Liner Pool - Big Oops

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kevinanton7

kevinanton7

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2023
49
CT
Pool Size
20100
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
New here, thank you for all of the great info.

SO... Bought a house, has a 'pool'. Entire area was a mess, needed new pool patio, coping, etc. The fiberglass steps are in rough shape too, and I had gotten some concrete chips in the pool while chipping off the coping, so I decided to refinish the steps 'while' I was at it.

Now for the oops. I pumped down the water, not realizing you really shouldn't do this on a liner pool. When I got below the shallow end, some minor wrinkles appeared, I did some research and learned online that liners don't like to be drained... Anyway, so I started refilling to get it above the shallow end, when suddenly there was a LOUD POP. The wood holding the liner track popped off the concrete wall. So I'm checking in here to confirm I am as in a problem as I think. See the photo, seems to me that the liner is shot, I have to take everything out and start over. Someone please tell me I'm off base and this can somehow be 'saved'.... Liner is of unknown age, but seemed in OK shape.
 

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Welcome to TFP.

Sorry that I do not have good news for you.

Your liner pool needs a major rebuild at this point. You need a new liner and liner track. That means your coping needs to be removed to install the liner track. And who knows what shape the pool walls will be found to be in when exposed.

In the meantime you should support the walls with some 2x4s so nothing caves in.
 
ajw22 said:
Welcome to TFP.

Sorry that I do not have good news for you.

Your liner pool needs a major rebuild at this point. You need a new liner and liner track. That means your coping needs to be removed to install the liner track. And who knows what shape the pool walls will be found to be in when exposed.

In the meantime you should support the walls with some 2x4s so nothing caves in.
Click to expand...
So the coping is already off (maybe that's why the track blew out?)

What is the process here? Do I remove the liner and the blown out 2x4 that the liner track was in, then reset a new 2x4, liner track and coping, THEN put a new liner in after all of that is done?
 
Are the walls of your pool wood? If you have wood walls I would be concerned about it caving in and rot. I would have thought the liner track would have been attached to the concrete (on top or on the side) and not the wood. Is the concrete the coping? Or was there a paver some something on top of the concrete?

Yeah a new liner is most likely in order. It might be possible to fix the liner track and reuse the liner, but there is a chance the liner will fail when filling or there will be wrinkles. Reusing the liner is a band-aid solution.
 
There was a concrete coping on top of what y
Bill1974 said:
Are the walls of your pool wood? If you have wood walls I would be concerned about it caving in and rot. I would have thought the liner track would have been attached to the concrete (on top or on the side) and not the wood. Is the concrete the coping? Or was there a paver some something on top of the concrete?

Yeah a new liner is most likely in order. It might be possible to fix the liner track and reuse the liner, but there is a chance the liner will fail when filling or there will be wrinkles. Reusing the liner is a band-aid solution.
Click to expand...
By the looks of it I have fairly substantial concrete walls. For some reason they formed in a pressure treated 2x4 along the top edge. I am doing all new coping and a patio, so I am thinking of doing a new liner track. What is everyone's recommendation? Looking for the most standard one. I was going to remove everything, remove the old pressure treated wood. Install new pressure treated wood with Tapcons and then new liner track. Thoughts?

I am having trouble locating liner track though. Any help is appreciated.20230425_185846.jpg20230425_185857.jpg
 
I would not use wood I would see if you could fill that with something that won't deteriorate over time (aluminum or stainless steel extrusion or PVC). I guess wood could be replaced everytime the liner is replaced. I don't think filling it with concrete will hold up. You could wrap the corner with a sheet of stainless with a 90 degree bend that is attached to the pool wall and the top of the concrete copping. The liner track could then be attached to it. I'm not sure which is better aluminum or PVC liner track.
 
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Bill1974 said:
I would not use wood I would see if you could fill that with something that won't deteriorate over time (aluminum or stainless steel extrusion or PVC). I guess wood could be replaced everytime the liner is replaced. I don't think filling it with concrete will hold up. You could wrap the corner with a sheet of stainless with a 90 degree bend that is attached to the pool wall and the top of the concrete copping. The liner track could then be attached to it. I'm not sure which is better aluminum or PVC liner track.
Click to expand...
I'll definitely look into a composite 2x4. It wouldn't be possible to change it with the liner, you'd have to chip off the coping to change the 2x4. Assuming the current 2x4 is original it is at LEAST 29 years old based on satellite photos so that wouldn't be a bad run anyway.

Any recommendations for tracks?
 
kevinanton7 said:
I'll definitely look into a composite 2x4. It wouldn't be possible to change it with the liner, you'd have to chip off the coping to change the 2x4. Assuming the current 2x4 is original it is at LEAST 29 years old based on satellite photos so that wouldn't be a bad run anyway.

Any recommendations for tracks?
Click to expand...
I got mine from Royal. https://www.royalswimmingpools.com/Inground-Pool-Coping.html They had the best prices and were in stock at the time.
 
kevinanton7 said:
Can I use this?

concretecountertopsolutions.com

Liner Track

The Z Poolform Liner Track is used to mount the Poolform on a vinyl liner pool as well as hold your pool liner. This product is meant as a replacement to the HZ Track or HM-1 liner tracks.
concretecountertopsolutions.com concretecountertopsolutions.com
Click to expand...
It looks like it would work, but I wouldn't use it. Being PVC I would worry about it holding up over time and the liner coming out or the track breaking.
 
I have seen liner track like that in PVC and Aluminum. It's what is typically used on a vinyl liner in ground pool that have a stone or paver coping on top of it. As for which is better to use PVC or Aluminum, i don't know. PVC can break and Aluminum can corrode (wet, touching mortar, chlorine, salt). When my liner was replaced PVC track was used (middle of covid), so I don't know if that was a factor (liner installer was pretty adamant that PVC was better). In hide sight I wish aluminum was used, but I have not had any issues in 3 years now. And if it breaks it's not the end of the world, some of the coping pavers will have to be redone.
 

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