rh455 Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 My pool was completed in September. Gunite with cantilever decking. While vacuuming this past weekend, I noticed a thin crack in the 3' section near the steps. The crack is thin and was pretty noticeable until I brushed the sides. I'm thinking I brushed away some accumulated dirt. Upon further inspection, there is a definate hairline crack that runs from the lip of the cantilever deck(the round bull nose part), down about 2.5' about a foot from the bottom. I've got a call in to the builder and I'm waiting for the return call. Not losing any water, but what could be going on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted February 18, 2009 Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 Was it hot that day and the day after in September when it got plastered/filled? I've sometimes seen cracks like you described when the pool took a long time to fill or filling gets stopped before it filled all the way. and areas of the fresh plaster were subject to A full days sun or more before it got wet. Let us know what the builder says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rh455 Posted February 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2009 I suppose it was hot that day. It was a bright Saturday morning when it was done. I'm sure it was 90ish. I'm outside of New Orleans. It took about 28 hours to fill it non stop with hoses. I asked if we should fill it quickly (i.e. water truck, fire hose) he said no that it needed to slow fill. He told me not to touch the plaster for a day and not to let the hose move. Also not to let the water stop to avoid a ring in the plaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeman Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 a long, uninterupted, straight crack is usually a crack in the pool shell that is noticable through the plaster as well. Unfortunately, it is quite common for a pool shell do settle and develope stress cracks. There's not much your builder can do to prevent them. If the crack is more jagged or not straight then it is probably a crack in the plaster only. These cracks tend to be shorter in length. It sounds to me like you have a shell stress crack. Chances are good that even if the plaster is repaired, and sometimes even the shell underneath, that this crack will eventually return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rh455 Posted February 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 That's what I'm afraid of. The crack appears to be about 2.5' long and is pretty straight. It comes up into the tile area, but the cantilever decking has a hairline crack in the lip and stops at an expansion joint. I don't see where the crack in the deck and the crack in the pool meet, but they're almost on top of one another. I still haven't heard back from the builder yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rh455 Posted February 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 Here's some pictures..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Is there one on the other side too? And is it (the crack) taking any water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rh455 Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I don't see any other cracks around the pool in daylight or at night. Several of the expansion joints have the stress cracks in them, but they're very light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I have a bottle of solution 2 that I use to check to see if a crack pulls any of it in. Try to be as turbulent-less as you can with your hand and squeeze a little solution near the crack and see if it takes it in. Of course your going to ruin the solution when you relax the squeeze and you suck some pool water back into the bottle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeman Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 The crack looks structural. I don't know about AZ, but in PA we install a horizontal expansion joint between the top of the pool shell (bond beam) and the bottom of the cantilever deck. Basically, the deck never actually touches the pool, it floats over top. If the deck was poured directly on top of the shell with no room for expansion this could be why the crack is through both surfaces. It is possible that they have nothing to do with each other but what are the chances. Also, in every cantilever deck I've ever seen the plastic expansion joint extends not only through the deck but there is also a curved plastic joint that follows the contour of the deck edge and meets the plastic lip above your tile. That way when a crack does occur it is hidden by the plastic just like on top of the deck. Most likely, that crack that you see extends under the entire length of the plastic expansion joint, this will eventually occur under every joint. Which is ok, thats what it is meant to do, just not on the deck edge. Nice choice of Dakota tile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeman Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 sorry, you're not the one in AZ, that was someone else. but my reply is the same no matter where you live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rh455 Posted February 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 Thanks for the input. I checked what you were saying about the cracks on all expansion joints and almost everyone has a slight crack. I'm still waiting for the builder to call back. I'm giving him until the end of the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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