Vinyl Remodel Help Needed

[WishIHadAPoolBoy]

Help! Our inground vinyl pool with white steps and white aluminum bullnose coping is showing it's age (20 years) and is in need of a remodel. Hope to achieve a more "natural" and high-end look. I'd like to replace steps with gray or better yet, vinyl over steps and get rid (or cover up) aluminum coping. Have had 3 or 4 pool companies out to look at it and all I hear is "you don't want to do that..." , "too much trouble and too expensive to tear out steps", "shouldn't remove coping... asking for trouble." So, I'm looking for options. All the "remodel coping" pavers I see that would cover up the existing aluminum coping are made for a straight-edged existing coping. Can I use those remodel coping pavers, cemented in, over the rounded bullnose without an issue? Also, the very top edge of our steps extends above the surrounding deck (it's not the level, cantilevered steps). Does anyone know of ideas to cover that top edge with paver coping? I'd at least like to have paver coping around the entire pool if I cannot replace the steps. Lastly, the liner is slipping out of the track in spots. Considering the age of the pool, will a new liner likely fix that or could I have a track failure? And if the track is failing, wouldn't I need to cut up concrete to install new liner track? Just cannot find anyone with solutions... too many "it can't be done"s. Thank you for any and all help and/or suggestions. Blessings.

 

[kimkats]

Well from the pictures it looks fine LOL

Can you take a picture of where the liner is coming out so we can see what the track looks like?

Kim

 

[Nectarologist]

Hi. I have a similar pool and I don't think it would be that much different to do for a remodel what I did initially. You can see from my photos that there is a concrete collar poured around the edge of the pool (right under the coping). The coping is mortared to that and the top of the pool. Hire an experienced paver company who does lots of pool work, they can do this. I used Tech Bloc Portifino for my coping but whatever style you want can be put on. I'd ask a paver company about laying the them over the decking, though would know for sure.

My thoughts on how it would go would be: Cut the decking at the point of the width of the new coping. Remove the old coping and concrete. Remove plastic steps & liner. Install steel steps. Pour concrete collar and install coping (pavers if you want). Install new liner.

Pool guys are just that, not stone or paver experts. If you have the two pros work together it should be no problem. Yes a lot of labor but can be done for sure. My .02 I'd skip the companies who said it can't be done. Start with the paver company and they can recommend pool companies they've worked with before to do the stair & liner. Note that you won't have that lip form the stairs anymore.

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[smforte]

I have virtually the same pool and want to do the same one day.....mayb when I hit the lottery? Will follow your thread with interest.

 

[swimcmp]

Belgard is a company that makes thin pavers for overlaying existing concrete. They are maybe an 1 1/8" thick and are bedded on sand on your existing deck. Most likely your aluminum receiver is just fine. Most older liners will start coming out of the track as they age. Anything can be done, it is just at what price.

 

[keithw]

The time to replace your coping and your steps would be when you have to replace the liner. You can install many different types of track systems and some are designed to be a flush mount with a brick coping. Just Google "inground liner track" and you will find a number of companies who make them. You'd rip the old track and coping out, install the new track and bricks, install new steps and get the new liner fitted for the new type of track. That being said, if the liner is in good shape I would hold off on doing anything until it needed to be done. If you are looking for a quick and easy improvement, remove the coping sections and spray paint them a desired color. An earth tone would look good IMO. Then drain the pool to just below the steps and paint them. They make a one part epoxy paint for boats that works great on pool steps. Have done it myself. Fill er back up and you have a new looking pool. You can even pressure wash the cement deck and use cement paint to paint it the same color as the coping and it would blend it right in.