The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s lining likely peeled away because the material was installed incorrectly, experts told
The Washington Post, which sent reporters to the site as President
Donald Trump has regularly raged about “vandalism” — including with a knife –damaging the iconic spot.
Instead of vandalism, the outlet found seven places where the lining peeled away along the seams — indicating errors in its application, according to experts who reviewed the findings.
The lining is a waterproof membrane painted onto the concrete basin,
The Post reported, noting the peeling their reporters observed was in “irregularly shaped patches” which varied from a few inches to as long as six feet.
In one place in the reflecting pool, reporters could see the concrete below the lining, the paper said.
They used satellite images and photos and videos from before and after the renovation to help identify the problems and experts who examined the material said the peeling “strongly suggested errors in the application process,” according to the outlet.
The White House slammed the report, telling
The Post, “There were no missteps during the initial repairs to the pool.”