Pools rarely fail overnight. They whisper first, then they murmur, then they shout. A hairline crack that seemed cosmetic last season becomes a stubborn leak. The pump pushes harder to keep up, and your utility bill creeps higher. Scale blooms along the waterline. Tile pops. Plaster feels rougher underfoot. By the time most owners call for help, they’ve lived through months of small annoyances that add up to big repairs.
Gunite pools are tough by design, but even a reinforced concrete shell has a lifecycle. Weather swings, soil movement, chemistry mistakes, and simple wear will eventually test every surface and joint. Knowing when to act, and exactly what to look for, can save thousands and extend the life of your pool by years. I’ve rebuilt shells that were written off as lost causes, and I’ve also seen perfectly salvageable pools suffer needless damage because someone ignored early warning signs. The difference is almost always timing.
This guide walks through the top signs your pool needs professional attention, why they happen, and what a qualified crew like EverClear Pools & Spas will do to fix them right the first time. I’ll focus on gunite, since that is where structural issues get expensive fast. I’ll also touch on vinyl repairs, since plenty of homes in North Jersey carry both types across different properties or upgrades.
Why gunite fails, even when you maintain it
Gunite is pneumatically applied concrete over a steel rebar cage. It cures into an incredibly strong, semi-porous shell. That shell is then sealed with plaster or exposed aggregate. The system works because each layer does a specific job. If you break the chain, problems grow.
The three forces that most often break the chain are water, movement, and chemistry. Water finds a path through micro-cracks or weak bead joints and keeps widening that path. Movement shows up as expansion and contraction from temperature swings, seasonal frost heave, and soil settling. Chemistry is the quiet culprit. Unbalanced pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness dissolve plaster from the inside, etch metals, and create electrolysis paths that accelerate damage.
A gunite pool does not fail from one bad week. It fails from hundreds of little cycles. You can prevent many of them with consistent testing, good circulation, and a sharp eye for changes.
Sign 1: Your water level keeps dropping, even with normal evaporation
Every pool loses water to evaporation and splash-out. In North Jersey summers, a half-inch to an inch per week is common, sometimes a bit more during dry, windy spells. If you’re adding inches every few days, or if you routinely find your skimmers sucking air, you likely have a leak.
The telltales are predictable. You see wet soil or a persistently soggy spot along the outside of the pool deck. The autofill struggles to keep up. You top off on a Monday, and by Friday the waterline tile is exposed again. When you shut off the pump overnight, the level drops faster. That last point is critical. If the level falls when the system is off, look to the shell, main drain, or hydrostatic fittings. If it falls while the system runs, suspect the plumbing on the pressure side.
Professionals perform a bucket test to confirm evaporation versus loss, then move to pressure testing and electronic leak detection. In gunite, we also dye test around returns, lights, cracks, and skimmer throats. EverClear gunite pool repair services will often isolate zones and pressure test lines individually, since a half-pound difference can reveal a split underground line you’d never find by eye.
Delay is expensive here. Leaks undermine soil, create voids under the deck, and increase movement that breeds more cracks. In winter, trapped water expands and pops tile or lifts coping. Fix the leak first. Everything else comes second.
Sign 2: Spider cracks became stair-step cracks
Hairline checking on plaster is common and mostly cosmetic. These resemble a spider web and don’t catch a fingernail. Stair-step cracks are different. They trace a geometric path, sometimes along rebar lines, and can be felt under a finger. If a crack grows, changes color, or bleeds rust, stop treating it as a surface flaw.
Structural cracks have a cause. Soil movement, poor bond beams, hydrostatic pressure, or rebar corrosion can all drive propagation. Rust stains that originate from a single dot or line usually indicate water reaching steel. Left alone, those stains will blossom as the steel swells with rust and exerts pressure on the surrounding concrete. That is how you go from a small stain to a chunk of delaminated plaster in a season.
The fix depends on the diagnosis. Epoxy injection can bridge and seal non-moving structural cracks if the rebar is intact. For active movement or corroded steel, we saw-cut, expose the steel, clean and encapsulate it, then rebuild the section with structural repair mortar and re-plaster or tile as needed. A seasoned EverClear pool repair contractor will resist the urge to skim-coat and call it a day, because the crack will read through again once the underlying force remains.
