I got a call from a customer who was buying a home with a pool and noticed a strange line, almost like a ripple in the plaster. They were told by the pool service technician that the pool had previously been repaired where a crack formed and this was the crack ‘reflecting’ in the plaster. They wanted to know why.
As it turned out, the repair contractor who fixed the pool crack had done the unthinkable, though sadly it’s a common practice; they cut the crack out of the pool shell, entirely, tied in new rebar and filled the hole they made in the shell with new concrete. This is the cause of the ‘reflecting’ and could have been avoided if the crack was repaired with Torque Lock Structural Staples.
By cutting the crack out of the pool, the contractor literally removed a section of the pool shell and re-poured new concrete into the hole they made to fill it in. The problem with this kind of repair is that the two separate concrete pours; 1 being the original shell, and 2 being the repaired area – they don’t bond properly. As a result, there is a rectangle line around the area that was cut, a rectangle that offers long cracks that will shift, separate and leak worse than the original crack that was improperly repaired – and what’s worse, that awkward line where the concrete didn’t properly bond is leaving an unsightly line reflecting through the plaster finish of the pool. Yuck.
When cracks appear, the first thing to do is have a proper leak detection performed. The good news is, a proper leak detection will also identify if anything else in the pool is leaking or losing water, as well as checking to see if that unsightly crack is causing a leak. Water loss is costly and you should have a leak detection performed even if you just suspect that you’re adding water to the pool to often.
When a contractor installs Torque Lock Structural Staples, they don’t remove the shell and re-pour new sections of concrete into it. They remove the top layer of the plaster, install Torque Lock Staples that apply a controlled compression to the crack, ensuring that it won’t separate, shear or widen, then they penetrate the crack with hydraulic cement (concrete) to ensure that it’s got a proper bond in the area of the crack and the pool is finished over.
By installing the Torque Lock Structural Staples, the concrete shell is restricted from further movement, and without cutting through the shell to make repairs, there is no unsightly remnants of a bad bond between two major concrete pours. When the pool is finished over, the crack is permanently repaired and the pool crack will not leak again. problem solved.
There are other options that people try thinking that they will save time and money in their pool repair, but ultimately, those options aren’t permanent and will fail. The customer will be up against the same situation again. Leaking cracks, unsightly messes and the need to make repairs that stop the leaking and cracking. Why pay twice to fix something that could be permanently repaired the first time with the patented Torque Lock Structural Staples.
Call CalTech Pools today to get a leak detection on your pool and make the repairs that will keep your pool leak free and ready for use all summer. Call 818-436-2953 to schedule an appointment today.
