To keep or not to keep??!!!

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gamerasian

gamerasian

0
May 31, 2015
86
edison/nj
Hello all,

We bought our first home and it has a 32' x 18' inground pool. The pool is in a bad condition( visually and to a first time pool owner). That why we need your expert advice.
We have attached some pics to give an idea of the pool. The argument here is to keep the pool or fill it in. We got some quotes for both.


Keep the pool

Quotes varying from $3300 - $5500. These don't include the price of pool cover.

$5500 includes-

Vinyl liner 20/20 mil
1/4" form wall
pressure testing
pump out pool
dispose existing liner
scarpe walls retape seams
Replace sand or vermiculite floor
install liner lock corners
new face plates gaskets and screws
block off skimmer with steel plate
forbroken pipes n repair crew chief would give actual price

Does it cover everything to fix the pool and make it swimmable or we should expect some last moment surprises?

The other ($3500 quote) is pretty much the same but not detailed like this.

Fill in the pool

We got quotes from $6500- $10000

The pictures show the foundation of the pool which is broken at one corner and is intact on the other side. We also have a Hayward pump and chlorine feeder.

What do you experts suggest, to keep it or to fill it in. Did I mention that backyard is on a slope. This pool is more than 15 years old.

Thanks in advance.
 
Well first off do you want a pool?? Or would you take one for free or very little money?

A new liner alone will run $3,000+- so in my book $2,500 isn't too bad to get it in shape. Although it does reference a price from the crew chief for repairs so there could be more cost added and in all fairness that is probably reasonable since you may run into things you could never plan on.

If it were me I would fix it. I like having a pool and find they are easy to own and maintain once you get the hang of it.

As far as real estate values go it really depends on the buyer. Someone who wants a pool will pay extra while someone who hates pools will look at it as a negative.
 
Thank you@ship of fool. It makes sense when you say we getting it for little money. But sometimes ppl say it's like a money pit. At least it's comforting that the price quoted is reasonable. I guess we need to learn more to get a hang of it.
thanks again.
 
A properly maintained pool does not tend to be a money pit, while they do cost money, you also get a benefit for your money. The money pit pools are mostly owned by people that don't maintain them properly and think the solution to everything is a trip to pool store with a water sample and a pocket full of cash for their magic in a bottle potions.
 
I'd pressure test the pipes before you even consider pulling the trigger. If you have an air compressor or are willing to purchase one (they are great for nail guns to airing up tires) and few dollars worth of PVC fittings you could check all the returns and the suction baskets to pump for little money. The big(ger) money will be in breaking up concrete and fixing leaking lines
The quote to block off one of the skimmers makes me wonder if it is cracked? or this installer doesn't think it needs 2 skimmers

The main drain(s) (which I assume it has) would require draining all the crud removing liner and cover in order to pressure test, but most likely leak scenario with them is the connection from drain to PVC and the liner is already shot so not a big deal to fix.

All the vermiculite needs to be treated with an anti-bacterial agent or replaced as it has been exposed to sunlight and algae/bugs for a while. That stuff will regrow through a new liner
 
I agree @Isaac and this pool was not taken care of at all as you can see from the pictures. There are mr. & mrs. frog with their numerous tadpoles living in there.. :uhh::uhh::uhh: guess initially its gonna drain some money and that's fine if are putting it at the right place.:D
 
Thanks @basod for the valuable information here. I am going to ask my contractor about the skimmers and vermiculite treatment/ As for the broken pipes replace/replace he has mentioned crew chief and i remember asking him how much more that could be and he said it wod not be more than $100.

This contractor is the same who did the liners for the previous homeowner 10 yrs back.

One more quick question we had, does the thickness of the form affect the liner in anyways?

Thanks
 
I went through a similar process just a couple of months ago. I was lucky to find a great local company who was happy to let me do as much of the work as I wanted on my own. Along with my wife and a few friends, we drained the water, mucked out the hopper and cleaned up all the loose vermiculite. I did as @basod suggested and built a simple adapter to test my plumbing before we proceeded and it all checked out. We ended up spending $2950 for the resurfacing of vermiculite, taping wall seams, new 28-mil liner, new gaskets and faceplates. We filled from our municipal supply for about $70. I believe timing affects cost of these rehabs too... when I called around in late-March/early-April, I got quotes for $1,000-1,500 less than the last few times I've checked in mid-season.