Sign 3: Rough plaster, etching, or mottling that gets worse
Plaster should feel like a smooth sidewalk. When it turns abrasive, you are experiencing either chemical etching or physical roughening from age. Etching happens when the water looks for calcium and steals it from the plaster due to low saturation index. You’ll notice a chalky appearance, light pitting, and a dust that brushes off the walls. Mottling is a blotchy color change, especially visible with darker plasters, which can come from troweling, hydration, or chemistry swings.
Surface roughness accelerates algae growth. Microscopic pores harbor biofilm that laughs at normal chlorine levels. Your chemical costs go up because you need more sanitizer to keep pace. At some point, acid washing cannot put calcium back or smooth out deep pitting. When a surface is past its service life, re-plastering is the right move. Expect most traditional white plaster to last 7 to 12 years, sometimes 15 with exceptional care. Exposed aggregate and quartz finishes can push longer.
A proper re-plaster includes chipping out hollow spots, bonding coat, plumbing checks, and attention to expansion joints. Shortcuts show up as early delamination, pop-offs around fittings, or a finish that softens within months. EverClear pool repair services prioritize water balance on startup. That first 30 days sets the hardness and durability of your new finish more than many owners realize.
Sign 4: Loose or popping tile and deteriorated coping joints
Tiles don’t usually fail by themselves. They fail because water sits where it shouldn’t, or because the bond beam moves. Freeze-thaw cycles in New Jersey are hard on waterline tile and coping. You might see a chalky efflorescence band, which means moisture is carrying salts through the grout and depositing them as the water evaporates. If the grout cracks or is missing, water gets behind the tile. In cold weather, that trapped moisture expands and pops tile off in sheets.
Coping joints are another point of vulnerability. Once the mastic or mortar breaks down, water finds the beam. The beam swells, shrinks, and shifts. We check for proper deck-o-joint separation between the deck and coping. Where this joint is bridged with mortar or has failed sealant, the deck can push on the beam and contribute to tile failures.
Repair is a layered job. Remove compromised sections, clean the substrate, address drainage or joint separation, rebuild with proper thinset and grout, and seal judiciously. Sealers help, but they can trap moisture if misapplied. The goal is control, not entombment. When EverClear pool repair services near me completes a tile reset, they look for the conditions that caused the original failure and correct those as part of the scope.
Sign 5: Persistent cloudy water, scaling, and white nodules
Not every water issue is a chemistry mistake. When you see calcification that keeps returning, even with balanced water, look for micro-leaks or curing issues that allow calcium hydroxide to leach and recalcify as scale. White nodules, which resemble tiny stalactites or chalky blisters on plaster, often point to ettringite formation or voids where water infiltrates and deposits minerals.
If you can chip a nodule and it leaves a pinhole or a small cavity, the plaster behind it may have voids or debonded areas. Tapping the walls with a rubber mallet can reveal hollow sounds. If large areas sound hollow, re-plastering is on the horizon. If isolated, targeted chipping and patching can extend life.
Aggressive acid washing attacks the symptom and shortens the remaining life of the plaster. It removes the cream layer, opens pores, and invites more scale. A measured approach combines careful cleaning, water balance correction, and when necessary, surface renewal.
Sign 6: Equipment is working harder to do the same job
Gunite shell issues often show up as equipment complaints. The pump loses prime more often. The filter pressure spikes quickly after a backwash. The heater trips on high limit, or you hear cavitation. Sometimes this is just maintenance. Other times, it points to leaks drawing air on the suction side, broken laterals dumping sand or media back to the pool, or undersized plumbing that used to get by until friction losses increased.
A good diagnostic starts with numbers. We record filter clean pressure, flow rates, and electrical draw. We check return velocities and look for microbubbles in the pump lid. We compare actual pump curves to your system layout. If a suction leak coincides with a water loss, your skimmer throats or suction lines might be compromised.
Experienced techs correct circulation issues because poor turnover masks bigger problems. Once circulation is restored, water balance steadies, and you get a clearer read on what the shell needs. EverClear pool repair service frequently pairs shell repair with equipment optimization for exactly this reason. Fixing one without the other invites repeat visits.
Sign 7: Streaking rust, especially near fittings and lights
Rust is a messenger. A small orange tear under a light niche screw or a return can be as simple as a corroded fastener, or as serious as water reaching rebar. Light niches deserve special scrutiny because they penetrate the shell and rely on gaskets that age. If you see rust around a niche, stop using the light until a pro inspects it. Water and electricity do not tolerate guesswork.
