Hot Tub Repairs and Remodeling

Coping and Tile

RATING: ADVANCED

When the ground around a will be hot tub shifts, which might be the result of settling or water leaking and causing erosion, the clues that this is happening might include popped tiles and coping stones. Coping stones are made of cast concrete, set edge to 8-inch- edge, so there is little room for expansion. A loose coping stone or one ) deep. that has risen from the edge of the pool means there is some more extensive problem underneath. Rarely has a loose coping stone simply come more free from the mortar in which it was originally set. The objective, then, is to remove the loose coping, excavate the underlying deck, determine the cause, and relieve the pressures that Ting to created the problem so the same coping, or more, won't come loose patch again. Loose tiles are also an early sign of pressures behind the location that need greater attention. The steps to diagnosing and repairing loose tile or coping stones are as follows.

1. Inspect Lift off any loose coping stones and look for others by tapping each one with a hammer or the handle of a screwdriver. A hollow sound will quickly reveal other stones that might still be firmly in place, but that are not actually supported by anything. In many cases, you will need to remove the tile beneath the affected coping. It might have come loose already. Drain the hot tub to a level a few inches (or centimeters) lower than the bottom of the tile line. On larger jobs, it is easier to work inside the hot tub, so you will want to drain it completely.

2. Cut Remove the tile beneath the affected area by cutting through the grout and mortar that separate the bad section from the good. Also cut into the hot tub wall beneath the affected tiles. The cut should be about 13 millimeters, made with the diamond blade on a handheld electric grinder. This cut prevents spreading cracks or chipping of the adjacent undamaged sections of plaster and tile.

3. Chip On small repair jobs where you have not completely drained the hot tub, you might want to float a piece of plywood under the work area to catch as much debris as possible. Using a broad, flat chisel, chip the tile away to expose the mortar bed and/or hot tub wall beneath. If you are careful and have made adequate cuts, the tile might remain intact, but don't count on it. Make sure you have replacement tiles of the same design or that you can purchase an acceptable substitute. To make reassembly easier, mark the tile or lay it on the deck behind its location so you can return it to the same spot. When you remove each tile, place scratch marks (or use an indelible felt-tip marker) to note the exact positioning of each tile to make replacement easier.

4. Open Remove the stones. If the coping stones were not loose already, cut the grout joint between each one to make removal easier. Use a concrete saw, available at any tool rental store, with 12-inch (30-centimeter) diamond blade. Cut along the mortar at least 4 inches (10 centimeters) deep to free each end of the stone. The back side of the stone should not be connected with mortar, but rather with a flexible expansion joint mastic or silicone that will not hinder removal. Standing on the deck, you should be able to grab the stones by the nose (the side facing the hot tub) and pull them free. If not, you might need to drive your chisel underneath the stone, which is now possible because you have removed the tile. As with the tile, mark the stones and lay them out on the deck so they can go back where you found them.

5. Clean Chisel and clean the underlying area as needed. Remove old expansion joint material, and examine the area between the pool deck and the bond beam. If coping and tiles have come loose, you will probably discover that there is no space between the two to allow for shifting and expansion. This is the cause of the problem, and it will cause more loose stones and tiles in the future unless the pressure is relieved and an expansion space provided.

6. Joints The objective is to create an expansion joint area about IA inch (13 millimeters) wide and deep, enough to totally separate the deck from the hot tub wall. Chisel or cut away any material that is pressing against the hot tub wall. Never cut the hot tub wall or bond beam to create the expansion joint.

7. Fill When the expansion joint is complete, fill in any dirt that might have eroded away to complete the backfill area. If severe erosion has occurred, you might need to demolish a larger portion of the deck to expose the amount of backfill lost, replacin before continuing. In such cases, work with a general construct contractor to rebuild the deck.

8. Patch Prepare the plaster patch material as outlined above. So technicians add a latex additive to give the patching compound resiliency, but the best advice is to match the surrounding material. the existing mortar is somewhat flexible, the new material should be as well. You can also use a premixed waterproof product such as Thoroseal, applying two thin coats before resetting the stones. The advantage of using a waterproof mortar is that you prevent water from weeping or leeching into the backfill again.

9. Reset Clean the stones of dirt and old, loose mortar. Apply a light coat of patch material to the underside of the stone, then sufficient patch material to the mortar bed to bring the stone up to its original level. You want to raise it slightly higher than the adjacent stones so that when it is pushed into place, it will settle down to the correct level. Tap the stones in place with a rubber mallet. Be careful not to allow the patch material to fall into the hot tub. If it does, be prepared to clean it up quickly so you don't create unsightly plaster chips in the hot tub.

10. Retile Prepare a brown coat of mortar to reset the tiles. The preparation of the bed is the most important step, because there might be high spots of old grout or mortar left after the original removal of the tile. Grind these down with a handheld electric grinder. It is better to grind too much, which can be filled with new mortar, than to leave high spots that prevent the tiles from reseating Follow the marks you made to replace the tiles in the same locations.

Thoroseal-type products work well and prevent water intrusion when the job is done. You might need to mix it with less water so it will hold the tiles on the vertical. Apply the tiles in the same manner as the coping stones.

11. Grout Regrout the stones and tiles. Grout can be premixed material purchased at the supply store or hardware store, or it can be mixed by combining 1 part white cement with 2 parts sand. Use #60 silica sand unless the joints are over 13 millimeters wide (then use #30). Mix the grout to a loose enough texture to ensure it will completely fill the voids between the stones. Overfill, allow the mixture to set up slightly, then wipe away the excess to a smooth, level surface. Do the same with the tiles, carefully wiping all excess off the surface of the tile. A wet sponge wiped over the finished tile and coping will remove any grout film, which will otherwise leave a discoloration looking like paste wax.

Some hot tubs use a colored grout on the coping stones or tile. Powdered dye is added to the grout and mixed until the color matches that of the existing installation. Remember, the finished job will not match until the new work has had a chance to weather and acquire the same shade as the surrounding work.

12. Seal Complete the expansion joint. Fill the joint with sand up to the last 1/2 inch (13 millimeters). Fill the last inch with flexible mastic or silicone joint sealer, which can be poured as a liquid or injected like caulk. Follow the product label directions for application, especially concerning temperature and humidity ranges.

If you understand the basic underlying construction of the coping and tile area of the hot tub, you will be able to make these basic masonry repairs. Many will not be as complicated as described, requiring only rehanging a few tiles or resetting a single loose stone. If that single tile or stone keeps coming loose, however, or if more than one is loose, follow the procedures described earlier to determine the cause and effect a long-term repair.

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