Questions On Replacing Coping

[NullQwerty]

Hi folks,

I have a vinyl liner with the aluminum coping surrounding my 18X36 In Ground Pool in Massachusetts. The coping does hold the vinyl liner up.

Beginning of next season I am replacing the concrete surrounding the pool with pavers and I'd also like to replace the coping with pavers as well. Some questions:

1. True or False? For me to replace my coping with pavers, I need to first replace my bullnose aluminum coping with a new cantilever coping so that the vinyl is attached to something and is held up. Like the coping you see on this page: http://www.poolwarehouse.com/swimmingpoolkitcoping.html
2. Is that the only and/or best method before me to be able to put down a stone coping on my vinyl pool?
3. Is replacing the coping a DIY job? I hear if you screw up, you can be royally screwed as you may not be able to lift the liner back up again...but I'm not sure how easy or hard it is.
4. Prices...Local pool store said $750 for the materials and $750 for the labor if I want them to do it. Sound about right?

Thanks!

 

[Brad S]

Hey from massachusetts. I just had coping and pavers done.

1. True or False? For me to replace my coping with pavers, I need to first replace my bullnose aluminum coping with a new cantilever coping so that the vinyl is attached to something and is held up. Like the coping you see on this page: http://www.poolwarehouse.com/swimmingpoolkitcoping.html

Yes, thats correct. That needs to be changed out. Pretty easy to do. That coping just screws on to the top of the pool with sheet metal screws

2. Is that the only and/or best method before me to be able to put down a stone coping on my vinyl pool?

Depends on the look you want. You can do pavers/bricks with the bullnose you already have. The pavers slide in under the bullnose coping, but they need to be mortered to the top of the pool and the joints mortered between the bricks. If you use the cantilever coping, you need to get bullnose pavers designed for coping. Unilock has nice ones.


3. Is replacing the coping a DIY job? I hear if you screw up, you can be royally screwed as you may not be able to lift the liner back up again...but I'm not sure how easy or hard it is.

DYI the change from bullnose to cantilever? Or actually do the install of the stone?
Changing the bullnose to the cantilver? Depends on how your liner is attached. sounds like its not a beaded liner so removing the coping may loosen it? Not sure. I'm sure the question can be answered by Waste. He buils pools down in CT.


4. Prices...Local pool store said $750 for the materials and $750 for the labor if I want them to do it. Sound about right?

Price for changing out the bullnose to cantilever, or actually doing the stone work?

Probably not bad for changing the metal out.
The actual stone work itself run about $20 a sq ft for pavers, depending on the amount of cuts, and ~$35 a lin. ft. for the brick coping. Basically the same price for limestone, maybe a bit higher for flagstone. If someone quotes less than $20 a foot for the pavers, be a little wary. I've seen $12-15 a foot work compared to $20-$22 per foot work. No comparison.
Where in mass are you?



Thanks!

 

[NullQwerty]

Thanks for the response!

"DYI the change from bullnose to cantilever? Or actually do the install of the stone?"

I meant just for changing the bullnose coping to the cantiliver coping.

"Changing the bullnose to the cantilver? Depends on how your liner is attached. sounds like its not a beaded liner so removing the coping may loosen it?"

Not sure myself...It looks like the liner had a clipped edging that sits on top of and clips into the aluminum coping, so that coping ultimately holds it up. This was the part I was nervous about. That I remove a section of the existing coping and the liner immeadietly begins to slip/drag down the side of the pool and it will be too heavy to lift up and attach to the new coping.

"Price for changing out the bullnose to cantilever, or actually doing the stone work?"

I meant for changing the bullnose to cantilever.

"Where in mass are you?"
I'm about 20 minutes west of Natick

Thanks again!

 

[Brad S]

Maybe a j hook liner attachment. that may need a pro.
Your close to where i live (within 15 miles). I sent you a pm. i have the names of a couple of pool guys/hardscape guys.

 

[NullQwerty]

Just had it done today! They had 2-4 guys at a time working on it and it took about 2 hours. They did a great job. Time to order the stone coping!

 

[waste]

That's great, Null

You know that we want pics! :-D

 

[NullQwerty]

Alright

Threw some before and after pics in. Top row is before, the next are all after. I tried to show the "low profile"-ness of the new coping. Of course you'll have to imagine it with stone on top though

 

[JuniperJ]

Hi - I am looking to do almost the exact same thing that you describe above and am near Natick, too. Can you recommend the hardscape and pool companies that you used?

Thanks!

 

[chuck01835]

Ditto to what juniper said...

 

[iuliant]

Hi -

I am looking to do almost the exact same thing that you describe above but all the pool companies say they need to change the liner too.I just replaced the liner less than 3 years ago so I'm not really ready to do that.
Do you think is possible to do it myself?

Thank you,

Julian

Vinyl pool 16 x32 located in Burlington,Canada]

 

[dbqfitzpool]

10 years later...we are looking to do the same thing. Can you share how your project turned out, what process you ended up doing, and any current pics and recommendations on what to and not to do? Thanks!