Brand New Pool Damage

by Tom
(South New Berlin New York)

I have a 24ft by 52 round pool. The bottom of the wall buckled and came out of the bottom track in about three places. There are also places where the bottom part of wall looks like it is dented in along the bottom of the track in places. The liner is ruined with several tears.

This pool is only nine months old. The company where I bought the pool says this is all ice damage and the warranty will not cover it.

The skimmer area is also buckled. The company says it is fixable for a price out of my pocket. Another pool company says I need a whole new pool.

Is my pool fixable and if so has the strength of the walls been compromised because of this damage? Is this going to happen again this coming winter? Like I said, this pool is only 9 months old.

Please help me, I don't know what to do, I have invested a lot of money in this pool and it only lasted 9 months. Thanks for any help you can give me. What would have caused these problems on a brand new pool?

Hi Tom.

Let's see if I can answer your questions. The best method I know of winterizing your pool is to use a skimmer opening block and to keep as much water as possible in your pool all winter.

Skimmer Guard

When water gets into the skimmer and freezes it becomes solid with the ice in the pool. As the water goes down, even just a little, the skimmer area is forced down causing the wall to buckle. The trick is to keep the water out of the skimmer. The pump and filter should also be disconnected and taken indoors for the winter.

The damage near the bottom of the wall is from the ground freezing and raising. When the bottom track raises it causes the wall to buckle. When the pool is empty this bulge can easily be hammered out with a mallet on one side and a piece of lumber on the other.

I have heard of this damage coming back once the pool is filled. So has the wall been compromised, probably so. Depending on the extent of the bulge you could always insert a length of 24" flat stock metal into the bottom rail, inside the wall. This could be done all the way around the pool. Cover the top edge with duct tape and you will have reinforced the wall. This should also help with future cold winters.

As for the warranty, read the fine print, and maybe complain like heck. It is freeze damage, but then again, it is a brand new pool.

The pages below may help with wall repairs and liner changing.

Pool Wall Repair

Overlap Liners

Vinyl Liner Overhang

Above Ground Pool Liner Installation