Buckling walls and tight liner

[Mellyvb3]

Hello! We had been given a 27’ x 54” deep AGP from my cousin. Set up was tedious but went well but now I’m having panic attacks!

I am attaching pictures of our wall. The first pic is how the wall looked without water (and even with the first 5-10” in). The next pics are all what I woke up to this morning!

- there is almost 20” of water in pool
- we are filling with hose
- beaded/Jhook liner
- 3” of sand and then layer of styrofoam
- liner is flat along bottom but air still between liner and steel wall
- had shop vac sucking air as we filled pool during day…although liner never seems to “suck” to the walls as others have mentioned

I have scoured this site and the internet for advice and this is what I have found:

1. Posts/lower rails in affected areas may need to be dug lower - not sure about this because the patio stones for posts were levelled with a transit and current water level measures equally all the way around
2. Cove may need to be added - although previous owners did not have any and so we did not put any down
3. Liner needs to stretch in hot sun. So we may have messed up by letting the hose run overnight, when things cooled. When we first put in the liner and started to fill, it was 32 degrees Celsius (I’m in Ontario, Canada)…so like 89 Fahrenheit. It was hot on my feet and like butter. The walls had a slight pull/buckle from the posts but nothing major. We got maybe 10” in during the day. The next 10” were overnight - probably at 20 Celsius and this morning…well you can see in the pics. If the problem was the weather/temperature, do I backtrack and drain half the water before adding more on a hot day? Or do I continue adding from now on the next hot day?

 

[Mdragger88]

Are u saying you didn’t do a sand cove either? Not sure how much that may have contributed to what occurred but it is important for pool integrity as the liner will want to form a cove on its own thus leaving u with unsupported liner & possibility of puncture.
If all posts & uprights are level(all ways) i have a feeling it was just the contraction of the liner overnight that caused the buckling. If it were my pool I would drain & add a cove now (quickly) then fill only while the sun is on the pool . Lets get some more eyes on it …
@zea3
@Casey
@kellyfair

 

[Mellyvb3]

Thanks for the quick reply!

We did enough of a sand cove to cover the bottom track and go up the wall, only about an inch. Plus a layer of 2” foam on entire sand surface.

I’ve already begun to empty as all solutions will probably require this. Was going to leave the bottom 6 or so inches of water if the solution is to wait for a hotter day. But if I need to put in a styrofoam cove, I will obviously have to drain all the water out.

 

[Mdragger88]

Has the buckling subsided with less water in the pool? Are you able to source a foam cove locally? You haven’t cut in the skimmer yet have u?

 

[zea3]

I have a couple of questions: Is this a steel wall or resin wall pool? Did you use a new liner or the old one? Also remove the dirt from around the bottom rail. You want to be able to make sure the wall doesn't pop out of the track while the pool is filling. You do need a cove to prevent the liner from being pinched between the wall and floor.

When you start adding water again, make sure you start on a hot day if possible, and fill more slowly if you notice buckling again. The liner needs time to stretch.

 

[Mellyvb3]

Hi! It’s a steel wall. Used the old liner that is original to the pool. We removed all the stone chips and dirt from the bottom of the pool where we have filled in. So far, the steel wall is still in the track. Definitely draining and putting in a cove. Off today to try and source styrofoam ones. If not, will build up a sand one!

 

[zea3]

You would be better off getting a new liner. It is very difficult to get the cut openings for the skimmer and return to line up correctly and seal leak free. How long was the liner empty before the pool was taken down?

 

[Mellyvb3]

I get what you are saying. However, the appeal of a “free” pool was that the liner that came with it is the liner that would be used. Lol.

The skimmer opening are lined up and bolted together and seem okay so far. There is no buckling or issues with the wall/liner where the skimmer is (so far!).

The liner sat empty for two days before the pool was dismantled. Over the course of a week, it was washed and laid in the sun to dry, folded up, and transported an hour to our house. It has been folded in our garage for 8 months. It was unfolded, washed, and laid out in the sun for a day then immediately put up in the pool. All said and done, the liner is in really good condition!

 

[Mellyvb3]

Has the buckling subsided with less water in the pool? Are you able to source a foam cove locally? You haven’t cut in the skimmer yet have u?

I’m just about to hook up the pump to drain out the water. Will keep you posted if the wall goes back to form - here’s hoping! The skimmer has already been cut as it is the liner that came with the 2nd hand pool.

 

[zea3]

The liner probably shrunk. They are not made to sit dry once they have been previously installed. I wish you luck with it, but be prepared to buy a new liner. This liner will not have as much elasticity as a new liner. Fill it slowly, watch for tears, especially around the skimmer and return area, and give it time to stretch.

 

[Mellyvb3]

The liner probably shrunk. They are not made to sit dry once they have been previously installed. I wish you luck with it, but be prepared to buy a new liner. This liner will not have as much elasticity as a new liner. Fill it slowly, watch for tears, especially around the skimmer and return area, and give it time to stretch.

Thanks for this - I didn’t know that liners shrink permanently. Thought they would “re-expand” with heat and moisture. Might have to re-evaluate this whole thing…

 

[Mellyvb3]

UPDATE: am driving 3 hours to get the last liner available in my part of the province for our size of pool. Got styrofoam coving too. Feeling a LOT better. Thanks everyone!

 

[Mdragger88]

UPDATE: am driving 3 hours to get the last liner available in my part of the province for our size of pool. Got styrofoam coving too. Feeling a LOT better. Thanks everyone!

Glad to hear.
Things should go much smoother with a new liner & the cove. Still you need to only fill while the sun is shining on the pool. Also wait until the water is up & streched well to cut in the return & skimmer.