DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!!!

[Nashvillejoe]

so i am a DIY'er but i have built two homes, so i know a bit about construction- but i am a total novice at pools- would love to get some experiences eyes on this project-

the pool in the home i am currently remodeling was a mess and after getting a couple of quotes on the replacement of the liner- i decided to start educating myself, now i am glad i didn't just have the liner replaced- because there is some rust on the panels and around the skimmer- and i would like to repair the bottom- (there seems to be a mix of cement and sand- and defiantly soft spots on the hopper wall.

I was reading a post where a member was talking about rust on his walls- compared to my walls his are absolutely beautiful. i will post some pics.
[attachment=2:2jjk3hgf]panel rust 3.JPG[/attachment:2jjk3hgf]

my plan was to grind, sand and seal the walls with a Rustoleum "rusty metal primer" and clean metal primer-
i wanted to then silicone the seams between the panels before applying duct tape.[attachment=1:2jjk3hgf]panel rust 2.jpg[/attachment:2jjk3hgf]

replace the gaskets on light, skimmer etc- there was rust around the skimmer but the skimmer seems to be in good condition and i was thinking i could sand and prep around it- replace the gasket and silicone

finally i would like to put a thin coat of vermiculite over the sanded areas- the hopper walls are the places that almost seem like they did a sanded bottom or at least repaired the original with sand-

would love to get some input from people who have done this repair before

here is a link to additional photos
http://s941.photobucket.com/user/joewpa ... eplacement

thanks

 

[JasonLion]

Re: DIY'er repairing an In Ground pool and replacing liner-

Welcome to TFP!

Your plan is sound.

The key question is how much metal is flaking off and how much is still solid below the rust. If you can poke your finger through anywhere you will want another layer of metal on top of the rusted areas. If the rust is isolated to a thin surface effect and the wall is solid then your plan is perfect.

I suggest putting a thin layer of wall foam on once you are done cleaning things up. That will isolate the liner from any future rust and also improve the feel of the walls.

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an In Ground pool and replacing liner-

the metal is sound throughout- infact it looks as if the rust is actually calcified salt deposits on top of the metal- the pool is a saltwater- could this be possible??

i took a tile remover and scaled across the panels and the majority of the rust fell to the floor- i have been using a dry wall screen to smooth over the rest of the areas-

any advice on how to proceed with the repairs on the floors specifically the sanded repairs- is this something i can put a layer of vermiculite or perlite over or will the loose material/sand need to be dug out??
[attachment=0:2nwsa8q0]hopper wall sand repair.JPG[/attachment:2nwsa8q0]
[attachment=1:2nwsa8q0]hopper wall sand repair 2.JPG[/attachment:2nwsa8q0]


thanks so much for eyes on the

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an In Ground pool and replacing liner-

p.s. - foam on the walls- can you include a link to a product you would recommend- and do you also foam the floor- i noticed rust at the base of the panels where they connect to the floor- I was thinking of sealing this area with a larger bead silicone or window sealer

thoughts

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

UPDATE**

so after 2 days with a grinder- using a 40 grit diablo Steel Demon (actually about 8 of them), i now have all the sharp edges off- and while there is still the rust discoloring- everything is smooth & hard- no holes through the panels or significant indents- just a bit of smoothed edged bumps.
[attachment=0:vhenqn9r]IMG_2190.JPG[/attachment:vhenqn9r][attachment=1:vhenqn9r]IMG_2192.JPG[/attachment:vhenqn9r]

i treated it with CLR and power washed it to remove all the dust- next step is to paint it with a heavy duty Rustoleum Rusty Metal primer.

i was then going to foam the outside, and do a repair of the floor with Poolcrete- i ordered 10 bags and was going to try to do a thin evening coat across the entire bottom - thoughts??

FYI: you can buy poolcrete in 42lb premix bags from http://www.royalswimmingpools.com

After the bottom as cured for 3 days i was going to install the new liner?

i still need to pressure test the system (i am not anticipating any issues)- when is the best time to do that ?? can i wait until liner is installed or is it something i should do before the liner goes in?

 

[harleysilo]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

Don't put foam on the floor, it will increase the chance the floor gets punctured. Think of this (i read somewhere), place the foam on your table, then put a sheet of paper on it, then poke the paper with a sharp pencil. Now put the paper on the table, no foam, and try and poke a hole through it.

I have foam on my walls and i'm fine with it, I also have it on my steps too, but not the floor of the pool.

I've seen pictures before of little moon shaped holes getting in peoples liner on the wall from people pushing up on the wall to get out of the pool, hole caused by big toe nail. I haven't had any issues.

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- looking for advice!

so here are the new shots- i have finished grinding and have a thick coat of Rustoleum on it- it's actually starting to look like something

[attachment=1:2dpw0vqg]pool sealed.JPG[/attachment:2dpw0vqg]
[attachment=0:2dpw0vqg]pool sealed 2.JPG[/attachment:2dpw0vqg]

2 questions-
1. should i put a second coat on??
2. do i need the wall foam- the panels are really smooth now- so i am thinking it may not be necessary to use wall foam-

pros ? cons??


i have ordered 15 bags of poolcrete to do a skim coat and repairs on the floor- i have read a bit about not mixing sand/concrete floor with pool crete- thoughts?

thanks

 

[reindeerboy]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

I would use foam on the walls regardless to allow for a barrier between the metal and the liner. Concrete is different and no foam for the floor is necessary. I too have it on the walls and my step but not on the floor. When I put in a new liner in a few years, my floor will need to have a new coat of vermiculite put on it throughout as the owners who did this some years ago only used sand and now you can see the cracks ect in the floor through the liner. Still looks fine, but holds a bunch of dirt and is a pain in the rear.

