It’s a big concern when pool owners see a crack in their bond beam, after all, it’s an integral part of the structure. The question arises, can it be repaired, or does the entire bond beam need to be replaced. Here’s our consideration.
Bond beam cracks most often happen in a linear fashion. When the occur, they typically spread wider by the day. The crack gets longer until someone realizes it’s time for repair, so take this note. In our experience, we’ve found that when 30 percent of the bond beam is cracked, it makes more sense to replace the entire bond beam.
Bond beam repair, when caught early, can simply replace the section that has cracked, and yes, a bigger section can be replaced, but it’s not going to look very good. Visually, pool owners are hoping to see a paradise at their pool, and mismatched sections of concrete can alter the appearance a lot, but that’s not the big reason to replace the entire bond beam.
Think about this. The average pool area offers 100 feet of linear footage around the bond beam. if 30 percent of that is cracked, you’re looking at a repair of 30 feet, plus excess to capture the area around the crack. Yes, it won’t be as pretty, but the real concern is that if 30 percent of that bond beam has cracked, even after repair, the rest of it is likely to be subject to the same cracking. It’s equally as old as the previous beam, constructed in the same fashion and suffering under the same stresses as the 30 percent that has already failed – what says it isn’t next? It’s likely that even after the repair on the 30 percent, the rest will begin to crack shortly thereafter.
So in consideration of the bond beam repair, talk with CalTech firs to explore every option. If a repair is what you’re looking to do, we can make that happen, but discuss the long term potentials fo the pools sustainability and what will be best for the life of the pool. We will share our best knowledge from more than 30 years in professional pool repair and help you understand the best repair options for your pool.
For details on getting your pool leak detection performed and to discuss the repairs that will keep you in the swim, call CalTech today at 818-436-2953.