We use Indiana limestone quite often and are actually using it presently on a project.

We have some scuffs and scrapes and a few chips but we sand them and patch them

It's hard to tell the damage from the photos. I did notice however on the second photo, the once piece is extended about an 1" passed the back of the adjoining stone. Hopefully it was trimmed flush.

The steps? Why not full pieces? The pieces on each step are different sizes so the joints don't align.

They did trim that extra piece flush; I've posted a pic from today below. :)

They said the steps had to be different pieces because something about draining the water? We definitely thought that was strange.

There's no drainage issue there. I'd say they ran short on material and just pieced together what they had to wrap up the work.

We run as long a length as possible when setting material like this. We try to use long lengths to have fewer joints-looks better IMO.

The glass tie looks very nice and the patio looks nice from pic.

Thank you! The tile guys did pretty nice work on the tile, and same with the paver crew who installed the travertine last week. The coping is pitted and stained, and it seems like the pitting is ongoing...in some places, I can easily chip away at the pitting with my (very weak) fingernail.

From my research, it seems like this a condition called spalling that can result from salt or freeze-thaw damage. Our pool is chlorine, and the damage occurred after installation but before there was water in the pool, so I'm not sure it could be salt. We did have a few days of freezing this winter but that's typical for the region. This is a supposedly regional limestone that should be able to tolerate the climate. Basically, from what I can tell, it seems like spalling is sometimes a problem with limestone, but there's no way there should be damage to this extent on a brand new installation. The pool company is acting like this is just how limestone is, but they cannot be trusted *at all.* I would like to get other opinions and am open to the possibility that this is all normal.

Your pools look great! As a pool builder, would you suggest that I get quotes from stone masons to repair/replace the coping...or maybe tell me this is normal? We just really want this pool company out of our lives. We still owe a small final payment and are considering asking to have the cost of making the coping right taken out of that amount. I wish we had withheld other payments but we really wanted to try to maintain a reasonably good relationship with the company and wanted to give them no excuse to further delay work. Now, we owe them such a small amount that I'm not sure they're motivated to finish the last bit to get the payment.

This company is a neverending headache, and I'm confident that if we allow them to repair or replace the coping, it will be months more of arguing and disruption.

Below is a long rant about our experience with this pool builder; you can ignore it if you want but it's an attempt to explain why we don't really want to give them a chance to make the coping right and why we would rather just get our own contractor to handle it.

As I mentioned, it's been close to 10 months since we paid our deposit. It was about 9 months before we could get in the pool, but there was still a lot to do after that. It's a very small pool/spa, about 7500 gallons total. Since we paid our deposit, entire houses in my neighborhood have been built and occupied and resold to new occupants. A neighbor's pool was completed, start to finish, between the time we paid our deposit and had the permit application approved; our pb company apparently forgot to file the application. I had to figure out what was going on myself and bring it to their attention. Several other nearby pools have been started and completed in the intervening months. We have had an unusual amount of rain, but that doesn't seem to have caused such massive delays for other pool builders around us.

Almost every aspect of our experience with this pool builder has been terrible since we paid our deposit last August (everything was great up until then), including several permit issues, serious communication problems, straight up lying, constant turnover, weeks upon weeks of no progress, etc. They have to do many things two or more times before they get it right. The pool decking you mentioned was the third install; the first had incorrect grading and the second had incorrect materials. At least twice, subcontractors have come to look at an issue and made a recommendation which the pool builder ignored in favor of some cheaper fix...then had to redo the way the sub suggested to begin with. So much time and money wasted. Then the pool builder acts like he's doing us a giant favor by doing what was supposed to be done in the first place. It's one thing after another. We just want them out of our lives.

Thanks so much for the help you've already provided!

I would contact a mason that is familiar with pool coping. It's a little tricky to replace coping, any type, after the the tile is set. An experienced person would know this.

I'm not familiar with Leuders Limestone and it's properties. My supplier in northern NJ carries Indiana Limestone. It is a super common material for the tri-state area mostly used for stair treads on front steps into a home. It's even listed as stair treads complete with a rock face edge. We trim that part off for a clean look and use it for coping.

Two color choices are gray and buff. Buff is much lighter and usually requires a special order. The material is a soft type of stone but it is solid-no pitting or holes.

We have not had any spalling on any limestone we have set. It goes through cold northeast winters without any issues and I have not seen any damage from salt chlorine pools either.

I like it as it does not get hot in the sun like the common Bluestone used in my area. The neutral color compliments most any surrounding materials.

Our present job is being documented for a case study through the Indiana Limestone Institute of America as there is a specific method and materials to be used when setting this stone. My project will be a step by step documented process. The coping stones are set and we will be installing a wet laid limestone patio about 400 SF.

Thank you for the compliment on our pools. A lot of research and details that clients never know about, go into each of our jobs.

I'm sorry for PB problems-I've heard it many times. Not sure of the contract requirements in your state, but most require a start and completion in writing.

PB probably short on cash and robbing Peter to pay Paul. Just a hunch.

I would consider holding back final payment until there's resolution, but check your contract and obligations of both parties.

Good Luck!

Who was the builder? IM me

sorry to hear your story. Did it get resolved? I saw your pictures and wondered what caused

the discoloration and how you fixed it ?