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Thread: Replacing deck & coping on a vinyl liner pool

  1. #1
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    Default Replacing deck & coping on a vinyl liner pool

    I've got an 18x36 oval vinyl liner inground pool that needs a new deck. The current concrete one is old, cracked, and was very poorly patched by the previous owners. It also has the old white plastic/PVC/whatever coping, which is cracked pretty much all the way around. We replaced the liner when we moved in almost 2 years ago, because the old one was badly torn, leaving the pool nonfunctional, and the bank wouldn't give us the loan with the pool in that state.

    We've been dealing with it as it is because it's still functional and we just didn't have the money to tear up and replace the whole thing. Recently, however, I've been matched up with a landscaping company that's interested in doing a little trading of services with me (I've got some very marketable skills, just not in this area). I asked about the pool deck, and the owner seemed a little hesitant - he said they had installed several flagstone patios, but never anything around a pool.

    What exactly would be involved in the replacement of this deck? Obviously we'd need to tear up the old deck and put stone down in its place, but what about coping? I know there's a track that the liner snaps into - would that stay in place, or would it have to come out with the concrete deck? If it comes out, what would we need to do to replace it? Or is working around a pool so different than a patio that I need to just forget it, at least with a company with no pool experience? I'm sure the contractor is doing a lot of this type of research right now, too, but I like to be educated enough about what I'm doing to make the right decisons.

    Also, on a side note, would standard in-ground pool ladders work in mortared flagstone (maybe with some anchoring cement?), or would it be too weak? I don't want them coming out if 2-3 kids decide to be stupid and all try to climb out at once.

    Sorry for so many questions, and thanks in advance for your answers. I know this may not be as simple as just calling the local pool company and paying them $8-10k to do it, but if I can save that kind of money (which I don't have anyway), it's worth it.

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    Default Re: Replacing deck & coping on a vinyl liner pool

    Welcome to the forum!

    This won't be a quick process for a first time DIYer.

    First you've got to remove the old deck. You have to be careful around the pool so you don't destroy the coping or drop large sharp chunks of concrete into the pool! You'll also want to minimize the amount of dust and small bits of crete that enter the pool.

    I'll assume you don't want to pour any concrete for the deck, so you'll need to procure enough flat (not concrete receiving coping) to go around the pool and ~ 1/4 of that will need to be the notched/ bendable style to go around the end radii, but then you need to properly cantilever the deck (if you have or will be getting a safety cover, you need at least 3' of concrete decking around the pool!)

    The anchors for the ladder/ handrails need to be encased in concrete (a 2 X2' X 4" pad should be enough) and bonded to the pool. You can make them a sub-slab and paver over them or just have exposed sections of concrete at the ladder/ handrails.

    One of the hardest things is going to be making sure that you get the correct receiver for your liner (there are 3 different types and I can't think of any way for you to know which one will take your liner - unless you have the papers from when you replaced the liner 2 years ago).

    To replace the coping:

    Once the existing deck is out, you'd pull the liner out of the receiver, take out the old coping and install the new coping, section by section, putting the liner back in to the new section before proceeding to the replacement of the next. (there are a couple tricks that can make this easier 1) lower the pool water 2) use duct tape to keep the liner from sagging into the pool)

    The purpose of this is to give you some idea of the work involved - if you go to do this, PLEASE ask us for guidance before doing any part of it!
    Luv & Luk, Ted

    Having done construction and service for 4 pool companies in 4 states starting in 1988, what I know about pools could fill a couple of books - what I don't know could fill libraries

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Replacing deck & coping on a vinyl liner pool

    Dragging this really old post out of the dusty archives....

    So, I'm facing an identical situation, with the exception that a couple years ago I hired a slab jacking company to come in and level several of the sections also. That actually was about 80% successful. It being old concrete the act of drilling holes actually caused a couple more cracks, and the drill holes are permanently a different color where they were patched. Also 2 of the sections had drifted a half inch or so out of position and there wasn't much the jacker could do for those. But the slabs are mostly leveled and for $2300 it was a decent stop-gap move to prevent stubbed toes if nothing else till a new deck could be installed.

    Which brings me to this point in time and pulling out this old post. Was there any resolution? I wouldn't dare attempt this on my own but I'd like to hear what others have done under similar conditions. We're getting ready for a major make-over and want to consider our options. I'd throw in that I'm also considering some of the wood decks I see built around pools as maybe a possible option? As in, right over the concrete.

    Thanks.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Replacing deck & coping on a vinyl liner pool

    Congratulations, I somehow got an email notification that you had posted in this thread.

    We ended up tearing out all the concrete & coping, and replacing it with stamped, stained concrete. We were able to do this by using what's called a liner track - it's a piece that screws directly into the pool wall, and holds the liner in place. A couple links I found about it from a quick google (I'm sure you can find more, if you want):
    http://www.legendaryescapes.com/reso...r-vinyl-pools/ (about halfway down)
    http://poolsbycardinal.net/sidemount-mps-track-smt.php
    http://www.michpool.com/coping-liner-track/ (the VM models)

    We're extremely happy with the way it looks, and if we had to do it again, we'd go the same route (note: free flagstone was no longer an option by the time we started this). I do feel much better about a solid deck, though, and not having to worry about stones coming loose, pulling up, etc.

    So yeah, with the liner track, anything is possible. The pool company installed it, the ladder & diving board mounts (including the ground wires to the pool), and the skimmer. The concrete guys did the rest (or at this point, you could do stone, etc., following waste's information above). When it was all done, we just attached the ladders and diving board, and we were good to go.

    Again, I'm not an expert - this is just what worked for us. If somebody who knows more tells you differently, take their word over mine.

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    Default Re: Replacing deck & coping on a vinyl liner pool

    Thank you for coming back into this thread with the update! That is what makes this forum work; people sharing ideas of what has and hasn't worked for them.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Replacing deck & coping on a vinyl liner pool

    Heh, yeah, about that email notification thing. I never got one from your update. Just happened to stop in and saw this.
    Thanks very much for the reply, this offers much hope for our situation and I'll be looking into your links.

    Thanks again Sam!

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