Pool Rework

[SandGroper]

Over the last few days I have been reading many posted messages on this site as well as infotile.com.au and learning a lot (especially from John, Tileguytodd, Rob and others). I did a search for all swimming pool related messages and found out most of what I need to know (I think... I hope) as well as being very entertained. Still one or two questions are still there. So to be safe rather than , I have come to the experts (I hope that's enough buttering up). I have laid tile before on floors and walls but never on a pool.

This is what I want to do; remove all old coping, water line tiles and loose plaster and replace with new.

This is what I think I should do; use porcelain tiles, thinset, new coping, and get someone else to do the plastering.

This is what I don't know; 1) Do you put the coping on before the tiles or the other way around.
2) What kind of morter, mastic or thinset should be used for coping.
3) What size gap between coping.
4) For the water returns, do I chip the plaster away from them or raise them above the level of the existing plaster.
5) Should new tiles be set so they are above the existing plaster so the new plaster can be floated to the new level.
6) After setting new tiles, do they need to be grouted or is the plaster used for grout. If grout, what kind, epoxy or ???

A lot of questions I know, so any help and advise you could give me at all would be greatly appreciated.

[John Bridge]

G'day, Sand Groper, We're gonna hafta come upwith a better handle, you know.

I don't know a lot about pools, but I have seen renovators sand blast the existing plaster, chip off the old waterline tiles, knock off the old coping . . .

Install the new coping, then the waterline tiles (a little proud of the old plaster, not much, though), and finally, re-plaster. Some of them use the plaster as grout, but some use sanded white grout prior to plaster. I really don't know which is best.

The joints in the coping are fairly close, within a quarter-inch. I don't know what type of mortar is used to cement them in.

I don't know a lot about pools.

[John Bridge]

P.S.

Steer clear of the Central Expressway down around Mockingbird Lane. There's a wild man painter/tile guy/wine taster/ JB moderator there by name of Sonnie Layne. Sonnie has been to Australia and will talk your ear off if he catches you.

[SandGroper]

Thanks for the reply John, and so quickly too. I posted the question late on Friday at work and was not able to get back to the forum until today (Monday). If I had these answers prior to the weekend then what excuse would I have had for doin nothin Saturday and Sunday. As for the handle, in Australia each state has a nickname for the residents of that state, e.g. Western Australia - Sandgropers, New South Wales - Magpies, etc. etc. Always a native animal. It's fallen out of common use these days though.

For someone who "doesn’t know a lot about pools", you sure have a lot of good advice and answers about pools. Maybe someone else will have answers to the mortar and water return questions.

Thanks for the warning about Sonnie. I'll be on the lookout for some guy at the wheel of a pickup with paint and tiling tools in the back typing on his laptop with one hand and a goblet in the other


I was thinking of putting flagstones down for coping. How are the stones cut to follow the profile of my pool? Special saw?

[flatfloor]

Sand groper....I was thinking you made a practice of groping people on the beach.

(I know less than John does about pools, real good at falling into)

[SandGroper]

flatfloor,

You've been following me, haven't you. Besides that charge was thrown out..... I was running along the beach when I 'accidently' tripped and fell near that person. And with the sand in your eyes.... well you just can't possibly know exactly where your hands are.

[John Bridge]

I think I would chip the stones to fit around the perimeter of the pool. I don't think I would saw them.

[flatfloor]

Right-o Grope.