The most important thing you can do to protect your tile and coping against water damage is caulking around your pool's perimeter (where the coping meets with the decking). This is a common task that pool companies won't do because they don't have to take on the responsibility of repairing damaged tile or coping.
You will notice in the warranty information that your pool contract contains that you are responsible to caulk this joint. If you fail to do so, your warranty will be null. Concrete decking pools should be sealed between 30-60 days after it was poured. This gives concrete time to cure. Various companies provide the first-class service of caulking to their customers.
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When choosing a company to perform this work, be careful. Most companies that deal with caulking pools use mechanics who are skilled in repairing tiles, coping, and plaster. It is labor-intensive to prepare the perimeter joint for caulk. The preparation of the joint for caulk will take up to 80% of the time spent caulking the joint.
To properly prepare the joint, you must mechanically grind both ends. Dirt, cement, and latitude can build up on joints during construction. They must be removed to ensure that the caulk bonds to the surface of the Masonry. Older pools must have 100% of the caulk removed. Closed cell backing rods must be installed at the correct depth. Both sides must be coated with a bonding agent primer.
The joint can be sealed only after this is done. The caulk is applied to the surface and then tooltip to give it a flat finish. It takes a lot of skill to achieve a perfect finish with the caulk. Because it is easier to use for their mechanics, some contractors will use self-leveling or one-part material.
