from dump to pool- journal of my pool

[dyspell]

I guess this is where i will start my posting of semi rehab of my pool...

Background
I just bought a house with a 70s fox liner pool. The house had been on the market for at least 2 years. The owner had become ill and then pasted away. She loved her pool and took good care of it -though she couldnt swim, it was basically a wading pool for her. After which her niece lived in it but didnt show as much love for the pool. then it went up for sale... the family nor the realtor kept it up... someone tried to winterize it (putting in plugs, taking apart stuff and puttin in antifreeze) they didnt however actually open the antifreeze bottle... lol... just stuck it in the skimmer... before i went to closing, i became aware of a notice from the health dept about mosquitos. the lawn man was throwing in chems (he didnt know which ones) every now and then to try to find them off...didnt work.
By the time i moved in there was a cover 1/2 on it held down by bricks and waterbags. The waterbags werent heavy enough because of the updraft that blows.
Duck came to swim in it...it was horrible.

By the summer time, you could hear thousands of frogs... i finally decided that i was going to have it cleaned and fixed...

TBC...

 

[cobra46]

Unless you can positively identify what chems the lawn guy was putting in AND determine they can be rendered safe by chlorine or other means, I would drain and refill.

Got any pics?

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

You can save it without draining. You will need chlorine, and lots of it!

Read this article, and then post back here with questions!

 

[dyspell]

it was so long ago and he doesnt remember. he thinks it was clorine.



in the meantime i called a pool company, Link Pools. The liner was coming out of the side didnt know what to do. they came out, and i partially drained it to clean out the debris in the shallow side. they brushed it and got all the mucky leaves... when they pulled the cover off it smelled just horrid like death warmed over under there. after cleaning they pulled the cover back and put liner lock back in.

on another note while the cover was drying my doggy got into it and rolled around in the dirty muck and was smelling horrible...had to immediately give her a bath.

they attached pic is one i took from my phone in jan or feb. i have mmore pics i just have to find them

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

gross!

But it will be really nice when you get it all cleaned up!

 

[cobra46]

That's good if it was only chlorine that the lawn guy put in.

I would be leary about getting in the water if he used some kind of pesticide to control the skeeters. I'm no chemist but I would bet dollars to donuts that chlorine will not render all pesticides safe.

 

[dyspell]

the owner of the house stock piled chemicals of all kinds. i dont know if she knew about them all but there were boxes, bags, bottles, and pails of stuff let in the sheds

 

[dyspell]

so i came out this morning and decided i was going to try to clean te leaves from the deep end of try swamp... that last until my back started hurting... i really need to find all the parts to this vacuum... as soon as i find my camera ill upload pics

 

[anonapersona]

Ask the lawn guy if what he used was Mosquito Dunks, doughnut shaped tabs that kill mosqutoes and only mosquitoes, safe for fish and pet water buckets and for unused swimming pools. That is safe for people in general, especially if you have drained off some water and refilled.

 

[dyspell]

ok i bought a leaf bag for my pole and it got lost at the bottom of the pool it broke off... ive attached in process pics...

 

[dyspell]

ok so i had to postpone my journey a bit i am ready to begin again. after all the work my nice pool guy did...the snow-maggedon happened, then rain storms.

the liner floated recently and then went back down. i was going to work with a friend to did his own pool, but it has been extrememly difficult to find concrete people who dont want to charge me more than a new pool to do the surround.

in the next few days im going to upload pics of the pools without cover, and my ideas....any of your ideas would be more than welcome

 

[dyspell]

here are some pics i took last night

 

[ncbrit]

Why dont you just have the liner replaced? Seems like it's in pretty bad shape anyway. Then you'll be starting fresh, and not have the mess and chemicals to worry about.

 

[ncbrit]

Maybe have the concrete sandblasted before replacing the liner. Seems like that would be a quick and easy way to get it usable.

 

[dyspell]

heres what i was going to to more than likely have the pipes tested replace the pipes, have the bottom retrowled and put in a hard bottom( poolkrete), replace liner, and surround. the concrete is uneven in places. i dont think the picutres show how cracked and such it is. remove the diving board. replace the skimmers which have broken due to the shifting cement, replace the drain and all wall fittings. and maybe a new underground dedicated cleaner line w/ thruwall fitting

bonus things i wanted to do is remove the stairs and put in those curved stairs that the liner goes over. and put in the sting lights in the coping.

what do u think?

 

[ncbrit]

Go for it. No point in worrying about the mess then. It'l all get cleaned up in the process.

 

[dyspell]

i dont know anyone who has used those under liner steps... i wonder how they hold up...and doesn the liner pull from around them

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I found this thread:

http://www.troublefreepool.com/just-signed-the-deal-today-yesssss-t8489.html

 

[dyspell]

eww... ok i read it.... anyone know of stairs that dont have to go outside the shape.

 

[dyspell]

for the coping i have decided to use federal stone here in md. i will use matching stone for the coping and patio/kitchen next to my sunroom