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Swimming pool cracks, as common as they are, often result in instant alarm from pool owners. Thoughts of water pipe lining through the pool and into the foundation or the backyard lead to frenzied phone calls to pool companies, begging for an estimate or a pool repair for a crack.

Fortunately the vast majority of swimming pool cracks only exist on the surface of the pool body’s plaster coating and do not run all the way to the pool body itself.

But how can you tell the difference?

Structural Vs. Surface Swimming Pool Cracks

Cracks in a swimming pool may occur for a number of reasons:

• Natural earth movements
• Soil erosion
• Lack of moisture in the soil
• Tree roots
• Improper installation of decking near a pool

In many instances a crack in your pool doesn’t mean that your pool is leaking. These shallow cracks are the result of your pool shrinking or “curing” which is a natural result of your pool settling into its new home.

Structural cracks are a cause for concern because they typically do leak or will eventually lead to a leak. These cracks can be both vertical or horizontal, and they may appear at any location within your pool.

Assessing the Cracks in Your Pool

If a pool technician finds that the crack in your pool is weeping water, he or she may recommend a hydrostatic valve which will relieve the water pressure pressing on the shell of your pool.

Should the crack be the result of tree roots, a deeper repair may be required to tackle the issue.

Keep in mind that not every crack you see may warrant a serious repair. Many of these thin cracks in your pool’s finish are the result of the pool not being filled when it should be or it was left exposed in the sun for too long. These cracks are purely aesthetic and do not require a repair.

How to Handle Cracks in a Swimming Pool

For shallow aesthetic cracks, a simple epoxy injection may be all that is needed to take care of it.

For deeper cracks which may result in leaks, a pool technician or repair company should be employed to cut into the finish and shell of your pool. They will be able to stick the rebar back together to create a reinforced bond that will prevent our pool from cracking in the future. The area is patched over for added strength.

Another common reinforcement method is staples. Crafted from Kevlar or equally strong materials, these staples are installed across every 20″ of your pool’s cracks to reinforce the foundation. Urethane foam is then injected into this crack to give it both greater flexibility and strength.

Preventing Cracking for Your Pool

In certain geographical areas where the world is prone to movement, it is particularly important for pool builders to incorporate an expansion joint to act as a cushion against the coping of your pool. This will prevent any future cracking, tile dialing and other issues which may affect both the aesthetic quality and functionality of your pool.