POOL TILE REPAIR

Tile patterns have come a long way from the 6" x 6" blue standard. Tiles from all over the world give us an endless palette of color, shapes and sizes. Pool tile differs from bathroom tile in that it is formulated to be frost free, or manufactured to prevent water absorption. On most inground pools, the pool tile band is six inches in height, although it occasionally is installed in 12" depths. Sometimes, they just continue it down and all the way across the pool or spa. Tile provides an attractive accent to the pool's edge while allowing for an easily cleanable surface to catch oil and dirt. Without tile, there would be a difficult to remove bathtub ring.board and a water slide for added fun.

This could be a result of bond failure of the "mud" that was used to set the tile in. Look behind the tile for a horizontal crack. This could be evidence of a cracked beam. "Popped" tile could be the result of not having caulking in the expansion joint between the coping and the deck, allowing water to run behind the tile and freeze. Water freezing in the expansion joint itself, or an expansion joint that is not "true" and where the pool and deck are touching, will also cause tile to fall off, and create beam damage.

If just the tile has fallen off (and not the old mud) the tile may be temporarily re-grouted back in place. Do not use Pool Putty, except for a temporary repair, instead, use waterproof tile grout or thinset mortar cement. If small amounts of the wall are missing, you would want to build this back up before resetting tile, using hydraulic cement. Use rebar if the missing amount is over 2" deep.

Known as efflorescence, mineral salts such as calcium and magnesium may come out of the grout or from the setting mud and deposit on the front of the tile. It may also originate from the pool water. The efflorescence can be scraped off with a flat head screwdriver or putty knife, and/or "burned" off with a tile acid wash. In areas of the southwest familiar with hard water pool tile deposits, service companies offer pool tile cleaning using a bead blasting technique, similar to sand blasting. Using sequestering agents and limiting use of calcium based pool shock can reduce efflorescence deposits on pool tile.

This may be caused by a cracked bond beam, or perhaps from freezing surface water pressing against the tile during expansion. Or maybe it wasn't Frost Free pool tile to begin with. Small cracks can be filled in by spreading a waterproof tile grout over the tiles, but cracks running through will become visible.

Using a small and sharp flat head screwdriver and a small hammer, chisel out the grout around the tile, and then pop-off the pieces. Clean up the surface, chipping off small pieces of grout, and use thinset mortar to set a new piece of tile. Then use tile grout to fill in the spaces around the tile.

Cleaning tile to remove the bathtub ring can be accomplished with a small amount of abrasive cleaner such as Comet or Bon Ami, sprinkled onto a textured sponge. You can also use a Pool Tile & Vinyl cleaner, but be careful not to use any other household cleaner. Rinse well and rub with a clean sponge. There are larger pads that will attach to an extension pole, to avoid kneeling over the pool edge. Cleaning pool tile can also be done from inside the pool.