SWIMMING POOL WATERPROOFING WITHOUT REMOVING TILES -AKWOSHIELD®

SWIMMING POOL WATERPROOFING  WITHOUT REMOVING TILES 

Every one loves pool but what happening beneath the surface? 

In present day construction we come across numerous designs of Swimming pools. The market for new apartment in India and its tenants, hotel guests, and condominium owners is incredibly competitive, but it’s the amenities these days that set properties apart. Chief among the amenities are swimming pools especially rooftop or plaza-level pools, Sky pools.

Rooftop swimming pools and other similar elevated water structures /residential or commercial requires  a unique set of considerations that must be thoroughly incorporated in the design and construction of these features.   

Water seepage issues from a pool may result in costly repairs or even require replacement lost revenue, tenant complaints/claims, reputation, etc. 

It is critical that owners, developers, contractors, and architects fully understand and address these unique challenges while designing a pool. present day  contractors and Engineers focusing on the importance of properly sized pool vaults, the unique structural loads exerted by these pools, the concern for a properly designed waterproofing system on the interior of the concrete vault, and how architects can utilize aquatics and waterproofing design professionals on their teams to provide a pool system that won’t result in costly water dampness or seepage issues.

    

Structural Considerations 

   In general Some amount of cracking is acceptable in nearly all concrete structures, including slabs on grade, columns, beams, walls, etc. However, swimming pools are unique in that the development of even one single crack is unacceptable and warrants repair. 

    It is easier to prevent cracking in in-ground pools because they are fully supported by the ground, and their embedment in the ground protects them from the external elements and forces in contrary Rooftop pools do not have these kind of  protection. Therefore, there are very unique structural considerations that must be evaluated when building a rooftop pool in order to prevent cracking and subsequent expensive repairs. In most cases, rooftop pools are horizontally supported by a concrete slab or vault overlying vertical support columns and/or walls. 

    

Preventive Waterproofing of Swimming Pool 

    Waterproofing of Swimming pool is essential  in order to stop water ingress to substrate. Without proper maintenance, every swimming pool, at some time during its life, can experience water intrusion. Seals around light niches and skimmer throats deteriorate, and mechanical equipment will eventually fail if not properly maintained and/or replaced. In the event of a leak, in order to protect the finished spaces below, the concrete vault must be waterproofed.

Remedial Waterproofing Waterproofing 

    Swimming pool remedial waterproofing application needs are determined by some direct causes like  leakage into interior areas, dampness below the pool area reduction of water level beyond evaporation. Restoration application needs are usually determined after leakage occurs or maintenance inspections reveal damage. In both cases a detailed inspection report must determine the causes of leakage or damage, and the repairs that must be made to a substrate or structure before waterproofing.

    Once  inspection has been completed, causes determined, extent of damage reviewed, and systems or materials chosen, a complete and thorough cleaning of the pool need to be done. This cleaning may reveal additional problems inherent in pool like loosen tiles, honeycomb, air-pockets broken tiles etc.. Before waterproofing, application repairs  must be completed, since waterproofing materials should not be applied over unsound or damaged surfaces. After this preparatory work is complete, remedial systems should be applied by trained and experienced personnel.

To reiterate, the sequence of events in remedial waterproofing application the following actions are necessary:

1. Inspection of damage and leakage

2. Determination of cause

3. Choice of systems for repair

4. Cleaning and preparation

5. Restoration work

6. Waterproofing system application

Plant grown on the pool Wall

    Once an inspection is determined necessary, through either routine maintenance or direct leakage reports, a thorough analysis of pool should be completed. This analysis includes an inspection of all  components and their termination or connections to other components. This inspection determines causes of water infiltration and the extent of damage to building components or surface.

    Before the inspection, all available existing information should be assembled to assist in analyzing leakage problem. This information includes pool drawings, specifications, plumbing drawings, filtration  and electrical points, shop drawings, maintenance schedules, and documentation of any previous treatments applied.

Visual inspection may be done from a distance, but to understand the issue in detail close observation is necessary.  During visual analysis, documentation of all unusual or differing pool conditions should be addressed. 

