Inground Swimming Pool Liner Replacements – Not So Bad After All
Seems like everyone dreads getting that liner replaced, “we can wait one more year”. It really isn’t that bad is it?
Over time an inground swimming pool’s vinyl liner will start to dry out, crack, rip, or shrink. While that might sound like a horrible thing to happen, it really isn’t the end of the world. Now don’t get me wrong, having a fiberglass pool that doesn’t use a vinyl liner is great but you have to pay for that upfront.
The biggest killer of vinyl liners, or any pool equipment for that matter, is unbalanced chemicals. The more your chemicals fluctuate and “bounce” the more damage you do to your liner and equipment. Vinyl liners and concrete pools constantly absorb chemicals, when they are balanced not much happens but when they bounce it starts to dry the liner out.
In addition to chemicals, the sun plays a large part on how long your liner will last. People with automatic covers see their liners last longer as they always have their covers closed, the nice part of having a cover that closes in 45 seconds. The less a sun can hit the liner the longer you will resist fading and drying out the top of your liner.
Removing and replacing a liner isn’t as hard as most people think. Pumping the pool out is usually the longest part of the process if you don’t have a large water pump. We (Penguin Pools) use a large pump that moves roughly 16,000 gallons an hour and takes us roughly 2 hours to clear out any pool. A shop-vac is usually need for the last few gallons, but even that isn’t that bad.
Once the pool is pumped, it is time to take off the liner and see what the underlayment looks like. We usually cut the liner into pieces so that it is easier to remove from the site and throw away. The vermiculite is looked over and patched where needed and given some time to dry. If you have a sand bottom a few bags of sand might be need to level the floor, but once again not a hard process.
Once the bottom is ready again, make sure to sweep it and vac everything out. You don’t want a pebble or stone on the floor before you put your liner on. A clean bottom will save you time in the long run, but if you miss something don’t worry as it can be pounded out later if need be.
Make sure you replace all your gaskets around your steps, in-wall ladder, lights, returns, main drains, skimmers and anything else you have below the water line. Using old gaskets will do one thing for you . . . give you a leak.
While Penguin Pools doesn’t believe in using foam on our walls, many do. We feel that it is a breading ground for fungi and mold, of which will eat the vinyl liner form the backside out. HOWEVER, foam is a good way to hide imperfections on old pools to make it look more level and even. If you decide to use foam on your walls, make sure that it is secured and ready to go.
When everything is cleaned and ready, install the new liner with air vacs sucking the air from behind the liner. Fill with water and you will be set.
Penguin Pools generally charges $2,800 – $3,200 for a liner replacement. While some pools need more work than others, those prices usually hold true.
Contact us for a free estimate on replacing your vinyl liner or any other service work you might have. Penguin Pools has offices in
Milwaukee, WI
LaCrosse, WI
Minneapolis, MN