Good luck.

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

I would use foam on the walls regardless to allow for a barrier between the metal and the liner. Concrete is different and no foam for the floor is necessary. I too have it on the walls and my step but not on the floor. When I put in a new liner in a few years, my floor will need to have a new coat of vermiculite put on it throughout as the owners who did this some years ago only used sand and now you can see the cracks ect in the floor through the liner. Still looks fine, but holds a bunch of dirt and is a pain in the rear.

Good luck.

thanks- how thick of a coat will you use- and will you dig out the cracks and soft areas and fill them with vermiculite or just level them and and put an even coat across the entire bottom??

 

[reindeerboy]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

I am not sure about the wall thickness yet. I know that once filled, the water pushes it hard against the walls. I have a buddy who owns a pool business and once I get to doing this in a few years, he can get most of the things I need at cost so he will help me with the planning part. Always good to get some professional advise on things you do not know first before you just go and do them.

As for the floor, yes, I plan to remove about an inch or two of the sand where the cracks are at. Patch them first, let them dry, and then put a nice even coat of about an inch or so across the whole bottom is my plan. Again, plan to use by friend to take a look once I remove the old liner first and get some advise.

Once you get yours done, let me know what you plan to do. Its always good to have another opinion to see how it works for you first.

What are your plans for your pool bottom? shotcrete or vermiculite? I would go with vermiculite myself so it allows some flexibility in the base of the pool. Here we have ground water so that is the main reason along with being in ND where it gets really cold. Flexibility is my thought.

My first thought is to go with a half inch thick on the walls? What have you looked at doing?

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

What are your plans for your pool bottom? shotcrete or vermiculite? I would go with vermiculite myself so it allows some flexibility in the base of the pool. Here we have ground water so that is the main reason along with being in ND where it gets really cold. Flexibility is my thought.

My first thought is to go with a half inch thick on the walls? What have you looked at doing?[/quote]

my walls are in really great shape- especially now that i spent 2 days grinding down the metal and sealing it with Rustoleum paint- i was thinking about doing an inch throughout the floor- gonna use poolcrete- found a supplier online- i think your idea of doing the patches and then a finish coat over the entire flooring surface is a solid plan- i may need some more bags

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

Finished the vermiculite resurfacing- about an 1.5" on the floors and about 1/2-3/4" on the sides- used about 15 bags although i did not do the floor of the hopper- it was actually in verygood condition-

its been 2 days since it was finished- i was going to give it a couple of more before i drop in the liner-
[attachment=0:3mesgquk]IMG_2249.JPG[/attachment:3mesgquk]

btw- one of the most backbreaking things i have ever done !

 

[harleysilo]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

When it's done I'd shop vac that puppy barefooted to make sure I got every spare crumb out of the pool....

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

got a stiff brush and was going to go over it with a stiff brush and maybe a drywall screen to smooth it out a bit- then the vacuum - any advice ??

 

[harleysilo]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

You'll notice any tiny piece of verm that gets under that liner when you slide your feet across it underwater, so just be meticulous and you should be good!

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

pool is finished and filling- 22,000 gal- and we are about 1/2 way done- i did turn the water off at night.

the vermiculite was very difficult to work with- but i really understand why people like it so much- also 3 pebbles had to be removed after the hopper was full- the pebbles were in the shallow end- and it was not at all fun- but i am glad we decided to do it. when you read about meticulously sweeping your pool- take it to heart!!!

the experience of refinishing the pool was wonderful in hindsight and for someone who had never owned a pool- i was so glad to have had a resource like TFP to read about others who had success doing theirs- very empowering.

i still have to cut in the skimmer plate and a couple of the water jets- but the light, stairs & returns are done- and i will mention that i did not use a vacuum before filling- primarily because i chose to wait on cutting the stairs in- so the vacuum would have just pulled air from the back side of the steps- the liner (tara) fit beautifully- although i looks like they cut em small so it can stretch in- and OMG i was nervous laying it out and getting the hangers on-

here is our pool 1/2 way filled with the railings on.-

i am looking forward to actually using it- thanks again for a really awesomely helpful site!!

ps...... any idea when we should start adding the salt - all 600 lb s of it??

[attachment=0:22iornrn]IMG_2386.JPG[/attachment:22iornrn][attachment=1:22iornrn]IMG_2388.JPG[/attachment:22iornrn]

 

[duraleigh]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

Very Nice work!

Have you tested your fill water?

 

[Nashvillejoe]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

Very Nice work!

Have you tested your fill water?

have not- don't really know anything other than they gave me some test strips at the pool place- water should be full tomorrow- and i have a pool guy coming on Tues to get me going- any idea when i can start putting the salt in ???

 

[MassNerd]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

Nice work! Enjoy the pool.

 

[CB]

Re: DIY'er repairing an IG pool & liner- all advice welcome!

Solar salt (blue bag water softener salt)It's roughly $10 for 80# at Home depot.Pool turned out great.Congrats.