Cracked Swimming Pool Repair: How to Identify and Fix

In Need of Swimming Pool Repair?

It may be time for a swimming pool repair. Is your swimming pool cracked? Not working correctly? Have damaged equipment? Unsure of what to do? We have an easy solution for you! Just call the swimming pool repair experts at Alan Smith Pools for a FREE pool evaluation. No matter what your repair needs are, we can get your pool repaired in no time. We’ve been repairing, building, and renovating pools and spas in southern California since 1981.

 

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How to Tell if Your Pool is Cracked

Alan Smith Pools recommends you check your pool for cracks and damage regularly. Leaving things unchecked can lead to unsightly damage to your pool that can require costly repairs. This is why you should make maintenance a top priority if you want to keep your pool working at its best. If you are in need of someone to do your maintenance for you, we are happy to refer you to a trusted pool maintenance contractor in your area at no charge.


swimming pool repair

“When we see a structurally cracked pool, it’s usually pretty obvious. It’s a crack running either down the side of a pool from the tile or through the bottom coping down the walls, across the floor, in corners, and very often, it’s opened up enough that it can leak and bring water in. It’ll suck a lot of water through that crack because it is broken all the way through, and the water just goes back to the dirt on the back side of the shell.”


The photo above shows what a cracked swimming pool looks like.

If you see this when looking at your pool, you have a crack. Other tell-tale signs include visible rusting around the steel rebar, signaling that these areas are getting wet due to a leak.

Why Do Pools Crack?

swimming pool repair, slope creep

There’s quite a few reasons a swimming pool can break, but a few of the top reasons for cracks are:

Pool Built on a Hillside Lot – This is the No. 1 reason for cracks in swimming pools that we see. This is the predominant cause mostly because of our location in southern California. Living where we do, many of us are bound to live on or near hills; thus, many of us build our swimming pools on or close to a hillside. Unfortunately, this doesn’t bode well for the health and longevity of your pool due to something called slope creep. It’s due to gravity! Slope creep refers to the gradual downhill movement of soil on a hill (a slope). This causes anything on top to eventually move with it, leading to tilting, leaning, and foundation/structural distress.


“[Slope creep] is where some of the hill is slowly moving with the pool… With that moving of the hillside, the pool is tilting or moving or losing support and it is causing a crack.”


Gunite Too Thin or Rebound Gunite – Having too thin of gunite shot during the construction phase can lead to a pool that breaks easily. The right pool builder will make sure this doesn’t happen. Rebound gunite is gunite that “bounces back” during placement. According to the experts, rebound gunite should always be thrown away. However, some pool contractors pack the rebound gunite back in and build some of your pool with it. A good pool contractor will NOT do this because rebound gunite is extremely weak and will damage the structural integrity of your swimming pool.

Inadequate Steel Placement – Placing steel too close to the surface of the pool or right on the dirt can cause damage. This can happen when it isn’t placed properly within the gunite structure itself. Again, choosing the right pool contractor in Orange County, CA, will prevent this from happening to you.

 

Download Our Comprehensive Swimming Pool Repair Guide Now!

Learn more by downloading our comprehensive Informational Guide to the Repairing & Resurfacing of Cracked Pools & Spas! This informational guide explains the causes, concerns, and repairs associated with cracked pools and spas. We have constructed the information in this guide based on over 30 years of industry experience and knowledge. Along with this knowledge, we have included articles from numerous experts on the topic so that YOU – the homeowner – can have the best information available to make an informed decision. Download it now by clicking the link below!

Alan Smith Pools Informational Guide (1589 downloads )

 

 

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Cracked Swimming Pool Repair: How to Identify and Fix | Alan Smith Pools – Orange County, CA