How to repair a shell pool?

Highly appreciated for their ease of installation,swimming pool shellsare very often made from fiberglass and polyester resin, two particularly resistant and durable materials. However, it sometimes happens that after several years of use, yourshell pooldeteriorates, revealing one or moremicrocracksin the gelcoat.

Whether your crack is star-shaped or as thin as a hair, these cracks aren't as harmless as they seem...

Fortunately, solutions exist to repair the polyester pool cover. And for that, it's not always necessary to call on a professional! With a little patience (and elbow grease) it's possible to repair a yourself Cracked shell pool! We'll explain everything to you.

Why is my pool shell cracked?

The appearance of a crack on yourpolyester resin shellcan be explained in several ways. Before starting theshell pool repair, it is advisable to identify the origin of the small cracks:

• Aland movement:one of the reasons that can explain the cracks on your coating concerns land movements. These are very often the consequence of construction on an unstable site;
• A shock caused by thefall of an object against the hull: thestar-shaped micro-cracksgenerally indicate these accidental object drops;
• Local premature hull wear: When it is of poor quality, the coating can crack more easily on contact with water, treatment products, and depending on weather conditions (frost in winter, UV rays, etc.).

However, know that if the cracks do not go through theinner lining, that is to say, thegelcoat, there is nothing to fear. Indeed, it is quite normal for superficial cracks to appear on the gelcoat after 15 to 20 years of use.

How to repair a crack in the shell of your swimming pool?

Depending on the extent of the damage, you can do your own pool repairs… As long as you’re a handyman! If not, it’s a better idea to seek professional expertise.

1. Repair your pool shell yourself

Do you have a DIY spirit? Create your own swimming pool shell repair !

If the crack is not very significant, you can perform aunderwater pool shell repair. To do this, get waterproof glue suitable for underwater work.

However, if the damage is more significant, adraining of the poolwill be necessary. Subsequently, here are the steps to follow to successfully renovate your coating:

• After emptying yourswimming pool, the first step is to sand the area of the pool that needs repair. Using P60 grit sandpaper, rub the area and extend about 5 cm beyond it so that it is perfectly smooth and clean.
• Next, cut your glass mat to a size 5 cm larger than the crack. Coat the surface to be renovated with a mixture of resin and catalyst then apply the first layer of mat. Allow approximately 1 liter of resin for 1m2 of glass mat.
• Remove air bubbles from the glass mat using a de-bubbler roller, then add a second layer of resin. 
• Lay down another layer of mat before repeating the operation with the de-bulleter.
• Let the whole thing harden for half a day (minimum 4 hours) then sand the area again to smooth the repaired surface.
• To conceal the operation, use anwaterproof finishing resinin the color of your hull to repaint the repaired surface.

2. Repair the shell of your swimming pool with the help of a pool professional

If you don't have a DIY spirit, it's best to call a professional.Thanks to their expertise and know-how, they will be better equipped to renovate the polyester hull of your pool. And to prevent new cracks from appearing, they can also examine your lining and identify the cause(s) of these.

Once the inventory has been carried out, your pool professional will be able to proceed with the repairs. To do this, the pool will need to be drained. Before doing so, the expert will need to remove the cover of the decompression well to check whether there is water at the bottom of the well.

Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment, the draining can then be carried out quickly by your pool professional. From then on, the professional can begin the renovation of your pool, taking care to respect the necessary safety rules to protect against any harmful dust caused by the repair of the gelcoat. 

You will have understood; technical skill, equipment, and safety are crucial to achieve an aesthetic and durable result. Do not hesitate to contact theAboral teamsto repair your pool and enjoy a refurbished shell!