Swimming pools are among the trickiest to maintain in the house, mainly due to their size and use. Depending on how big your pool is, the waterproofing methods for your swimming pool can vary in terms of how often you need to apply it and how much of it you need per application.
Dealing with leaks in your pool can depend on a number of things: the construction of the pool, the climate you have, the frequency of use, and the environment around your pool. These factors can determine how much of your pool needs checking and how often; and even more importantly, whether or not having a pool in that location is a good idea.
Determining the issue
First of all, you need to know how to diagnose and waterproof a leaky swimming pool. There’s a couple of ways to do it, but the simplest one is to check the water level in between use. Attach a marker to the side of your pool and wait for a day or two. If you’ve lost more than 1/4ths of an inch of water, that can be one of the signs your pool is starting to leak water.
Another thing you can do is check your water consumption. If you find yourself paying more with the same amount of use and upkeep of your pool, it can also be a sign that you need more water to just fill it up to capacity.
The next thing to determine is where exactly the leak would be: this can be anything from a simple crack to a spiderweb of surface fissures that can creep up unnoticed. The good news is that it’s extremely rare to find major faults in anything aside from extremely unkept pools, but since the damage from a small crack can proportionately grow with time, it’s best to stamp them out as soon as you can.
Performing a diagnosis
Ideally, you should be hiring a professional to determine what’s wrong with your pool—but failing that, some self-inspection (especially if you helped in constructing the pool) will suffice. You’ll need to keep some basics in mind, such as completely drying the pool, which depending on size can take anything from three days to a week. After this, do a thorough scan of the pool’s surface and parts.
Cleaning can often reveal these small issues, especially around the drains and filters of the pool. If you do find a problem, consult the list of materials used and the type of construction method used in installing your pool. Again, having a professional can make this step far easier.
Fixing your pool is best left to your contractor, but there are some DIY solutions available, such as hydraulic cement or waterproof membranes that can work in a pinch. Failing that, your local handyman can offer some solutions that you can look into, but be advised that any local patches may evolve into bigger problems if applied incorrectly. It is best to resolve the problem in its core to avoid any complications in the future.
