Hello all! I am from northern Iowa where the winters are long and cold. I am building an in ground pool from a do it yourself online company. I haven't decided on a company yet but they all have about the same choices, steel walls or polymer with a vinyl liner. I like the though of steel walls because they are sturdier when assembling them and I would think they would withstand the pressure of the water freezing over winter, which brings me to my next question. How does the concrete pad around the pool not crack when the ice in the pool expands, I once heard that people would half submerge inner tubes in the middle of the pool to allow for expansion, but the pool dealers say it isn't a problem. I building flat bottom play pool 42 inches deep, the same size as the wall. I should mention that I am an experienced home builder and have years of excavation and basement experience so they project seems very doable for me.
New inground pool questions.
- Thread starter Scottman
- Start date
Welcome to the forum. I think the answer to most of your questions is that as freezing water turns to ice it is gonna expand upward (path of least resistance)-----not outward if contained. Go stick a glass of water in the freezer and check me on that!
Welcome to the forum Scottman. 
I can't speak to the strength and longevity of steel vs poly walls but I always wonder about the steel ones having corrosion issues. Whatever the case, it sounds like you'll be well prepared for the work. Good luck with your project, and I hope you enjoy the forum.
I can't speak to the strength and longevity of steel vs poly walls but I always wonder about the steel ones having corrosion issues. Whatever the case, it sounds like you'll be well prepared for the work. Good luck with your project, and I hope you enjoy the forum.
Started building over 30years ago. Took delivery of a steel panel kit as we were unloading it we found corrosion on them. Haven't built a steel pool in almost 30 years. Poly will withstand the elements just fine. As far as sturdy the poly is just as sturdy if not stronger. Had a mini excavator travel over a poly panel that was bridged on a dirtbpile that the operator didn't see and had no cracks in it.
I always wonder about this. I don't follow these during renovations, but I don't understand how steel can hold up under these circumstances. Unless it's a low carbon SS, it's going to corrode, no matter how well it's coated/passivated.
