Catlett, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/01/2012 -- It’s the worst feeling in the world. After months of being cooped up indoors the sun finally begins to shine, and you start to head back out into the yard. As you begin to clean up and get ready for the summer you notice that your one-piece fiberglass pool has cracked. Now instead of enjoying your summer afternoon you have to worry about how you are going to fix the crack and get back into the summer spirit. Well, before you jump up and call a professional take the time to learn about what exactly is going on with your pool, so you can speak clearly to the repair person when the time comes.
Is it a crack that leaks?
The first thing to determine is if your crack leaks. Oftentimes, fiberglass pools develop what is called “Spider Cracks.” Spider cracks are nothing more than thin cracks that shoot out in every direction on the surface of your pool. These cracks often don’t cause a pool to leak. Instead, they are only as deep as the gel coat, which is a thin layer placed over the structural part of the pool for added protection. If you fill up the pool and don’t notice a leak, chances are you have a spider crack.
Spider cracks are caused mainly by poor installation of the pool, but sometimes by manufacturing errors as well. Because the pool is semi-flexible, when it is installed it must be properly supported on all sides and the bottom. If it is not and the pool shifts too much under the weight of the water, the gel coat can begin to spider crack at stress points. Other times, poor manufacturing can result in spider cracks when parts of the pool are constructed weaker than others.
In order to fix spider cracks, a professional pool repair-person will need to sand down the outer gel coat later and apply a new coat of gel. The problem is that often times these new layers of gel coat don’t match the older gel coat that exists. This is why many fiberglass pools are a speckled blue color – to hide any imperfections and prepare for any future repairs that might be needed. This is also why Robinson Restorations provides fiberglass pool lining restoration services.
Argh, it leaks!
If you don’t have spider cracks and instead have something that is actually allowing water to leave the pool, then you need to patch the hole as soon as possible. It’s important to note that if your pool is in ground and the water is leaking into the hole, you must keep your pool filled with water at all times. If the pool is allowed to float in the hole, it could begin to shift and crack more. Nothing does more damage to a fiberglass pool than shifting and bending.
Having a leak in your fiberglass pool at the beginning of the year is a real drag. However, it’s not the end of your summer swimming with a professional pool repair company. Robinson Restorations has over 25 years of experience in repairing, restoring, and remodeling swimming pools, including one-piece fiberglass pools. Contact us for pool repair services before more damage is done than what can be fixed. We provide quality swimming pool restoration to provide you the summer experience you’re ready for.