To renovate or fill

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dmoss

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Mar 17, 2015
4
Gainesville, FL
I recently bought a short sale in Florida. We bought the house and it has a pool (we didn't buy the house because of the pool). It is "Charlie Brown" style pool (16'x36') which was built in the 60-70's and has been previously painted quite a few times. There's a vertical crack in the shallow end that seems to hold water at the bottom of the tile line. The main drain and original skimmer have been cemented off. The pool has not been circulating the past few months because of the crack and I have the intention of renovating it anyway. There is one return and when the pool is operational, the return circulates very well and it can be clear with the lone return and lone skimmer. The deck has settling issues and I would replace with pavers.

I would like opinions on if it is worth renovating the pool due to the age of the pool and its current condition or fill it in and save myself the headache. Various pool companies have told me different things on how to approach it. The pump and filter are in good shape.

Thanks for any advice y'all can give.
 
You really need to post up some photos.

I'd contact a realtor and see what they have to say. Like a kitchen, bath, basement ... remodel, it would be nice to get their input on cost vs return if you're going to be there a short time. Depending on the area a pool could be a big selling point or a barrier. A realtor would have a better grip on it. This is my first home with a pool and I know when I move south I'm going to be looking for one.

If you're planning on being there a while and you like swimming there are always different ways and costs to get from where you are to something between functional and perfect. If you keep it then you can always do different projects spread out over time so you're not looking at a huge $$$ remodel.
 
We've seen worse! It all comes down to money and how much you're willing to invest in the pool to bring it back to a sparkling oasis and use it or fill it in.

Personally, I'd invest in it IF it were mine.
 
I would rather have another skimmer than a side wall drain. Although, one skimmer and one return will do the trick. I like that old pool a lot and great setting too! Save the old girl, she will look great with some new plaster and a new deck.
 
From looking at the photos I'd power wash the decking and SLAM the pool to get the water clean and then decide where to go with it. That would be more of an elbow grease and bleach investment trying to see what you have. I think once the area is swept, cleaned and the water is inviting you'll see a value in keeping it a pool vs filling it in and planting grass.
Future project would be to build something to protect the equipment or even a small shed for the equipment, chemicals, tools ...
 
You came to the wrong place to find people who would want to bury a pool. :lol:

Welcome to the forum and by all means, look around. We have indeed seen worse that turned into beautiful pools.

If it's feasible for you, I suggest a renovation. I would look into opening up the main drain if it were my project. More do-able than you might think.
 

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Just keep in mind, if you decide to fill, that is something that must be disclosed on FL real estate forms. This may affect potential buyers down the road, as a filled in pool could raise questions/concerns.

Where I live in south Florida, once you get to a certain level of house, it is practically impossible to find one that doesn't have a pool in the backyard. You should see the google maps satellite view of my neighborhood - 17 of the 18 houses on my block have a pool, and that ratio looks pretty constant across the entire development.
 
After speaking with my realtor I think I'm going to save it. Hopefully it is a smart decision. I think I'm going to go with a company that uses StoneScapes and do the tile, coping, and pavers myself (I get bored and like challenges). To get the paint off, I've been told sandblasting is the best bet but have also heard of torching it. By removing the paint myself, it'll save me $1500. For the pavers, should I remove the settled concrete or level and place them on top? I prefer pavers over pouring new slabs due to the possibility of future settling.
 
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