Swimming Pool Tile Maintenance | Kerala

To maintain the high quality and clarity of pool water swimming pool tiles should be maintained and closely monitored at regular intervals.

The one factor which improves water clarity of the swimming pool is how cautiously the tiles are maintained on a day to day basis.

The most important factor is monitoring the pH levels. If the pH value is kept under control, it will prolong the life of the tiles and it's joints. If not it starts corroding off the tile joints.

Further, it leads to the opening up of the joints of the tiles. The water starts to penetrate through the joints and enters the adhesive layer. This damages the bonding between tiles and adhesives layer.

As a result, tiles start to chipping off from here and there. Vacuum and brushing accelerate the process of tile chipping considerably. The dislodged tiles then get sucked into the pump's prefilter. If not cleared on time, this reduces pump suction considerably and further leads to choking of the pump.

Once we notice the opening of joints partially itself it is highly advisable to do the maintenance as it incurs less cost and no damage to tile layer.
When this is ignored the depth of the joints increases and water penetration begins to the adhesive layer.

This is ignored by the majority of clients and when it comes to the worst stage they understand it is serious and look around for solving the issue.

The most commonly used pool tiles are either Venetian glass mosaics or Transparent glass mosaics which are of 4 mm thick. If it is installed properly with its joints filled using epoxy and water clarity well maintained a life of 4 - 6 years in maximum can be expected before it needs regrouting.

If in the above case tiles joints is filled with unsanded water repellent grouts mixed with polymer liquid gives a life of 3 - 4 years in maximum.

But at during any point of time if the water clarity was badly maintained it starts corroding the tile joints as it never reacts with the tiles. This is why its glass or ceramic which are widely used in the swimming pools where water is treated chemically.

The main cause for the corrosion of tiles joints is the frequent changes in pH and chlorination regularly without checking the free chlorine levels. If epoxy grouts are used in an external wall or floor it has a life of more than 15 - 20 years, but the same inside the pool corrodes much earlier.

If porcelain mosaics or ceramic pool tiles are used it has a little more life as it's thickness is nearly 6 - 8 mm and more thickness for joints fillers needs more epoxy than glass mosaics.

So whoever has a pool done with tiling surface should also take into consideration the maintenance part, that at particular interval without failure necessary pool tile maintenance shall be carried out. If ignored it leads to serious tile damages like chipping off tiles this can at times cause injuries and fatalities to guest users.

If damage to plastering/screed Layer occurs it will take a lot of work, time and money to correct the same. This extensive repair of pool tiles will include chipping of existing tiles, Redoing the plastering layer. If damage happens to waterproof coatings or membrane that also need to be redone.

Waterproofing which is applied to the mother slab is protected with the layer of plastering if it gets damaged the same is to be removed and replastered after necessary waterproofing coatings.

Therefore one should be very careful while removing damaged tiles because any damage to the plastering layer means damages to the waterproofing membrane.

This is the importance of swimming pool tile maintenance schedules and maintenance of water parameters. So ideally do the joints of the tiles filling right on time to prevent unnecessary downtimes and costs.

How to regrout swimming pool tiles.?

• Water needs to be emptied from the pool before doing the same.

• First, an acid wash to be done to remove the loose substances and dirt from the tiles and it's joints.

• While doing this process more loose tiles if any may come out. It is not bcos of the acid wash process, it's purely because the tiles have already lost it's bonding with the adhesive layer.

• It's is nice more loose tiles to come out while doing the acid wash as they can be refixed if it's here and there one or two.

• But if more tiles from an area come out, it needs to refixed using new tile sheets.

• After the acid wash, the chipped off tiles will be refixed and then the joints will be filled in full. Either using epoxy grouts or unsanded water repellent grout added with polymer liquid to it.

• After required curing time of 8 - 10 days for epoxy and 4 - 6 days for polymer liquid added grout.

• Water can be refilled and commissioned.