pool repair and diagnosis

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and look forward to participating.

I'm a newbie to pool repair so if you need more information or photos let me know.

I was planning to do a liner replacement for a friend of mine and I began researching pool liner replacements. In the meantime I asked for pictures of the current condition of the pool since I have not yet seen it in person.

It's an 18' round, 48" tall above ground with an overlap liner.

Apparently the pool was drained last summer but the owner failed to leave much water in it (maybe 30 gallons remained in the center). The pool sat in that condition all winter long. In the meantime the liner pulled away from about 40-50% of the wall and it appears part of the wall is crinkled though I have not yet seen it up close to verify the extent.

I did notice in the pictures that the ground beneath the liner was probasbly not properly prepped when the pool was installed 6 years ago by the previous owner. There is no cove and quite a few good sized pebbles are visible.

I'm clueless where to begin, and how to determine what I will need.

I planned to buy a liner, some coping, level the ground and add a cove (using sand) and install the liner, but someone said I have to be careful that I don't add a liner to a pool if I'm uncertain about the condition of the walls....especially given the crinkling.

Any advice about where to begin assessing what needs to be done? Does crinkling on the wall necessarily mean that the pool structure is now unsafe?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,

Joe Martins
Langdon, NH

Hi, Joe,

Welcome to the forum. I'm not an above ground expert but we've got some on here that are. In the meantime, you might look at some posts in the construction part of the forum for some tips.

The smart folks will be along soon.....welcome. :)

If a customer of mine has a decent sized crease in their wall I won't put in a new liner until they agree to replace the wall as well.

Brad

thank you both for your replies.

I assume crinkles - if they're severe enough - can cause a premature failure of the liner. Is that correct?

Can the crinkles - if they're "minor", affect the structural integrity of the wall itself? I definitely don't want the wall to collapse...if that's even possible.

Is there a visual test to determine if crinkling is severe enough to warrant a replacement wall? I could take some photos and post them tomorrow.