Urgent question about gunite
Hello - We are having a pool put in now.
Excavation was 8/22.
Gunite was put in 8/30. (Sprayed as dry with hose hooked up to the nosol (sp?)...the good way so I'm told.)
Waterline tile on 8/31.
We were NEVER told to water the gunite. I'm in North Dallas TX (Frisco) - it was sunny and well over 100 degrees from that day and over the next 4 days. The last couple have been in the low 90's.
So I get the "manual" from the builder TODAY and notice this:
"AFTER TWENTY FOUR HOURS OF DRYING TIME, YOU SHOULD BEGIN
WATERING DOWN THE ENTIRE POOL SHELL AT LEAST TWICE DAILY FOR
SEVEN DAYS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS OVER 60
DEGREES. Watering cools the temperature of the gunite and allows for a
slower curing process, insuring maximum finished psi strength. Water
may collect in
the bottom of the pool and will be pumped out at a later time."
My wife called the construction supervisor and he said it should be alright.
I emailed the builder, including the owner. He called.
He said that it was in the contract that the owner should do that and one other thing (need to check) and we should have been told. But it was in the contract - I believe that.
He said the we have a life-time structure guarantee. They would fix it if it cracked.
He said we really would not have started watering the gunite until the waterline tile was put in (8/31).
He said to start watering it today when I get home from work; but stay below the stonework they put in today.
What do you think?
What can we do now?
What should we do now?
I don't think there is anything...........
Thanks!
Jim
Re: Urgent question about gunite
Cement in concrete cures -- chemically reacts -- with water. If it dries out, the curing stops permanently. That is a fact.
But, I have no way to know if that happened to your gunite (a form of cement-based concrete) or not. Hopefully not, but I doubt you can do anything until something goes wrong.
What I would do is document the heck out of your exchanges and assurances, and the time line of events. Get people to sign off on statements of "this is what happened" so that if you do -- God forbid -- have to exercise your warranty, they won't be able wriggle out of it.
