Concrete Pitch Around Pool

[Vann]

I am on the last leg of my pool installation and the concrete contractor has ended up being a nightmare. He poured the concrete and an additional slab for my robotic cleaner. The small slab was unlevel and he got about 5 gallons of concrete in the pool, skimmer and all over the steps and coping.

I stopped payment of his check and he came back and cleaned up the pool and leveled the small slab, but when the landscaper came today he said it was horrible and he got his level out and check the pitch. 30% of the deck has NO pitch at all and in some areas it leans towards the pool slightly.

I know it is better to have a pitch, but would like to know what it can do to the pool without a pitch. Some areas have a pitch and I think it looks OK. I can clearly see the areas that don't have a pitch, but I think I will adjust to it from as asthetic perspective, but would like to know if NOT having a pitch can harm the pool??

Feedback very much apprecitated!

Thanks to all who have helped me through this process.

Vann

[G-MAN]

your deck should absolutely pitch away from the pool, and away from your house if it touches it. sounds like you have a solid complaint and it should be fixed.

[jkusmier]

your deck should absolutely pitch away from the pool, and away from your house if it touches it. sounds like you have a solid complaint and it should be fixed.

I agree, it's fairly vital to pitch the entire deck away from the pool. How large is the accessory pad for the robotic cleaner? Can't be that large. A headache, for sure: it will take the better part of the day jackhammering and removing even a small pad, and those chunks of concrete don't get any lighter as the day progresses. But it's definitely worth the effort - I'd do it as soon as the weather permits, meaning this winter. Removing the pad is more than half the work.

I'm in StL, and in this area I'd remove the pad now, then re-pour in early-mid April, once the threat of hard frosts has subsided. Don't know where you live, but I wouldn't re-pour unless the temp stays above 33F for roughly a month afterward. I know, alot of contractors will pour despite that, but unless they take certain precautions you'll very likely experience cracking and/or spalling. Concrete develops its strength during the curing process, which takes 3-4 weeks for a 3" pad. Others may disagree, but trust me - you don't want to go through this a second time, do you?

RANDOM NOTE: Always bemused by people who pour 4, 5 or 6" driveways. A waste of everything, namely your time and money - and concrete! A deep, well-compacted base is the key. Pouring a thicker slab over a poor base guarantees fast cracking. 3/4 lime is fairly cheap. Order one load after another, and compact as much as possible. Also recommend fiber-reinforcement. No matter the purpose or placement, if pouring concrete it's worth ordering fiber-reinforced. Finally, if load-bearing/structural, make sure your contractor sets the re-bar above the ground (re-bar lying at the bottom of your pad doesn't work nearly as well as re-bar sandwiched in the middle of your pad).