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Surface
Repairs
Concrete Swimming Pool Repair
As your gunite or concrete pool begins
to age, the plaster will require the
occasional repair. Cracking, hollow
spots, sometimes called “pop-ups”, and
chipping are not uncommon. As are wear
spots in your pool plaster, when the
plaster is worn away, and the gunite
below the plaster is showing. Most of
these pool plaster repairs can be done
by you. With the right tools, the
right materials, and a little know how,
you can repair most small cracks and
chips without too much effort. The
following is a step by step guide to
making typical pool plaster repairs.
Swimming Pool Crack Repair
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Cut the crack out
1/2” deep and extend the length of the crack one
inch on both ends. You will need a grinder or saw with a diamond blade. You can rent a 4” grinder, or buy one
for about $50.00. Be sure to use all of the proper safety equipment and safe operating procedures.
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Allow the crack to dry and wipe away all dust and debris.
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Apply a bead of
caulk along the length of the crack
leaving 1/4” space to allow for plaster to cover the caulk.
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Allow the caulk to dry.
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Mix some
pool patch or white Portland cement
and white sand with water and an acrylic cement bonding agent (available at most home improvement super centers). The mix
should be the consistency of loose peanut butter.
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Lightly moisten the surface. With a flat
trowel or putty knife,
apply your pool patching mixture to the crack. Gently push the mix into the crack to make sure there is no air left in the
gap.
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Smooth and even out the patch area with your
trowel,
and sponge the new patch to match
the consistency of the existing surface. If the pool plaster repair won’t be
under water for more than a few hours, cover it with a wet towel to keep it moist until the pool repair is covered with water
to prevent the job from cracking.
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Fill the pool as soon as possible and go swimming!
Swimming Pool Plaster Repair
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Get your hammer and chisel and remove any loose plaster that is not bonded to the pool surface. Drag the floor of the pool with a heavy chain and listen for hollow spots, or tap the
pool floor with a hammer. You will be able to hear the hollow pool plaster. Chip them up. Be sure to use eye
protection, gloves and all of the proper safety equipment.
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Chisel some divots and pock marks into the surface that will be
patched to help your new plaster patch bond to the existing surface.
Acid rinse
the surface to be repaired.
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Figure out the
surface area to be patched. Mix your
pool patch or a mixture of 1/3 white
Portland cement and 2/3 white sand. If the plaster is a custom color (grey, black) you will
need to add cement dye.
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Mix the plaster mix and some acrylic bonding agent together with
water. Mix to the consistency of peanut butter.
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The best way to apply the mix is with a “pool
trowel”. Wet the
surface with your sponge or a fine mist.
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Apply the plaster mix with your trowel. Push the mixture into the
corners and divots. Make sure you trowel it enough to there are no air bubbles left in the mixture. Trowel patch
smooth. Wait 15 minutes and trowel the patch smooth again, you may need to sprinkle a little water around the
edges to smooth it in with the existing plaster. Be sure to keep the pool repair moist until it is under water.
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Fill your newly patched swimming
pool immediately.
Fiberglass
Pool Repairs
You can repair small cracks in your
fiberglass pool without too much
trouble. Follow the step by step guide
below for simple crack repair. You will
need a fiberglass repair kit from your
local paint supply, or marine supply
store. Blisters and bubbles can be
repaired the same way. Please remember,
you will never get a perfect color and
you will always see the repair. The only
way to avoid this would be to resurface
the entire swimming pool.
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Disk sand the entire area around the
crack to remove loose dirt and debris.
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Cut the crack with the diamond
blade, extending the cut beyond the
original crack.
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Apply the bond coat to the
crack area. Let this set and dry until it
becomes tacky. If the crack is leaking
water, we suggest using hydraulic cement, then
applying the bond coat after the crack is
filled.
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Catalyze the polyester putty,
and apply it to the crack using a putty knife.
Allow the putty to dry, and then sand the area
smooth.
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Apply 2-inch masking tape
around the perimeter of your repair. Apply a gel
coat with the paint roller.
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Lay down your fiberglass
cloth, using enough to overlap at least two
inches on each side of the repair area. Then
saturate the fiberglass cloth with another layer
of gel. Roll the area using the rib roller,
being careful to eliminate air pockets from
under the fiberglass.
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Allow the repair to dry. (This
may take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, depending
on temperature and weather conditions).
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After the surface has cured to
the touch, sand the surface, apply the finish coat.
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Make sure the surface is
completely dry before you proceed from one step
to the next.
Vinyl Liner Pool Repair and Patching
 Most rips and tears in
vinyl lined pools can be patched with a simple vinyl
patch kit.
Today, most pool vinyl patch kits can be used underwater or above the water
level. If you can drain the pool down to patch the leak, it will be easier to make the patch.
The following is a step by step guide to patching your vinyl pool liner.
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Clean the area to be patched.
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Cut your vinyl patch material about
1/2” larger than the hole. Be sure
to cut the vinyl patch material in a circle or oval so there are no corners on the patch. Corners will peel off and the
patch WILL come off.
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Clean the area around the hole to be patched. If
the pool patch is a dry pool patch, use a little acetone (ex. nail
polish remover) or a good vinyl cleaner.
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Apply the vinyl glue to the area around the hole, and the patch
itself. If you are doing an underwater patch, apply the vinyl liner glue to the patch only, and fold it over on top of
itself.
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Wait 3 minutes and press the patch onto the area being patched. Rub
all of the air from under the patch, and take extra time to rub the edges all of the way around the patch.
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Wait
10 minutes, and rub the patch and edges
again.
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