Visual inspections should locate potential problems, including:

• Cracks or separations 
• Unlevel or bulging of tiles 
• Presence of different colors in  material
• Efflorescence
• Staining
• Spalled surfaces
• Missing elements 
• Loosen and broken tiles
• Growth of plants
• Electrical and Plumbing points including filtration pipes  
• Metal steps 
• Spillover gutter 
• Amount of water reducing on daily basis 

   

Algae formation on pool Wall

Roots formed inside Spillover gutter 

    In addition to documentation of these areas, inspection should be completed on functioning areas of pool, including drains, scuppers and downspouts, flashings, and joints.

Accessories available to complete visual inspections include cameras, video cameras, magnifying glasses, handheld microscopes, plumbs, levels, and measuring tapes. The better the documentation, the better the information available for making appropriate decisions concerning repair procedures.

 Cause determination and methods of Repair 

    After analysis of compiled information from inspection results and any related data or documents are usually sufficient for a professional to determine leakage causes and the extent of damage. This analysis includes a review of all pertinent pool documents and maintenance records. Proper repair methods and materials can then be chosen to complete treatments. For example, if silicon tile adhesives have previously been used in pool joints, new sealants must be compatible, or complete removal, including joint grinding is required.

 In reviewing test and inspection results, selecting repair procedures also depends on existing pool condition. For instance, if testing has revealed that tile joints are allowing more water infiltration than existing damp proofing cannot adequately handle, a sealer application to tiles and mother slab to prevent excess water infiltration may be required. However, if tile joints are cracked or disbonded or have low strength, as determined by testing, a sealer application will not be successful. Additional repairs such as tuckpointing and re-bonding  tiles would be required before sealer application, to restore the previous state.

Cleaning 

Existing  surface accumulations of airborne pollutants that must first be removed to allow bonding of remedial waterproofing materials. If surface pollutants and dirt accumulations are considerable, it will be necessary to require cleaning before inspections. This provides adequate conditions to review present conditions and make appropriate decisions.

Besides aesthetic purposes, cleaning is a necessary part of pool maintenance. Maintenance cleaning ensures proper life-cycling and protection of components against pollutant contamination.

Pollutants affect envelopes in two distinct manners. The first is by direct tile then substrate deterioration

by pollutants, including salts, sulfites, and carbons used for filtration that when mixed with water, form corrosive acids including. These acids are carried into an envelope system in liquid state. Acids attack not only in-place waterproofing systems but also structural components, such as reinforcing steel or shelf angles.

The second pollutant deterioration is the slowing or halting of the natural breathing process that allows entrapped moisture to escape. Pollutants carried deep into substrates by water and moisture fill microscopic pores of envelope facades. If left unchecked, this collection will stop natural moisture escape that is necessary in substrates and will lead to damage from freeze–thaw cycles, disbonding of tiles or coatings, and structural component deterioration.

Cleaning is completed by one or a combination of these methods

• Water cleaning
•  Chemical cleaning

Cleaning is normally completed before starting waterproofing application. In some situations, however,

a pool can be in such a deteriorated state that introduction of chemicals or water under pressure will further damage  areas and pool components. In these situations, sufficient remedial repairs may be required before cleaning, to prevent further damage.

Water Cleaning 

    Pool cleaning usually includes pressure washing, water soaking, and steam cleaning Pressure washing is the most common procedure, especially when it is used in conjunction with preparation of pool for waterproofing applications. It is also used in combination with other cleaning methods such as  chemical cleaning.

    Lower-pressure cleaners are used for rinsing minor residue accumulation, whereas the higher-pressure machines remove not only pollutant collection but also dirt, algae formed and other coatings if any. The wide range of pressures available require that testing be completed to determine the pressures required to remove contaminants without damaging surface.

    Applicators must be experienced in this type of work, especially with higher-pressure equipment. Unskilled mechanics can damage a tiles by blowing sealants out of joints, damaging masonry or stone finishes, leaving streaks and performing insufficient cleaning in the process.

Pool Restoration Work Before Waterproofing Application 

• Just as remedial waterproofing systems must be applied over clean substrates, so too they must be applied over sound substrates. After cleaning, all restoration work must be completed before waterproofing material is applied.
• Restoration work for pool often requires removal of portions to repair structural deterioration. This includes replacing broken or cracked or unbonded tiles, anchoring devices, metal steps, packing of plumbing including filtration points and Underwater light fixtures, electrical points 
• Removal of loose plaster and  re plastering wherever required.
• Providing Waterproofing coating to spillover gutters 
• Coving inside the gutter 
• Bore packing at all plumbing points.

