We have recently been asked to repair two pools built by another contractor that have serious leaks.

One pool has a raised spill over spa that water is leaking through the peblle finish and at the spill over stone and getting behind its brick veneer before it leaks out between its brick veneer and the pool tile line.

The other pool has a vanishing edge with stone on the outside of the vanishing edge that is covered with efforvescience.

Obviously neither pool was waterproofed prior to installing the pebble finishes and the stone or brick veneer.

We normally coat the interior and exterior of an exposed pool wall with Aquafin so that the pool will not leak through and create this situation.

On an existing pool with leaks such as these do you have to remove the plaster and treat them like a new pool and waterproof them or can you waterproof the existing plaster and then replaster?

Has anyone had any experience with a similar situation?

Also since most plaster does not waterproof a pool doesn't the continual water infiltration into the structure eventually destroy the structure and does that mean we should waterproof all pools prior to plastering them?