Resurrecting old IG pool...help!!!!!!!

[mommy4]

Hello All!
I wrote last year when I first bought this place. Now that we have the semi-permanant lid the old owner put on off, and most of the debris out, I need some serious advice!
Ok. dimensions are 16x32 vinyl lined, about 42 inches in the shallow end with a depth of 7.5 in the sloped,safety ledged deep end.
Pool has not been filled in about 5 yrs, but less than 8
Problems I beg for advice with:
This is our first pool, and with 4 little ones we are do it yourselfers

1. discovered a 3ft long tree root in deep end coming through bottom of steel wall. The tree is about 5 ft from pool and about 10 ft tall. Can we just cut root or does tree have to go??


2. Rust on sidewalls. Do we sand and paint whole shell or can we get away with spot painting rust areas??

3. Can we go with a 20 mil or should we really go with 28 mil liner??

4. there is no main drain and only one skimmer, can we get away with that??

I have been reading everything I can on this site for the past year and done a good bit of research. Any ideas will be kindly appreciated!

PS we already have the filter,pump,polaris,heater,safety cover

Link to pictures:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLan...38_26550270909
Thanks!
Heather