Replacing broken /Unbonded tiles

Bore packing Lighting Fixture Point

Plastering Gutter

Bore packing the Lighting fixture point 

 

Under water light Borepacking 

Face Grouting With Akwoshield ® 

• Certain pool projects include deteriorated masonry units requiring remedial procedures for both tile joints and masonry units. In a process referred to as face grouting or bag grouting, a Nanotechnology based  cementitious waterproofing material AKWOSHIELD is brushed into tile joints and masonry faces on the walls after mixing AKWOSHIELD with water at 1:20 ratio. Face Grout is used to fill pores, cracks, and fissures in both tile joints and masonry, waterproofing an entire wall facade. 
• Face grouting with Akwoshield does not change the color or aesthetics of wall surfaces nor the breathability of facing materials. Face grouting will, however, impart a uniform color or shading to walls; the effects depend on the grout color chosen.
• Testing of sample areas should be completed to analyze application effectiveness and acceptability of the finished appearance. 
• Face Grouting with Akwoshield is not a highly labor-intensive system, and the applicators doing it should be trained and experienced in system application. Should grout be brushed off too quickly, material will be removed from masonry pores and will not sufficiently waterproof. If grout is allowed to cure completely, it will be virtually impossible to remove, and the entire substrate aesthetics will be changed.
• Application timing and removal varies greatly, and is affected by weather (dry, humid, sunny, or overcast), substrate conditions (smooth, glazed, or porous), and material composition. Applicator/Contractor  must be experienced to know when the removal process should begin, as this may change daily depending on specific project conditions, including weather.

 Face Grouting Application With Akwoshield® 

• Pool walls should be cleaned completely with PURGE to ensure that grout will penetrate through tile gaps. All contaminants, including previously applied sealants, must be removed. Walls should be checked for residue of previous waterproof coatings or sealer applications that hinder out-bonding. All seriously deteriorated mortar joints/loosen tiles unbonded tiles should be fixed before Akwoshield application.
• Akwoshield  supplied in dry mix form . Dry Akwoshield to be mixed with clean water in specified portions for existing conditions.
• Brush applied in forward motion to an entire wall area. The wall surface must be kept continually and uniformly damp to prevent grout from drying before removal. Grout should be applied uniformly and completely, to fill all voids, pores, and cracks. Same grout in slurry form is poured over pool floor area.

Face Grouting on Walls using Akwoshield

 

Joint grouting With Akwoshield® 

• Joint grouting with Akwoshield grout to all surfaces including floor over tile surface and tile joints.
• This application is sometimes referred to as mask grouting, which is grouting walls that have all masonry units masked (taped or otherwise covered). This protects them from grout application on masonry unit faces. Materials used and surface preparation are the same as that for face grouting; only applications are different.
• Akwoshield is brushed onto joint surfaces to fill voids and cracks, while keeping material off masonry facing. In restoration projects where joints have been tool recessed, grout application should fill joint recesses completely.
• This application effectively points joints without requiring joint cutout. However, as with all joint grouting systems, severely deteriorated joints should be removed and properly
• tuck-pointed before grout application.

Joint Grouting Application With Akwoshield®

Joint Grouting With Akwoshield

• Akwoshield should be mixed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Materials are brushed on existing wall and floor surface over cracks and voids, or applied by jointers to fill joint recesses completely. Akwoshield available in standard colors or are manufactured
• to match existing colors.
• No priming is required, but joints should be kept damp during application. 

Materials should not be applied to frozen substrates or in freezing temperatures.

Conclusion

• Waterproofing swimming pools using latest Nanotechnology based Waterproofing compound Akwoshield is effective and economical compared to the conventional procedures of removing and relaying of tiles.
• Water can be filled just  24 hours after application.
• As Akwoshield penetrates to the mother slab its a result oriented also since water is the carrier it covers all the pours wherever water can travel. 

Author 

Ananda M A   BE, M Tech 
Group Director -Protect Group  Bangalore 

 

 

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