As any commercial pool manager knows, it’s important to pay close attention to every aspect of your pool’s infrastructure to keep it running smoothly and to avoid costly repairs. The coping of your pool is no exception. If not properly maintained, a pool’s coping may suffer damage that could cost you many thousands of dollars to fix. Here’s what you need to know to cope with your coping:
What is coping and why is it important?
Coping is the cap on the edge of your swimming pool that covers the concrete edges of the bond beam and hides the metal projecting from the walls. It serves aesthetic purposes, integrating the finish and tile of the pool, as well as several functional purposes, such as keeping the walls of your pool straight and rigid and creating a non-skid surface near the pool’s edge that gives swimmers something to grab onto. In addition, it ensures that water that gets splashed out of the pool runs away from the edge and down into drains on the deck, which is important for keeping contaminants out of the water.
Many commercial pools opt for a bull nose or rounded finish, which is safer than sharper finishes because it helps prevent bumps and scrapes.
How does pool coping get damaged?
The wear and tear on coping is substantial, given that it’s used heavily every day. Swimmers step and jump on it and pool equipment (such as vacuums) cause regular wear and tear. Over time, coping stones may become loose or cracked, or the mortar may crumble.
What are the dangers of damaged coping?
When coping is damaged, water can get in and seep under other parts of the coping. If your pool is in a region that experiences low temperatures, you run the risk of having the water beneath the coping freeze. Water expands when frozen, and this can loosen other parts of the coping and/or cause erosion under the deck. In addition, cracked or loose coping can be hazardous for swimmers.
How should I cope with damaged coping?
While it’s important for you to keep an eagle eye out for cracks or other damage to your coping, don’t try to make repairs on your own. Forming a relationship with a full-service pool company can ease the burden and ensure that potential problems are caught early while they are easy and much less expensive to fix. Most companies offer monthly consultations, during which skilled professionals inspect your pool for any signs of trouble.
Understanding the level of damage to pool coping is a task that should be left to these professionals. If they do find cracks or other issues developing, they can provide expert insight on the repair work that will need to be done. Regardless of the season or temperature, coping damage should be tended to immediately, since further problems aren’t readily apparent and will worsen over time, possibly causing costly damage to other areas of the pool. Again, a pool service company can give you the repair and renovation services you need to make fixes quickly and efficiently.
At American Pool, we offer a full range of pool maintenance and management services and can answer any of your questions about coping. Get in touch for more information.