Frost Damage to Tiles in Your Swimming Pool — Durable Repair

How frost destroys tiles and joints

Cementitious joints are naturally porous and absorb water during the swimming season. When frozen, this absorbed water expands, cracking the joint and forming progressively larger micro-channels where even more water can remain — a vicious cycle. The glaze on ceramic tiles can only withstand this to a limited extent before hairline cracks also appear there.

After 3 to 5 winters, the damage pattern is usually clear: missing joints, tiles with cracked edges, and localised hollow spots under the tiling where the mortar has become detached.

The importance of a sealed surface

A flat coating has no porous joints for water to penetrate. ACRATON® Dolphin is a 2-component epoxy with 81 vol-% solids — chemically completely sealed and non-hygroscopic. Frost cannot affect such a surface, even if the pool is not completely drained during the winter months.

Approach for a pool with existing frost damage

Firstly, all already damaged tiles and loose joints are removed or roughened. The entire pool is fine blasted to eliminate cement laitance and weak spots. Subsequently, the applicator fills cracks and voids with epoxy repair mortar, applies a levelling layer, and finishes with two coats of ACRATON® Dolphin in the desired colour.

The result is a pool that is not only visually renovated but also structurally protected against future frost cycles.

Recommendations for winter shutdown

Even with a coated pool, it remains advisable to drain outdoor pools in winter or lower the water level below the skimmers and main drain. PoolFIX provides a simple checklist that you can use for annual winterisation — focused on protecting the installation, not so much the coating itself.