Most Sanur villas were built with a cementitious waterproofing layer on the pool shell, and that layer degrades over time under constant sun, salt air, and two monsoon seasons a year. If your water level is dropping faster than normal evaporation or you notice damp patches on the surrounding tiles, the waterproofing has likely failed. The good news is that most repairs are straightforward if you catch them before they spread.
Types of Pool Waterproofing You Will Find in Bali Villas
The most common system in older Sanur villas (built in the 90s and 2000s) is a multi-coat cementitious membrane applied directly to the concrete shell, finished with tile or a smooth plaster skim. Newer builds sometimes use a liquid polymer or epoxy-based membrane that cures into a seamless rubber-like skin. A smaller number of pools, especially those added as afterthoughts to an existing garden, rely on a welded PVC liner set into a pre-formed basin.
Each type ages differently. Cementitious coatings crack along hairline joints and lose adhesion where the substrate was not properly primed. Liquid membranes can blister if trapped moisture expands underneath during the hot dry months. Liners develop pinholes at stress points near steps and ladders.
Signs Your Pool Is Leaking Through Failed Waterproofing
Evaporation in Sanur's heat will take roughly one centimetre off your water level per day in the dry season, so a small drop is normal. What is not normal is a steady loss of three to five centimetres or more, damp rings forming on the pool surround, or white powdery efflorescence creeping up the walls below the water line. During the rainy season (roughly November to March) it becomes harder to tell evaporation from seepage because the ground is already saturated, which is why many owners only discover a real leak once the wet season ends.
If you notice any of these, stop topping up the pool every morning and get the shell inspected before the next monsoon cycle does further damage to the surrounding garden and terrace slab.
- Water level dropping noticeably faster than 1 cm/day with the cover closed
- Damp patches or dark staining on tiles and paving around the pool edge
- White crystalline deposits (efflorescence) on the lower wall or floor
- Hairline cracks running through the plaster or tile grout lines
- Recurring cloudy water that clears after a full drain-and-refill but returns within days
Send a clear photo of the problem area on WhatsApp and you will get a straightforward quote before any work starts.
How a Waterproofing Repair Actually Goes Down
A typical repair starts with draining the pool completely. The technician then pressure-washes the shell, chips away any loose or delaminated coating, and grinds down high spots so the new layer bonds evenly. Hairline cracks are routed into a shallow V-groove and filled with a flexible crack-sealant before the main coat goes on. Depending on the system, two to three coats of cementitious or polymer membrane are applied at right angles to each other, with a minimum cure time between coats.
Once the final coat has cured — usually 48 to 72 hours in dry weather, longer if humidity is above 80 % — the pool is refilled slowly over 12–18 hours to let the membrane settle without hydrostatic shock. You will be asked not to run the pump for the first day so the fresh surface is not disturbed by backwash cycles.
Safety note: if you smell gas near the pool equipment area, see exposed wiring in the wet zone, or have been mixing chlorine with another chemical, stop work immediately, ventilate the space, and call a licensed professional before touching anything.
Timelines: What to Expect From Start to Swim
A localised patch repair (one or two cracked tiles, a small seepage point) can often be done within one working day plus 48 hours of curing, so you are back to normal use in about three days. A full re-coat of all four walls and the floor typically takes five to seven calendar days when you factor in surface preparation, multiple coats, and cure time between each. If the technician finds a structural crack that needs epoxy injection or a section of shell that must be rebuilt, add several more days.
During the rainy season, schedule extra buffer. A coat applied while humidity spikes above 85 % may need an additional 12–24 hours before the next layer goes on, which can stretch a standard job by a day or two.
Pricing: What Drives the Cost
There is no fixed rate for pool waterproofing because every villa is different. The cost depends on the size of the pool, how much old coating has to be removed, whether the substrate is sound concrete or crumbling mortar, access difficulties (a pool tucked under a pergola with limited headroom costs more in labour than an open courtyard pool), and the type of membrane specified.
The practical way to get a number is simple: take two or three clear photos of the problem area — close-up of the crack or damp patch plus one wide shot showing the whole pool — send them on WhatsApp, and the technician will give you a quote based on what they see. No obligation, no site visit needed just to hear a ballpark figure.
Questions
Can I just keep adding chlorine if my water keeps turning cloudy?
No. Cloudiness that returns within days of a full drain-and-refill usually means mineral-rich groundwater is seeping through a failed seal and diluting your chemistry. Chlorinates will mask it temporarily but will not stop the inflow. Get the shell inspected before the next rainy season makes the seepage worse.
Do I need to empty the entire pool for a small crack repair?
For a hairline crack below the water line, a flexible underwater epoxy can sometimes be applied with the pool partially drained (just enough to expose the crack). For anything larger than a few centimetres, or any delamination where coating is lifting off the concrete, a full drain is safer because you need to see the true extent of the damage and ensure the new coat bonds to clean substrate.
Will the repair hold up against Sanur's salt air and two monsoons a year?
A properly prepared surface with a quality cementitious or polymer membrane, applied in dry conditions and allowed its full cure time, should last many years even in coastal humidity. The most common failure mode is not the coating itself but poor preparation — applying over damp concrete, skipping the primer, or rushing the cure during a humid week. That is why the technician will check weather windows before scheduling your job.
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