For fittings, we check that nipples and escutcheons are non-corrosive and properly sealed. For suspected rebar bleed, the fix requires opening the area, treating or replacing the steel, and patching with a compatible material. Just sanding and painting over a stain does nothing. A qualified EverClear pool repair contractor will also evaluate stray current or bonding issues that can accelerate corrosion across the entire pool system.
Sign 8: Deck movement that telegraphs into the pool
Decks settle. When they do, they pull on the marginal areas of the pool if the expansion joint has failed or was filled incorrectly. You’ll notice a trip lip where the deck meets coping, cracks that radiate from the corners, and sometimes a deck panel that tilts toward the pool and funnels runoff into the beam. Water plus movement equals shell stress.
Some decks can be slab-jacked or re-leveled. Others require partial demo and a correct rebuild with drainage and expansion joints that actually expand. A beam repair might be necessary if the bond between tile and beam has been compromised along a long run. This is not purely cosmetic. Restoring the joint and managing water away from the beam protects the gunite.
How professionals separate surface problems from structural ones
Pool owners often ask whether a given issue is “just cosmetic” or structural. It’s a fair question. We look at five factors: location, pattern, movement, moisture, and history. A single vertical crack near a return that has not grown in two seasons and doesn’t dye pull is likely a surface crack. A crack that widens at the top, crosses through tile and past the waterline, and picks up rust stains suggests beam movement or rebar involvement.
Moisture meters and infrared cameras help confirm damp zones behind plaster. Pressure tests substantiate or eliminate plumbing as a cause. If your pool has a history of winter cover failure with ice loading, that informs where we expect stress. Regional soil type matters too. Much of North Jersey sits on mixed fill with clay lenses, which swell and shrink. We factor that into both the diagnosis and the repair approach.
What an EverClear gunite pool repair actually looks like, step by step
Owners sometimes fear that calling for repair means months of chaos. A well-run project is measured in days or a couple of weeks, depending on scope, and it follows a methodical process that minimizes surprises.
- Initial assessment and testing The team documents visible defects, performs leak checks, pressure tests, dye testing, and equipment evaluation. You receive a prioritized scope: what must be fixed now, what can wait one season, and what should be budgeted for. Preparation and protection The crew drains only if necessary, secures hydrostatic relief where applicable, and protects adjacent landscaping and hardscape. If we drain a gunite pool, we do it with a plan for groundwater. In high water table areas, hydrostatic relief plugs and sump pumps are non-negotiable. Demo and substrate repair This is where the real work earns its keep. We remove delaminated plaster, expose and treat corroded steel, rebuild voids, and reset tile or coping sections. Quality control includes sounding the surface and verifying a solid bond across the repaired areas. Surface finishing and cure management For re-plaster, we apply a bonding coat, set fittings properly, and trowel the finish to spec. Startup chemistry is managed daily for the first week, then tapered as the finish hardens. Owners get a clear set of do’s and don’ts, like brushing schedules and when it is safe to heat or add salt. Final commissioning and owner briefing Equipment is dialed in, pressures and flows are recorded, and you receive before-and-after records. This is also when we schedule a 30-day check, which is important to catch any early changes.
That is the template. The specifics depend on your pool, but the discipline should feel similar across projects. If a contractor wants to jump straight to plaster without talking about leaks, beam movement, or equipment, slow the conversation down. Shell repairs that ignore cause do not last.
The economics: when repair beats replacement
Pool owners weigh budgets carefully, especially when multiple issues converge. Full resurfacing in our region can range widely based on size and finish, often from the mid four figures to low five figures. Tile and coping replacement adds more. Plumbing repairs sit on a different axis because excavation drives cost. Here is how we typically frame the decision.
If your plaster is beyond its service life and leaks originate from multiple repaired but recurring cracks, comprehensive resurfacing paired with leak remediation is usually the best value. If your plaster is mid-life and you have one or two localized issues, targeted structural repair and a partial tile reset will extend life at a lower cost. If the beam is compromised across long runs and deck movement persists, budget both beam repair and deck intervention. Doing one without the other can waste money.
