Can I save grout damaged by low pH?

[Fixit]

Can I save the grout or at least postpone major repair?
Our water comes out of the tap "hard" but after opening the pool this season we were fighting with the pool water that read as soft and with a VERY low PH.
We have tile that I put in myself just 2 seasons ago up at the waterline. I also repaired some copping stones, Cut out, cleaned out and repaired the expansion joint, and repaired sections of the bond beam. The rest of the pool is plaster. But the waterline tiles are starting to come of and the grout that is covered by the water is turning to sand.
Is there a sealer I can use to prolong the life of this grout? I read that soft water can pull the calcium and bonding agents from grout and cement and I am thinking that that's what has happened to us. Please HELP!

[waterbear]

my question is why you did not adjust the water if it was too soft and the pH was low. Both of these things can damage grout and plaster surfaces. What you need to do is get your water balanced. That and that alone will prevent further damage. You can start by posting a full set of test results (free chlorine, combined chlorine or total clhorine so the combined chlorine can be calculated, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness--NOT total hardness done with strips, and cyanuric acid--CYA or stabilizer). Also the surface of your pool (plaster/aggregate or fiberglass--vimyl pools do not use waterline tiles), gallons. and an explanation as to why your 'hard' water became 'soft' in the pool. (If you filled with hard water and it because 'soft' then you did something to precipitate the calcium which indicates poor water management.)

[Fixit]

Thank you for the reply waterbear. The water is now balanced. I do not know how it became soft over the winter but that is how it read on the testing and the evidence of the eaten grout confirmed it. The pool was built in the 70's and we got the house after it went through a 2 year foreclosure. I do not have all the information I would like about the pool. It is painted plaster but I do not know what type of plaster. Maybe quartz? Looks to be a shiny bright white where there is a chipped spot just below the tiled water line. The tile section is from the coping stones and goes down about 6 inches. The waterline falls about midway on this tile part. If it were lower then the water wouldn't make it into the skimmer.
Do you know of anything to preserve the grout for a little longer?

[waterbear]

Do you know of anything to preserve the grout for a little longer?

Yes, Keeping the water balanced and testing it (NOT with strips) on a regular (weekly) basis. This would be a case where monitoring the calcium saturation index would be important.

[Fixit]

OK i will keep the water balanced. Do you think that adding a topical sealer might help the grout for now? When someone touches or rubs against the grout it rubs off in the form of wet sand. Not all the way to the bond beam but if I rubbed in one spot long enough I bet i could reach the bond beam. Do you think it is too far gone and I should blast it all off now or can I save it for the fall when we are ready to close the pool?

[PoolDoc]

To answer your original question, whether you can save the grout damaged by low pH . . . probably not. Once the cement & calcium binding the sand has been dissolved, you can't 'un-dissolve' it. You might be able to cover it over with something that will hold it together for a year or so, but I'm only guessing.

One further note: I think it's unlikely that your grout was destroyed by a single winter of low pH water, unless it was VERY low. It's more likely that this deterioration has happened over time.

So . . . I would STRONGLY recommend that you purchase a K2006 (Amazon links in my signature) and learn to test your water accurately, and manage the pH and alkalinity properly BEFORE you do any repairs. That way, you won't have to worry about the same thing happening again.

Sorry for your troubles.

[Fixit]

Thank you for that answer PoolDoc. I was afraid that would be the case. I used a heavy duty stone sealer - hoping it might treat the grout like sandstone and penetrate deep to protect it for now. Crossing my fingers. I will look into the K2006. Thanks again!
- Becky

[PoolDoc]

Good luck!

[vinper]

at least it will be easier , to replace if the thinset comes right off.. usually tile is adhered with thinset . grout is only between the tiles not holding them on

[Fixit]

My hope is that the thinset will hold true so the tiles stay put and all I have to do is scrape the grout out. The tiles are penny rounds :/