When budgeting, don't forget to factor in all the "accessories" that the previous owners may not have left behind for you. Poles, nets, vacuum, etc. Those little things can really add up as you're trying to get up to speed. Looks like you'll be needing a new winter-cover too, but that can wait until the fall. If you want to offload some of those old springs, I have a few damaged ones that need replacing!

Overall, we're very happy that we decided to proceed and even happier that we only made one $300 stupid visit to the pool store before finding TFP. You can see my rehab thread here or the full photo set here.

Good luck and take lots of pics!
 
gamerasian said:
Thanks @basod for the valuable information here. I am going to ask my contractor about the skimmers and vermiculite treatment/ As for the broken pipes replace/replace he has mentioned crew chief and i remember asking him how much more that could be and he said it wod not be more than $100.

This contractor is the same who did the liners for the previous homeowner 10 yrs back.

One more quick question we had, does the thickness of the form affect the liner in anyways?


Thanks
Click to expand...
A plumbing repair quote of $100 is just for a main drain repair in all likelihood (which is about 10x what it costs in glue and fittings) or a leak at the pump/filter.
I guess I should have asked if you were inclined to DIY any of the repairs or tests?

The pool may have multiple returns and definitely two suction baskets, it was designed that way to keep flows and circulation so it will be easier to keep clean.
It's really easy to pressure test the returns and the skimmers, the main drain may be fine due to the water level in the "pool" or it's failed at the current water level
Replacing a liner I'd want to bring in pros and work with them myself(it's one of the few DIY projects I wouldn't tackle myself no matter how many videos I've watched)

Thickness of the "form" - I'm guessing you mean the sidewall plates? As far as I know any mil beaded liner will fit the track, they should put new foam on the walls as well.
 

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basod said:
A plumbing repair quote of $100 is just for a main drain repair in all likelihood (which is about 10x what it costs in glue and fittings) or a leak at the pump/filter.
I guess I should have asked if you were inclined to DIY any of the repairs or tests?

The pool may have multiple returns and definitely two suction baskets, it was designed that way to keep flows and circulation so it will be easier to keep clean.
It's really easy to pressure test the returns and the skimmers, the main drain may be fine due to the water level in the "pool" or it's failed at the current water level
Replacing a liner I'd want to bring in pros and work with them myself(it's one of the few DIY projects I wouldn't tackle myself no matter how many videos I've watched)

Thickness of the "form" - I'm guessing you mean the sidewall plates? As far as I know any mil beaded liner will fit the track, they should put new foam on the walls as well.
Click to expand...


We have no knowledge to DIY for neither test nor repairs :silent: .. and we hope to learn a lot through TFP and take care of the pool ourselves.. As per the contractor the skimmer was already closed and if we need to put new one it would be extra which is fine.. but is it ok to have just one skimmer or shod we have two?

The form that I had mentioned before a form apart from the Liner.. I can see the old one floating on top of the pool. They are putting new form..(Thank god!!)
 
The skimmer issue does somewhat depend on the location, prevailing wind patterns, etc. Simply put you want a skimmer on the downwind side of the pool. Some places that are effected by coastal wind pattern will tend to get wind from one side in the mornings, and the other in the afternoon, etc.
 
Isaac-1 said:
The skimmer issue does somewhat depend on the location, prevailing wind patterns, etc. Simply put you want a skimmer on the downwind side of the pool. Some places that are effected by coastal wind pattern will tend to get wind from one side in the mornings, and the other in the afternoon, etc.
Click to expand...
Our pool is right behind our home, just about 10-12 feet far. And our backyard ends about 7feet from the pool. Not much space left for wind. We do have bigger side/front yard. I don't know how would that affect the skimmer? Can we do this that we just start with one skimmer and if there is a need fix the other.

Another thing would be to find the need for another skimmer :p

what at do you experts suggest here?
 
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