Should I just fill it in?

[maherba]

This is the third year in a row that our pool steps have heaved and cracked. The first year, we had someone fill the cracks with a resin compound -- it didn't hold. The second year, we had a pool restoration expert come in and remove the steps and replace them -- it cost $11,000 to do the steps and a new liner, plus $3,000 to replace the brand new patterned concrete that we had put in the previous year (when we thought they were fixed).

I don't understand what could have gone wrong this year! The company that did the steps last year dug out around them, set the footings in concrete, backfilled with plenty of gravel, and compacted. He also inspected the walls and said they were sound. The steps themselves are a good quality unit. But this spring, we noticed some new cracking in the concrete around the stairs and then we saw the crack in the upper corner, above the water line. It's as if the corner popped up a bit, because I can now see that it's not entirely level. Weird thing is that the concrete cracking is worse on the other side of the steps.

I don't know what to do. I'm so fed up with this pool (installed by a previous owner) -- I keep pouring money into it but it never seems to end.

[Watermom]

Have you called the company that did the work last year?

By the way, when you post, it goes into a moderation queue to be read by one of us (usually Ben or me) and approved before it will appear on the forum. So, it won't be immediate, but we do try and clear the queue multiple times per day. (I deleted your duplicate post.)

[maherba]

Have you called the company that did the work last year?

By the way, when you post, it goes into a moderation queue to be read by one of us (usually Ben or me) and approved before it will appear on the forum. So, it won't be immediate, but we do try and clear the queue multiple times per day. (I deleted your duplicate post.)

Thanks, Watermom. I realized that it was awaiting moderation after I posted the second one. Thanks for deleting the duplicate.

I have called the company that did the work last year and am waiting for the owner to come out. He is being quite cooperative so I don't think he will be a problem. I really don't want it patched, though, because the patch we had done year one didn't hold, it was visible (even though it was below the waterline, which this one wouldn't be) and it yellowed in less than a year. Even if he agrees to put in a new set of steps, I will still have to pay for the concrete to be repaired again, which is going to cost a couple of thousand dollars, at least. This will be the third time that I've had the concrete done! Now, I really wish I had gone with interlocking stone, but I hate the weeds that you get growing up between them. Sigh.

[maherba]

By the way, here is a picture of the crack.

<a href="http://s288.photobucket.com/user/maher_ba/story/9201" target="_blank"><img src="http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll187/maher_ba/story/9201/thumb/large.png" border="0" alt="maher_ba's Story"/></a>

[maherba]

Does anyone have any opinions? The restoration guy was out today and seemed puzzled by the fact that it doesn't look like there has been much, if any movement. There is a crack in the concrete decking on the other side of the step, and a small hairline crack on the side with the crack, but other than that, it doesn't seem to have moved.