Multiple Repair issues

I've been Lurking on this forums and have gotten Many great tips and instruction on fixing up My "new" Pool ( To me anyway ).
I have posted pictures on my website under "Files" And "Pool Deck".
See:

DEAD PHOTO LINKS

The files show plumbing work and cleaning issues. The pool deck section shows A few issues I need help on. They are:

1: Cleaning stains off the freshly pressure washed deck.

2: Fixing what looks like possible trouble with cracks in the deck.

3: Hiding previous repair patches.

4: What looks like a floating deck issue.

I would appreciate any help from the forums at large. I have gotten so far and need some help with what the next step should be.

Thank You For Your Help!

Ron In West Palm, Fl.

I'm sorry I have no idea about the answers to your questions, but was just wondering if your concrete decking is supposed to be "pitted" like that?
( is that the style of the decking or did you have some serious damage?)

I look forward to seeing the answers as I have some cracks in my concrete decking that I'd like to just "fill-in", but am not sure if it's something I should do or not...

good luck! :-)

Yep, That's the decking.....Pitted. I think it's in the way you finish the concrete, but... It is different. When i was researching here a while back, i remember seeing some kind of Joining system for cracks in structural concrete (if that's the right word) I will try to find it again and post.

Ron

Found the link ....http://www.torque-lock.com

Wow, that's a big ugly staple.
The cracks that i have are surface cracks on the cemete "deck" area around my pool... the cracks actually don't come near the edge of the pool.

Well....Mine almost do. I just don't want them to go any further. These are the first ones I have researched, so they might be overkill. But then again, they might just be the ticket. I don't know, so i thought i would ask the pros on here for comments about what I jave going on now.So far I have replaced the valves and pipes at the pump. Re-bed the sand filter, (it needed it). Fixed a leak at the skimmer, where it connects to the pool. Got the water balanced and clear. After that, i need advice and help.

Hi, Ron,

It is quite difficult to repair concrete decking and get a decent aesthetic look. The old WILL NOT match the new areas, the textures will be different, etc.

Because of the multiple issues you have, I would get a price on busting it out and replacing the entire deck. If the pool is more than 5 or so years old, the dirt under the decking may be settled by now (that's the cause of the cracking) or, if you remove the existing deck it can be carefully compacted so the new will hold up.

That'll be a pricey fix but at least worth consideration. It sounds like your serious about getting a nice pool back under control so it may be worth it.

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply. I have to explain a bit more history. This is my parents house that I now own. I'm not staying down here for any more hurricanes than I have to. I am selling the house and moving to Raleigh, NC when I sell it. I already have a townhouse up there as an investment. That aside, I need to get everything fixed and repaired as good as I can with limited funds and time. Not trying to get by with anything, but I'm not sure I want to make that big of a repair just to sell the house.
I spoke to a friend in Miami, who said this was a "Cool Deck" finish. Is this a blendable/repairable finish I wonder? other than tearing out the entire deck ( which at the busiest part of the hurricane season, i'm not looking to tear out the deck) is there any way of back filling to the deck?

Thanks,

Ron

Hi, Ron,

You'll like Raleigh. I'm about 10 north of the city on Falls Lake....It's a good town.

That's a tough call, Ron. I certainly wouldn't want to make the investment either. We're sorta' getting away from pool issues but I think I'd be tempted to leave it as is and let the buyer tackle it. It'll be an obvious drawback but probably not worse than a patch job that may have implied you were trying to hide the issue.

I'm guessing you're in West Palm....South of the freezing zone. There may be some solutions down there that aren't available to us further North. Maybe a pool contractor could meet with you to discuss some options

I just had my deck refinished. They ground the old texture off, filled all the cracks and then retextured it. I'm surprised you can't find someone in your area to do the same.

Already looks better than the other pictures you have posted on your sight.

Under the circumstances (time & money)...

I would patch\fill all the cracks & damages on the deck, do an acid wash on the deck, and then paint the deck with some anti-skid deck concrete paint. That will make the patch jobs, and stains blend in more.

I would drain the pool and have the pool surface patched up and the steps repaired. I would also probably clean, prep, and paint the pool also.

For the most part you and some friends could do the majority of the work yourselves.

You may have to have a contractor repair the steps for you though. You can have the contractor redo the steps as they were or go with molded plastic/fiberglass steps imbedded into the wall of the pool OR have the steps removed and go for a metal pool ladder.

To paint the deck and pool with the misc supplies and prep stuff, should cost less than $1000 on the high end (with quality paints). It would make a world of difference appearance wise.

Getting it cleaned up and in good mechanical order will help your sale, but I don't like the idea of paint on the deck or in the pool. It will fail in a fairly short time compared to proper resurfacing/replastering and may make future repairs more costly. If you don't want the cash outlay for these expensive repairs (very understandable), I cannot say if a coat of paint would help your pending sale compared to leaving as-is and pricing repairs into the contract. Personally, I would see it as putting lipstick on a pig and make me worry about other hidden problems, even though your intentions are good. Maybe a real estate pro familiar with the market can help with the cost/payback decision.

