It's nearly time to close our In-Ground, amorphously shaped pool. Last year, which was our first year with this newly renovated pool, we hired a pool company to pull an enormous cover over it. They did all the proper things, like drained off water, put anti-freeze in the lines, used water bags to weight the edges, and installed a pump to remove surface water.
The problem was with the course, flagstone coping on the pool edge. It quickly shredded the cover in several places. With the first snow, the center of the cover was in the water, and the pump began draining the pool. By the time I figured out what was happening, we'd lost another foot or so of water, and leaves were making their way to the remaining water. Needless to say, it was all a big mess.
A permanent cover isn't an option; the concrete deck is too old to hold anchors. My idea is to use another large standard cover with water bags, but I want to somehow float the cover above the waterline with inflatable balls or something. (Are there inflatable covers?) I'm unable to find such a thing. I've thought of floating tractor tire inner tubes and then stretching an ordinary cover over them, but wonder how the tire tubes would hold up in the chlorinated water, or if they'd leach chemicals that would damage the plaster. (The idea is to keep the cover from rubbing agains the inside of the pool coping.
Has anyone solved for this issue of a pool cover tearing along the coping? Has anyone floated anything under a cover to keep the cover above the water line and thereby above the edge of the pool coping?
I'm including a photo of the pool for context.
PS: This is an average fall day. We've dealt with the algae and now have a great Polaris that keeps 95 percent of the leaves off the bottom of the pool. Thanks in advance for any thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.
The problem was with the course, flagstone coping on the pool edge. It quickly shredded the cover in several places. With the first snow, the center of the cover was in the water, and the pump began draining the pool. By the time I figured out what was happening, we'd lost another foot or so of water, and leaves were making their way to the remaining water. Needless to say, it was all a big mess.
A permanent cover isn't an option; the concrete deck is too old to hold anchors. My idea is to use another large standard cover with water bags, but I want to somehow float the cover above the waterline with inflatable balls or something. (Are there inflatable covers?) I'm unable to find such a thing. I've thought of floating tractor tire inner tubes and then stretching an ordinary cover over them, but wonder how the tire tubes would hold up in the chlorinated water, or if they'd leach chemicals that would damage the plaster. (The idea is to keep the cover from rubbing agains the inside of the pool coping.
Has anyone solved for this issue of a pool cover tearing along the coping? Has anyone floated anything under a cover to keep the cover above the water line and thereby above the edge of the pool coping?
I'm including a photo of the pool for context.
PS: This is an average fall day. We've dealt with the algae and now have a great Polaris that keeps 95 percent of the leaves off the bottom of the pool. Thanks in advance for any thoughts, ideas, and suggestions.
