Repairing cracks in a pool isn’t something to be taken lightly. Pool cracks do more than let water out and cost money in refilling the pool regularly, they can ultimately cost you thousands of dollars in demolition and pool replacement if not taken care of properly. Not all visible cracking means a compromised pool shell, plaster cracks are often signs of aging, but regardless of what the damage on sight, all cracks should be checked for leaking.
When you see cracks happen, the first thing should be to get a proper leak detection. By listening to the pool with hydrophones, like those made by LeakTronics, you’ll be able to hear if water is escaping through them. Structural cracks can be caused by a number of factors, but if water is pulling through the crack, then the shell is subject to further damage in a short time that can completely destroy your pool. Only a permanent repair is going to save it, and the only permanent repair for structural cracking is the installation of Torque Lock Structural Staples. The patented Torque Lock Staple and torquing method applies a controlled compression to the structure of the pool and ensures that cracks stop where they are. Once the staples are installed and the crack is properly filled with concrete, the cracks will never be an issue again.
So we have established, by performing a proper leak detection, that your structural crack is in fact, a crack that goes through the entire pool shell. Whatever has caused the crack, it is now subject to spreading and lengthening because of the pressure against it. The dirt behind the pool, the weight fo the water and the potential for ground shifting and earth movement will simply make the crack bigger. By applying a compression to either side fo the crack, the potential for continued movement is reduced to null and crack is stabilized.
A contractor can install Torque Lock Structural Staples in a day. They begin by drawing the pool and using a technique called Misting and Mapping to identify the full extent of the cracking. A light mist of water over the dry shell of the pool will highlight the full length of the crack, like an x-ray through the shell. By holding on to the moisture from the mist of water, the crack will literally darken. The contractor will use a wax crayon to mark the full length of the crack. Now, you know what you’re dealing with. At either end of the crack, the contractor will drill a small pilot hole to stop the crack in its tracks.
Along the linear distance of the crack, the contractor will mark, using the Torque Lock Templates, an area for installing a staple every 12 inches down the crack. The staples are installed in a pattern; a 6 inch staple, then a 3 inch staple and so forth. This stitching method will offer the best results for applying a compression of up to 5000 lbs of pressure around the existing crack. Using a standard concrete drill, holes will be drilled into the shell for the insertion of the staples at the areas marked.
Using a chipping hammer, the contractor will chip out a wide channel in the pool surface, allowing for a clean installation and for even coverage of the surface of the pool after installation. The pool surface will be smooth and repaired after the staples are set into the pool.
The staples are inserted into the pool shell and ‘torqued’ to approximately 24 pounds of torque. The combination of the staples inserted and the patented offset-cam that applies the compression will secure the structure, not allowing it to further separate. The crack can’t pull apart, lengthen or shear when the compression is applied. This means once the crack is penetrated and filled with concrete, the concrete stays in place and becomes a permanent part of the pool shell itself. The structure has been permanently repaired.
The contractor will finish over the concrete and match the shell of the pool, potentially to a close or exact match of the shells color itself, and most definitely to the level of the existing plaster. A smooth finish will cover the stapled area and will not reveal their installation in any capacity. The pool can be refilled and returned to service, with the pool owner knowing that the structural cracks they saw are now fixed and the pool is secure.
Handy homeowners and virtually any general contractor can perform a complete Torque Lock Staple installation, as described in any of the Torque Lock videos, the downloadable installation instructions or by calling Torque Lock at 818-436-2953 for assistance by phone.
Installed every 12 inches, Torque Lock Staple Kits come in 10 foot, 30 foot and 50 foot kits, with corner and radius staples in 5 packs for getting the job done right.
Visit the Torque Lock online store to get staples delivered to your door and never worry about structural cracks again.
