Is It Ok To Pour A New Layer Of Gunite Over Already Cured Gunite?

[newpoolintx]

Our pool builder dug too deep and completed gunite a week ago. The deep end is about 1 foot deeper than we wanted and the shallow end is about 6" deeper than we wanted. They agreed that it was incorrect and said that they could come back and add more gunite to raise the floor to the level we want. I have a couple of questions.

Is it OK to add up to a foot more gunite on top of what is already there?

If so, is there something they should do to make it work better such as use rebar again, use some special bonding material, etc.?

Is there any long term problems that we should try to get them to agree to fix if it happens?

The builder acts like this is no big deal but other people we've talked to (who aren't pool experts) think it is bad to do it.

[Pool Clown]

Could you live with an extra foot of depth? People pay extra for this, and you're getting it for free. Find out how the builder is fix this, steel or no steel?

[newpoolintx]

Yes, I know that usually they'll charge more for a deeper pool. We have a lot of kids that will be using the pool and the shallow end is going to be almost 4' deep which means many of them won't be able to stand anywhere in the pool. I don't mind the extra depth in the deep end as much but I guess it will slope quite a bit to go from 3.5' to 7'.

They haven't said if they are going to add steel or not. I would like to ask them to do it the best way if I knew what that was.

Thanks for the quick response.

[polyvue]

Yes, I know that usually they'll charge more for a deeper pool. We have a lot of kids that will be using the pool and the shallow end is going to be almost 4' deep which means many of them won't be able to stand anywhere in the pool. I don't mind the extra depth in the deep end as much but I guess it will slope quite a bit to go from 3.5' to 7'.

They haven't said if they are going to add steel or not. I would like to ask them to do it the best way if I knew what that was.

Thanks for the quick response.

Funny thing about kids... they grow up quickly. I totally agree with Pool Clown's take on this. I worried when I planned my pool that my youngest (at age 5) was going to find a 4' shallow end too intimidating, and it was -- for about 1 day. Three years later the kids complain that my pool (deep end = 6.5') is too SHALLOW. Thank your contractor for this gaffe.... or feel smart and lucky. Pre-teens and most adults can comfortably stand in 4.5 to 5' of water.

[Pool Clown]

Best way would be to dowel and steel, or you risk delamination of the new shoot (down the road, some time after completion)

[txpoolguy]

Yes, gunite can be laid over an existing shell, but I STRONGLY recommend you let the professionals do it. It will require reinforcing steel, just as the original shell did. The company that did the original gunite is the logical contractor. The weight of the water will hold the new shell down, just as it does the existing shell. Obviously, there is added expense, but if your pool was not built to contract, the builder should absorb the cost. The contract is there to protect both parties. If dimensions are not specified in the contract, you might be better off accepting it.

[newpoolintx]

Thanks for the responses. Fortunately the pool company agreed it was thier fault and they are going to fix it. They said they'd do whatever we needed done. After talking to some folks and the responses here we decided to keep the extra depth and had them build a ledge along the deep end so that we can stand near the side. We also expanded the stairs some so the smaller kids would have some more room to play on the stairs. They fixed it last week and it looks pretty good now.