Disaster strikes …

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DogMeat

0
Mar 25, 2012
18
Just South of Atlanta, GA
First off let me say when and OLD liner starts to tear it never stops..
Cleaned the pool for winter close up as normal using my new Dolphin Premier robot.
After finishing I was on the deck looking at the nice clean pool and the wife say’s.. Why’d ya let so much water out?
My reply was I do not let any water out, only to notice that the water was Below the skimmer.
Looked in the pool to find a large tear in the liner at the shallow to deep transition. Well, diving in to patch was not on my list as the tear was 9 foot long. So I figured drain it and then patch as the water temp was 50 degrees. So as I was draining the wife said, hey call the insurance company and see what they say. I did and am waiting on reply to claim. I have 3 est. from folks all around %k to replace and do some floor work as needed.



Now as I am told it is TO COLD to install this year and to drain below tear and shore up the walls and all will be fine for a april/may install. I live in Georgia and well the weather changes all the time…
The first 2 guys to come out said I need to wait, my fear is wall collapse. The 3rd guy said he can have it installed in a few days no matter the temp. I have read up on how to do this but fears I have a on high right now. Who to believe and trust is the question.
To add pressure on me, as I was draining and blowing out my lines for the cold weather “below freezing” ahead. The wind decides to blow at about 40 mph. this fine wind then lifted up my torn liner and tor it even more, a lot more “down to the main drain:. Safe to say that NO water will be in the pool at all for at least 6 months if I hold off for warmer weather.

I have metal walls, that is great but collapse is still a huge fear and more so now.
What is your thoughts on all this?
Am I crazy about thinking wall collapse?
Should I let this guy install with temps in the 50-60 day highs and 30-20 lows?
Should I just take the chance and shore up what I can and pray for the best?
 

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I am sorry you are having such a large problem.

The danger of leaving it over the winter depend mostly on your local water table. A high water table, and lots of water moving through the ground could possibly destabilize things. A low water table with low water movement means you will be just fine. Given how far the pool has drained down already, it seems like the water table can't be very high, so your odds are good. However, it also depends on how wet things get in the spring, which I can't advise you on.

It isn't a good idea to install a liner below 70 degrees (afternoon high air temperature) and gets to be a worse idea as the temperature goes down. In the 60s an experienced installer can still manage it, but in the 40s you should not attempt it.
 
Thanks for the info! I have updated my info and my Sig.
I think the guy wanting to install is maybe in need of x-mas funs if he wants to install now with temps this low.

Question: if they were to do an install at these temps, what would be the warranty on the liner sag/wrinkle come July. Would a company normally come out and fix it?

Water table..hmm. I am in the bottom of a small valley and Georgia sets on Granite...
No real rain as yet but I fear when it does come..it comes.
My biggest fear is the walls; they are metal so a concrete footer should be in place. Just the repair cost of a collapse would lead me to a "fill in the hole" state of mind.
Thanks for the info as any and all I can get will help.
 
As a liner is being installed it needs to stretch a good bit. The colder the temperatures, the more likely that stretch will turn into cracking instead. A good installer can mitigate this by getting a perfectly measured liner and placing it correctly so the amount of stretching required is minimized. Assuming the liner lasts through the pool being filled, it should be fine after that. There is no increased risk of it failing next spring due to a winter install. The risk is essentially all during the initial fill.
 
Now, this is just my opinion - take it for what it is worth and what you pay for it.

Not sure the insurance company will cover it, but do you even want to make a claim? Like credit bureaus, insurance companies now maintain mutual databases of insurance claims that can effect not only the ability to sell the house in the future (number of claims attached to a house) but your insurance rates in the future, even in new homes you move to.

Insurance is for catastrophic events. Build an emergency fund to cover smaller problems (some say up to six months take home pay) and only make an insurance claim if the loss is huge. As long as you have the emergency fund raise your deductible up as high as they will allow you (it is different by company/state) and you will save premiums every year.
 
Tough spot to be in for sure!

I would worry about any large amount of rain messing up the bottom of the pool.

BUT I know that the liner needs sun/warmth to stretch to fit the corners and angles.

Hummmmmmmmmm lets brain storm here. What are the worries? Sides and cave in, bottom getting messed up due to rain water.

Now think through what you can do right now to stop those two things if you do not take a chance on putting in the liner.

Get a HUGE tarp or two. Hang it over the pool so the water does not get in. Use pvc poles, ropes, etc to make it happen.

Also use pvc poles for the sides?

This is just me thinking out loud. It may or may not help.

Let us know what you decide to do.

Kim
 
Covering the pool is difficult, and really doesn't help. The water you need to worry about is water coming into the pool from the ground. And even then, water in the pool isn't problem as much as water flowing through the ground and through the pool (think underground stream running through the pool).
 
It is possible to drop a liner in colder temps. You can build a temporary inclosure over the pool with a tarp and some 2x4's. Use a couple space heaters to keep it warm. I usually keep the liner in the pool with me while cleaning and doing minor repairs on the bottom. Then very carefully procede with hanging the liner and use 2 vinyl vacs. I just dropped a liner on November 28 and it was -8 out. The liner fit like a glove. This should all be done by a professional though.
 

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n240sxguy said:
Maybe you could go the redneck swimming pool route, and use a big roll of black plastic. Put it in there, and fill it up. Viola! Temporary liner.
Click to expand...
I did just that only with a huge blue tarp. I filled it with water so now I have water up to the shallow end. I have 3 cross braces of 2x6 in place to keep the walls from cave in. I will have teh liner installed in May "warm weather".
My next question is: the floor is a Vermiculite mix. WHat is the mix ratio and with what type concrete and other filler should be used?
Yes they will do some repairs " 1 hour labor included" yet I know the deep end needs some touch up and I want to do that myself.
 
Thanks for the update. Good thinking on the use of the tarp. I cant help with the ratios of vermiculite but I'm sure someone knows and will be along shortly. Good luck and keep us posted!
 
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