Loose or hollow pool tiles in Bolton?

Why tiles come loose

The usual culprits are adhesive coverage that was never complete, movement in the pool shell, movement joints that are missing or have been grouted solid, water getting behind the tiles, or render that has lost its own bond. Repeated heating and cooling of the pool does not help.

The cause matters. A repair that ignores it tends to fail again in the same place.

What a hollow sound does and does not tell you

We tap the drained pool to map tiles that sound hollow. It is a quick way to find suspect areas, but it is a screening check. A hollow note can come from a small void that is causing no harm, and a solid note is not a guarantee of a good bond.

The real extent shows once tiles are lifted and we can see the adhesive and background underneath.

How a targeted repair is done

• Lift loose and hollow tiles and carry on until we reach tiles that are properly bonded
• Repair render or background locally where it has failed
• Refix new or salvaged tiles with compatible adhesive
• Regrout and reinstate flexible movement joints
• Leave the products to cure as the manufacturer specifies before a controlled refill

Refilling and the first few weeks

The pool is refilled slowly, following the product guidance and your water treatment plan, then brought back up to temperature gradually. Rushing either puts stress on new work.

If anything looks odd in the first weeks, such as discoloured grout or a new hollow sound, tell us so we can check it. A simple record of what was repaired and where is useful at the next drain-down.