Filling in Pool Cracks with Quickcrete

[Ó Flannagáin]

One of the things the VA is requiring to be repaired are some cracks in the pool deck. Here are some pics. For a temporary repair (we are going to cover the whole thing in that pebble stuff at some point) I was gonna fill in with quickcrete. I've never used the stuff before so a couple quick questions and any other tips/advice is appreciated as always.

1) Can I mix up just a small amount of a 50lb bag or do I need to mix the whole thing?

2) Do I HAVE to cover it while it dries? Its not like I'm making a whole stair or something out of it, its just crack filler.

Attached is a picture of the crack I'm filling, looks like there's a layer of fiber glass then a layer of the pebble stuff from the 70's.

[Evan!]

Weirdness!

1) You can mix up however much you like. Depending on how extensive it is, you may be able to get away with just getting one of those little tubs of quickcrete rather than a big bag.

2) You don't need to cover it unless rain is forecasted for ~24 hours following the pour.

[Ó Flannagáin]

That little lizard scared the shit out of me when I pulled the cracked stuff up

[Evan!]

It's not like this is the first time you've had a lizard in your crack.

[Orpheus]

It's not like this is the first time you've had a lizard in your crack.

I think you mean gerbil.

[Barley-Davidson]

Those tubs don't cover much at all, if that crack continues in either direction I'd go with the bag and mix small amounts as you go.
Don't leave the bag sitting outside, it'll rain and you'll end up with a man-made rock.

[Barley-Davidson]

Never mind, I see the bag in the pics from the other thread.

[flyangler18]

Get used to seeing lots of wildlife hanging around your pool - geckos, snakes, palmetto bugs, etc. :o

[kolonial72]

Get used to seeing lots of wildlife hanging around your pool - geckos, snakes, rednecks, etc. :o

Fixed it for ya.

[Big_John]

Go ahead and use the bagged Quickcrete and mix only what you need. Store what's left as you would malt. ie, keep it sealed up and dry. Since this is to be only a temporary repair to placate the VA just remove the loose chunks. Mix up the Quickcrete to a workable consistency and trowel it into the cracks and pockets. A more professional, permanent and aesthetically pleasing repair may require removal and replacement of much of the deck. It's difficult to make a call based only on those two pics. Much depends on how much you are willing to spend and how fussy you are about how it looks. Follow the directions on the Quickcrete bag and you should have no trouble. RDWHAHB. Jesus.

[wolf08gang]

As was pointed out in another thread, concrete doesn't fair well if it's mixed really wet. It'll just shrink and crack. Opt for drier yet workable. Runny is garbage.

Also, on small patches like what you are doing, you may fair better with vinyl patch, which is basically just quickrete with an additive that makes less brittle.

If all you can find is quickrete, don't sweat it. It'll work fine, just may not last as long.