I am thinking that it would be the best to just clean and go. Problem is, that i would like to fill in any voids under the deck for stability. If possible without tearing the deck out. That being said, I am assuming that there are holes that need to be made and then covered. Which will leave more patch jobs visible. Does anyone know of a way to backfill in a slab?I'm thinking that if backfilled, I could seal the cracks and have the deck resurfaced. Someone suggested resurfacing, which sounds like a plan to consider. The pool surface is recently ( 4 years ago ) resurfaced with DiamonBrite, So it is in pretty good shape. (meaning I am not redoing it) That just leaves the deck and associated problems, which everyone has been very, very helpful with. A friend suggested re-attaching the setp with 3 stainless steel rods for strength and a good epoxy/concrete. Of course, I would have to drill holes for said rods in the step and pool wall to a point for support. Is this a consideration or should I just bite the bullet and get a contractor to reform the step ( which seems to be the other best option I have seen ). This has been quite an education in itself. I appreciate all the help!

This is jmo, but I wouldn't even consider buying a house with a pool that needed that much work. I'd be afraid that it could turn into a real money pit. An allowance for something like that isn't enough assurance because there are too many potential problems that could be unseen. If cash is an issue, I'd look into a home equity loan to do a proper, complete repair and then sell. You'll sell faster, and for a better price. Best of luck either way.

agree with seanb..unless the selling price of the house is drastically under other "comparables" in the neighborhood, as a buyer, it becomes a risky proposition..when buying houses, we know there are going to be unforeseen expenses..the total unknowns can easily make buyers walk away. at the very least, get a quote to get the job done properly (or a couple of possible) that potential buyers can take a copy of if you are not going to fix. at least they have some comfort level. when i bought my house, it was 16K under a comparable..reason was that it was going to need a new roof and some slabjacking on the garage floor in the near future. the i ended up being able to comfortably calculate things out and buy the house without issue.

After re-reading the last 2 posts I need to ask a few more questions. I think it has been established that there may be a void under the deck. Which may or may not be near the pool. ( under the deck, but not next to the pool ) If I were to sell the house as it is right now, I would disclose the fact of the deck to the buyers. Is something like this considered to be a Major problem which would have me sell the house at way below market value? I did some research and found foundation repair resources that would take care of the problem. That along with the "Deck jacking" solution i have seen in the forum today. The pool is not leaking, working just fine, and is good shape. Now,Today...I would not consider that part of a total pool repair. Disclaimer: I'm not an engineer. I will be calling the foundation guys here in Florida and probably an engineer to make sure this isn't a giant hole just waiting to become a sinkhole. :eek: Sorry, I understand it's a problem, but can be repaired and have no problems. IMO that is ("diclaimer applies"). Does anyone know of a good Foundation company in South Florida that they could recommend? And an engineering firm or engineer?
Thanks!

OK, I am going to throw another angle into the picture....the areas on the deck where its cracking. If you walk on these sections, does it sound hollow? I have a neighbor that had to have her deck ripped out and replaced due to the rebar corroding. I thought the contractor was pulling a scam, until my BIL told me that it was quite possible.

Not to sound really ignorant, but do you mean the rebar in the concrete of the deck? This is becoming more and more interesting.........

Yes, the rebar in the deck.

I'm sorry, I didn't think that was possible for rebar being inside sealed (no oxygen) concrete to fail. But rust is rust, and not Ever being in the concrete working industry, I guess it could happen. Did you happen to see the concrete in question when they tore it up? I am going out to check it tomorrow morning and see if it's hollow sounding. Thanks for the tip.

i think if you intend to leave, get the quotes...if i were going to look at buying your house, that's what i would do, which also potentially slows down the sales process..lack of info is likely to lead to lowballing..while slab and mudjacking are great options to fill voids..make sure you ask the right questions including if they can guarantee that it won't cause heaving in other areas of the deck..when i had my garage pad and section in front of garage done, both contractors i had give quotes told me it is an imperfect science and can potentially cause over correction of the pad (higher in an area for example) that being said, one was confident enough with his experience that he guaranteed he would take out and re-pour a pad section if it over corrected..the other would not. my results of the slab jacking were that it was much better..but not "perfect" in terms of the level of the pad. (in short, i wouldn't put a level on it and expect it was perfect) you can see it is not perfect, but given i had a 1 inch to 4 inch drop and basically it now goes from perfect to 1 inch out, i can live with it..but, it's a garage floor, not a pool deck:) if it were me and i was getting slabjacking done and selling the house, the amount "out" i indicated would be good enough for me..and i would have a copy of the slabjacking bill to prove the work had been done to fill the void to the best ability..beyond that, if not good enough for the new homeowner, i'd let them deal with it:)