Owners often ask whether they should upgrade to an aggregate finish or just replace white plaster. Aggregate costs more up front, but it buys durability and hides mottling better. For families with heavy Click for source use or salt systems, quartz or pebble blends hold up. The trade-off is texture. Some aggregates feel a bit more abrasive. Run your hand across samples and decide what you can live with daily.
What about vinyl pools?
Even if your primary interest is gunite, you may have a second property or a neighbor with vinyl. The signs and fixes differ. Liner wrinkles often trace back to groundwater intrusion or low stabilizer that led to a shock-overdose. Seam failures appear as a straight-line split. Cuts feel sharp-edged. Wall bulges can signal rust in the steel panels or, in older builds, a collapsed backfill.
EverClear vinyl pool repair services address these with liner patching, bead resets, foam underlayment repairs, and, when needed, full liner replacement measured from a precise template. If you find yourself searching for EverClear vinyl pool repair near me because the liner pulls repeatedly from the track, ask about track replacement and coping options that improve hold. Vacuum fitting for new liners and coordinated water fills help prevent wrinkles. A professional will also check groundwater and drain pathways to reduce future hydrostatic pressure that pushes liners off walls.
Maintenance habits that prevent repair calls
You cannot stop time, but you can slow down the forces that age a pool. Three habits make the biggest difference.
- Keep water balanced consistently, not sporadically Test weekly in season. Watch the saturation index, not just pH and chlorine. Keep calcium hardness in range for plaster protection. Stabilizer, especially in sunny months, avoids yo-yo chlorination that tempts overcorrection. Protect expansion joints and manage water away from the beam Inspect and replace mastic before it fails. Make sure deck drainage moves water out to the yard, not back to the pool. Clean weep screeds and don’t let soil or mulch climb above the deck edge. Fix small leaks and grout cracks early If dye pulls at a return, schedule a repair. If grout goes missing along ten feet of tile, do not wait until winter. The cheapest day to fix water intrusion is the day you see it.
These habits extend to equipment. Maintain your filter media, service pumps before bearings scream, and keep your heater free of scale. When the system runs right, you spend less on chemicals and avoid the hidden stress that shortens plaster life.
Choosing the right partner
Credentials matter, but in repair work, judgment matters more. Ask how a contractor diagnoses leaks. Ask for a written startup protocol after re-plastering. Ask what they will do if they uncover corroded steel during demo. A good EverClear pool repair service will have clear answers and will not promise the moon. They will sequence the work in a way that addresses causes before cosmetics, and they will give you options with trade-offs, not a take-it-or-leave-it package.
Local knowledge helps. Paterson and surrounding towns combine older housing stock with varied soils and a freeze-thaw pattern that punishes marginal details. A crew that has seen hundreds of North Jersey winters knows where to look first. They also know how to stage work around shoulder seasons to get you swimming again on schedule.
When to call immediately
Some problems can wait a few weeks. Others should jump to the front of the line.
- Rapid water loss with visible sinkholes, voids, or deck collapse Bulging plaster or tile delaminating in sheets Electrical anomalies around lights or bonding straps Significant rust bleed that appears suddenly and grows daily A drained or nearly drained gunite pool sitting in a high water table
If you see any of these, stop running the system and call a professional right away. The goal shifts from repair to stabilization. It is far cheaper to manage an emergency safely than to rebuild a shell that floated or a beam that failed catastrophically.
The bottom line
Pools are built environments with moving parts, living chemistry, and a hard shell that only looks inert. When that shell speaks, listen early. The cost of attention is small compared to the cost of neglect.
If you have read through these signs and recognized a few in your backyard, it is time to get eyes on the pool. A focused inspection and a disciplined repair plan will give you back a quiet, efficient, beautiful body of water that feels effortless again. That is the promise of a well-executed gunite repair: not just patching a symptom, but restoring the pool as a system so it stays right longer.
Contact Us
EverClear Pools & Spas
Address: 144-146 Rossiter Ave, Paterson, NJ 07502, United States
Phone: (973) 434-5524
Website: https://everclearpoolsnj.com/pool-installation-company-paterson-nj
If you are searching for EverClear pool repair near me, or want a seasoned EverClear pool repair contractor to assess cracks, leaks, tile failures, or rough plaster, schedule a visit. Whether you need comprehensive EverClear gunite pool repair services or straightforward EverClear vinyl pool repair, a well-timed, well-executed intervention always costs less than waiting another season.