Stockport pool repairs, from a few tiles to a full regrout.

Cosmetic, or a sign of something worse

There are private indoor pools in homes across Stockport's suburbs and the villages towards the Cheshire border. Many were tiled years ago and are now showing it.

The question owners usually ask is whether the problem is cosmetic or a sign of something more serious. A visit normally answers that, and if a small repair is all the pool needs, that is what we will suggest.

• Grout washing out or going dark
• A tile that sounds hollow or has lifted
• Scale and staining at the waterline
• Cracked tiles on steps or around fittings

What a proper regrout involves

The old grout is raked out to a consistent depth, the joints are cleaned out, and new grout is worked in, tooled and washed off. Getting the raking out right matters more than people expect. A thin skim over old grout tends not to last.

Epoxy suits many pools because it is dense and stands up well to pool chemicals, but it is harder to install well and is not automatically better than a good cement grout. Neither will hold a loose tile in place. Movement and perimeter joints are sealed with a flexible sealant, not grout.

Health clubs, schools and leisure pools

For commercial pools in Stockport the work is planned around a closure. Getting in touch well before a shutdown leaves time for an inspection and a programme that allows for curing and refilling properly.

Habits that help tiles and grout last

Keep the water balanced on your pool engineer's advice. Water that is out of balance can etch cement grout or leave scale on the tiles.

Avoid abrasive pads, and use a chemical clean suited to the job, tried on a small area first, so the existing grout is not harmed. And whenever the pool is drained, have a proper look. Small faults found then are easier to deal with.