green, just like your pool, but in this case green is good and you do not have to use expensive chemicals to get rid of the green, you can actually eat it.

So it is either R30k for fiberglass or R2k for 10 cubes of fertile soil.

[Mud Dog]

Pieter, I just love that cynical humour!

Yes, the fibre inner shell is definitely an option as well and can also be a costly exercise, BUT ......

You have to bear in mind that the fibre inner will bond very well to the old marbelite surface because of it's rougher texture (mechanical bond) and that it will not move independently if the old shell 'flexes'. Additionally, the weight / pressure of the water will also inhibit any independent movement. That said, fibre is nowhere near as rigid as concreter, so if the flexing of the old shell is small, it may cope without tearing / cracking, but if the old crack continues to widen / open, the fibre will fail after some time as well. Not entirely the end of the world, because of the ease with which fibre can be repaired.

(I once repaired a fibre pool that had been installed on a slope with excavation on the higher side and back-fill on the lower side. The pool had torn completely through as the back-fill subsided - a poor job by the original installer. We re-excavated and stabilized the complete slope below the pool, stitched the pieces of the shell together and re-glassed it inside and out. Some 15 years later when last I knew of, it was still intact - that was then already more than 3 times longer than it lasted with the original installation). The point is that if the cause can be addressed the repair will hold with a glass shell.

[Ou vale1]

Alcolin Aquamend werk, het 'n kraak in die swembad lig reggemaak en hou nog na 5 jaar. Jy kan dit onderwater gebruik, hoef nie leeg te maak nie.

[Mud Dog]

Epoxy putty soos Pratley's werk ook onder water, maar dit sal nie hou as daar enige beweging is in daai kraak.

[Ou vale1]

For the cost I suppose it's worth the try.

[Stef]

Tx guys

We have red soil & believe me it's rock hard; if I leave the flower beds too long you need a pick to get in there so I doubt if the it is movement in the surrounding soil. Could just be a stop/start joint that did not bond 100%

looking at 2 options:

1) short term sealant route; hopefully becomes long term
2) excavate outside the shell; install rebar "staples" over the crack; box & fill with concrete. Then open the crack inside the pool somewhat and put sealant in and remarbelite the top 12mm

The bit where it leaks quickly is the top 100mm on the 2 rows of tiles; dropped 50 mm in a day; then 4-5 days on the next 50mm and roughly 4 weeks on the last 50mm