Hi, again,Brian,
Yes, it's a DIY. That said, it's amazingly tedious and you must be VERY careful working with polyurethane caulk but it's actually quite rewarding and you can do an even better job than they because it's your pool.
1. You must "scrape" out the foam down about 1/4" at least and 1/2" is better. Resulting channel should be as deep as it is wide.
2. Next you need to somehow seal the space between the foam and the decking (or coping) if the foam doesn't reach from side to side. That could be tough to do. I'm thinking of finding some type of cheap plastic trim from home depot you could wedge in between the foam and the coping to get a tight fit. (you said gap is 1/2 and foam only 3/8, right)
3. You're ready to caulk. Polyurethane is the most durable you can use but it's not very forgiving....here's what I did. Carefully fill the channel just slightly overfull with a caulk gun. Be careful not to let much get out of the channel, it a bear to clean. (keep a rag with MEK solvent handy). Once you've caulked as carefully as you can, drag a 1" putty knife down the seam applying slight downward pressure. The caulk should compress into the channel slightly and then bulge the tiniest bit after the putty knife passes over it.
That's it! That little rounded bulge will flatten virtually level as the caulk dries.....be aware, 24 hours before you can touch it and days before it's completely cured. The result, however, is a magnificently durable, waterproof seal that will last for years.
I used a product called Vulkem 911 by Tremco. Found it at an industrial supply house for about $3.15 per tube, I think. It comes in lots of colors so you can match it with surroundings pretty well.
You might try a few feet and see if you want to tackle it. I had much less to do than you and it was quite time consuming. If you pay to have it done, I'd be pretty adamant about polyurethane caulk. It would be mighty easy to put acrylic in there and walk away. I don't believe it will hold up in that harsh environment. Let us know if you tackle it!!
Kelly, Ted, or one of the other pro builders may come along and offer a less labor intensive solution if you can be patient......they don't check in as often
Dave S.
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