Bond
Beam Repair
On In-ground gunite pools, the coping is
the capstone for the beam, and is used
to finish the pools edge and bring it up
flush with the pool deck. Pre-cast
concrete coping with a bull-nose front edge has been the standard for many years. Modern designs are
making use of bull-nose brick coping in many colors and textures. Flagstone is also a
popular choice.
Beneath the pool coping, and
behind the tile is what is referred to by pool builders as the bond
beam, or just the beam. The pool bond beam is subject to many forces
acting on it, and for this reason it is usually poured to be thicker and
stronger than the lower section of the pool wall.
Beam damage could be defined
simply as a crack that runs through the top of the pool wall. It may not
be visible, until at an advanced stage, where cracking and crumbling of
the tile is noticed.
Long, horizontal cracks in the
pool tile are many times the end result of years of expansion and
contraction of the concrete in a pool. If the expansion joint between
the pool beam and the pool deck is not true, that is, does not extend
through to the earth, then the pool and deck push against each other.
Guess who wins? Usually the deck, with it's lateral size, if pushing up
against the beam, or built right on top of the beam (poor practice) will
result in the top 6" - 12" of the pool wall cracking and separating.
The repair to a broken bond beam
is pretty involved. Remove all the coping, all the tile and chip down to
solid beam. Remove all debris. Form and pour hydraulic cement, using
steel rebar plugs wired together to create the new beam. Strip the
forms, and set new tile and coping and caulking between a true expansion
joint.
This can be a major repair, if the
entire pool has to be done. Partial repairs can be done, if a matching
tile and coping can be found (sometimes this is difficult).
Bond Beam Repair:
Typical costs for beam repair run an
average $65 per linear foot. A vertical pricing structure is sometimes
used, depending on the depth of the crack. If the crack is higher up on
the tile the job is cheaper. If the crack goes lower, or even beneath
the tile, prices are higher.
Be sure to visit our
Service Repair
Supplies page for coping repair supplies |
