As the song says, “Once a story’s told, it can’t help growing old.” Everything ages and, while some things aren’t worth being repaired, your swimming pool most certainly can be.
If your backyard swimming pool is years old and could do with a facelift, read on to discover restorations that repair, beautify and upgrade old pools.
Leak Repairs
Structural and plumbing leaks should be repaired as soon as possible in order to prevent yet more expense and wasted water down the road. Major repairs, such as to water features or certain plumbing lines, can be done by the pool builder.
Structural Repairs
Concrete, gunite, vinyl and fibreglass are the three main types of inground pool materials and each one requires a different method of repair.
- Concrete or Gunite – When these surfaces get older, their plaster surfaces begin to show signs of wear and tear, such as plaster chipping or cracking and hollow spots. You can either have these spots repaired or, if there is a lot of damage, you may wish to have the pool completely resurfaced.
- Vinyl Liners – Environmental exposure and natural deterioration can cause leaks in vinyl liners. If the puncture is small, it can be easily patched and should be dealt with immediately before causing greater damage. Leaks or tears in a vinyl liner will allow water to collect behind it, causing it to stretch and pull away from the top edge of the pool over time.
- Fiberglass – These prefabricated shells are practically indestructible but they can be susceptible to leaks. If a leak is left untended over a long period of time, cracks will result and major pool plumbing damage could also occur.
Upgrades
Resurfacing your concrete pool using tile is an option you may wish to consider. There are a countless number of colour choices available, so the options are truly endless. It’s worth considering that pools completely tiled with darker colours tend to retain the sun’s heat so that a pool will be considerably warmer at night.
While you’re in the process of renovating your swimming pool, you may also choose to update it with new coping and/or deck materials. You could also opt to have your pool painted in a new colour, two-tone colour or a stunning in-pool mural.
Upgrading mechanical systems with high-tech equipment, will give you more energy efficiency.
Beautify
New waterline tiling makes a dramatic statement. It involves using a decorative border tile along the waterline. Waterline tile is very easy to clean and there is a huge selection of tiles available in all colours of glass mosaics or glazed porcelain.
Stains can cause a pool to look significantly older than it actually is. An acid wash will effectively remove algae, rust and other stains or marks. It is recommended that you have your pool acid washed every three to seven years to keep it looking like new.