Pool tiles coming loose in Phuket: causes, inspection and repair options

Why tiles and grout fail in Phuket pools

In a tiled pool, the first signs are usually small. Grout washes out of the joints, tiles sound hollow when tapped, and small patches start to lift. These signs can appear anywhere. The steps, the waterline and the areas around fittings such as lights and inlets are good places to check first. More than one of the causes below can be at work in the same pool.

The manufacturer of our finish material explains the general mechanics of tile failure in more detail. Here we focus on what it means for your pool and what to do next.

• Heat and sun. Tiles at the waterline and on shallow ledges heat up and cool down every day. The tile, the adhesive and the render beneath move at slightly different rates, and over time this can weaken the bond.
• Water chemistry. Water that is out of balance, or soft fill water and heavy rain that leave it low in minerals, can slowly dissolve cement-based grout. Once the joints open, water can reach the bed behind the tiles.
• Movement. Shells can settle, terraces can shift on soft or sloping ground, and the joints between the floor, the walls and the overflow edges can open and close with the seasons.
• Old bedding. In an older pool, the render and adhesive behind the tiles can break down with age. This is more likely if they were not suited to staying under warm water all year.
• Past repairs. Patches done underwater, tiles reset with the wrong adhesive and grout smeared over damp joints are prone to failing again. Sometimes they take neighbouring tiles with them.

What an inspection checks

Before we recommend a repair, we need to know how far the problem goes. From the terrace, a few loose tiles on a step and hollow areas across the whole floor can look much the same. They call for very different work.

Some of this can be seen with water in the pool. A full tap-test of the floor and walls needs the pool drained. Our pool inspection gives you a written report with photos and our recommendations in order of priority. You can use the report with any contractor.

An inspection cannot find every hidden problem at once. Some only show once the pool is drained and the work starts, especially when its history is unknown, so repairs and restarts can go in stages.

• Tap-testing across the floor, walls, steps and waterline to map hollow and loose areas
• The condition of the grout joints, including where they are missing, cracked or stained
• Whether the render behind lifted tiles is sound, crumbling or damp
• Signs that can point to a leak, such as damp ground, cracks or staining around the shell and pipework
• Coping stones, overflow edges and the joint between the pool and the terrace
• Evidence of earlier repairs, and whether replacement tiles can blend with what is already there

Your options: spot repair, regrouting or a new finish

Once we know how far the damage goes, the choice usually comes down to one of three routes.

If you are weighing up a continuous finish, the manufacturer explains why tiles come loose and how an older pool can be renovated without demolition. Both pages are linked from this guide. Whether that route suits your pool depends on the condition of the shell, which the inspection shows.

If the shell itself shows structural damage, we say so and agree the next step with you and your engineer — or, if you don't have one, with our partner engineer.

• Spot re-fixing. Where the damage is in one area, we refix the loose tiles or fit the closest matching replacements we can find. This suits a pool where most of the tilework is still firmly bonded.
• Full regrouting. Where the tiles are mostly sound but the joints have washed out, we regrout the whole pool. We offer a standard pool grout, and an epoxy grout for glass mosaic and for places where resistance to staining and wash-out matters most, such as busy hotel pools, waterlines and steps. We explain how each performs before you choose. For small mosaic, we can also discuss a sealing coat (lamination) over the whole surface to bind it into one layer, provided it can be thoroughly dried.
• Deep renovation to the shell. Where tiles keep coming off, or hollow areas are widespread, patching one area at a time is unlikely to solve the problem. We strip the pool back to the shell, removing the old tiles, render and every added layer, repair and waterproof where needed, then renew the surface on new render, either in new tiles or in a seamless PebbleCrete finish that has no grout joints to wash out.

When the pool has to be drained

We carry out all tile and grout work inside the pool with the pool drained and dry. Adhesives and grouts, even those sold for underwater use, do not bond reliably to wet, algae-coated surfaces, so repairs made that way are less likely to last.

Draining also lets us see the whole floor and the lower walls, where loose areas can be hidden. For a rental villa or a hotel, we plan the shutdown around your bookings. Draining, cleaning, refilling and starting the pool up again are organised as part of the job. We also agree with you who looks after the water from then on. The programme is agreed for each project.

In the wet season, high groundwater and daily rain make draining and drying a pool harder, and an empty shell in waterlogged ground needs care, so the timing of the shutdown is part of the plan.

Some edge work, such as replacing coping or cleaning the waterline, can be done with the water lowered rather than drained. We tell you at the inspection which applies.

Check for leaks and waterproofing problems first

Widespread tile loss can be a symptom rather than the problem itself. When tiles fall off in large patches, one possible cause is water in the bed behind them. Another is failed waterproofing beneath. If either is the case, regrouting or retiling over it only hides the cause for a while.

If the pool is also losing water, or there are damp patches in the terrace or garden, we look for the leak before planning any surface work. A new finish, whether tile or PebbleCrete, is not waterproofing. Leaks in pipes, light niches, joints or the balance tank need their own repair, and our leak repair and waterproofing service covers that work.

We work through the likely causes and test them, but some leaks cannot be pinpointed without opening part of the structure.

Working in this order usually means less disruption overall. The cause is dealt with first, and the new surface goes onto a sound base rather than over a problem that is still active.

How to decide

We give you an honest view of which route fits your pool, and why.

• A few loose tiles in one area, firm tiles elsewhere and no water loss: spot repair is usually sensible.
• Tiles firm but the joints open, dirty or washing out: full regrouting.
• Tiles lifting in several areas, or coming off again after earlier repairs: consider stripping the pool and laying a new continuous finish.
• Water loss you cannot explain, damp ground or cracks: an inspection and leak investigation come first.

What to send us for a first discussion

A few details help us understand the problem before we visit.

• Photos of the whole pool, and close-ups of the loose tiles, hollow areas or missing grout
• Your villa, hotel or resort location in Phuket or elsewhere in Thailand
• The approximate pool size, and whether the shell is concrete or fibreglass
• What you see: where the tiles are lifting, whether it happens again after repairs, and whether the water level drops
• Any earlier repairs you know about

Further reading

• Why pool tiles come loose
• Renovating an older pool without demolition