Empty Pool Ideas

by KIM AND FAMILY
(GREEN BAY WI)

Love your site! My round 24'x48" Cornelius pool is at least 11 years old and it was already installed when I bought my house 10 years ago. My liner finally needs to be replaced.

My boys thought that air soft guns did not have enough power to shoot thru the liner this spring when it was still pretty cold out here in Wisconsin. I ended up with about 30 holes thru the beaded liner and one huge tear, which was the end of the liner.

Well, my problem is that I have removed the beaded liner but don't know if I can afford the expense to replace the liner on a pool this year, it is probably 15 or so years old. My boys have gotten older and didn't use it as much last year-the neighbor kids used it more than my boys did.

I replaced the pump 2-3 years ago and sand filter about 3-4 years ago, walls are good too.

What do you think? I figure I can get the new liner, more dirt etc plus spend tons of money on water and chemicals or sell the filter/pump etc and metal and get rid of it then pay a ton to put in a new lawn.

Or I could keep using it as a huge sandbox for the neighborhood kids, it looks like a beautiful white beach right now and fix it next year. I actually thought of just digging a deep hole in the middle and inserting a cheap plastic kiddy pool (w/ a drain in the bottom) and it would look just like my favorite beach in upper Michigan. I could do that for the summer and

then take it down, I thought.

Any other fun cool ideas for a 24' above ground empty pool besides using it as a perfect wrestling ring for my boys. I do have a great old 2 tier wooden deck at one end that I will never be giving up-that is where I keep cool under the trees and grill out all summer.

I would appreciate any ideas you may have for the empty pool idea. I do have about 50 multi colored vintage bowling balls that create a super cool border around the pool right now. Thanks, Kim and crazy boys in green bay WI.

Hi Kim.

I would definitely keep the pool up. You could also order the new liner as soon as you could afford it. You could then install the new liner as soon as you felt you could afford the upkeep, or you could sell the pool as a complete package including a new liner still in the box. Used pools sell better when they are still up rather than a pile of parts. If you sold the pool the new buyer would come in and take it down. You would then be left with the landscaping but that could be done over a period of time, not all at once.

The only problem with keeping the pool up without water is possible wind damage. It is also possible for kids to do a lot of damage to a pool if not watched closely. If they get to rough and bang off the walls the pool will never be the same.

I don't have too many ideas for empty pools mainly because they do not last long in that condition. I would fill it back up or sell it.