DIY Cinderblock Pool with vinyl liner questions

[poolnewbie112]

Hi,

I'm looking to build a 30x15 pool using cinder block and vinyl liner method. I've previously built a simple 10x10x1 pond with liner and concrete blocks without any plumbing.

My main motivation is to save $$$ as a inground vinyl kit is $6000 vs $1500 for the cinderblock method.

Few questions:

1. How do I cut holes in the vinyl liner to install all the plumping without having it to leak? I understand the steel wall vinyl system has pre-cut hole. You then install gasket. How do I do this with cinder block?
2. How do I do the coping to secure the liner to the concrete block? Any tricks?
3. What is the difference between inground liner and aboveground liner? What does in-ground liner costs so much more than above-ground? Can I use above-ground liner inground?

 

[SBall]

The gaskets go on the fittings. A hole is a hole is a hole, no matter if it is through steel or concrete or wood. If I had to guess, the best way to secure the coping track would be to make sure you have a smooth finish on the top row of blocks. I assume you will fill the blocks with either concrete or gravel. If you go with gravel, just leave the top couple inches free, then come back and fill the entire top layer with concrete. Then just tap and drill the track into the block/concrete surface. Do not skimp out on the liner just to save a few bucks...buy an inground liner.

 

[Newdude]

Pretty sure the ABG liners are cheaper because overall there is a lot less liner. It’s probably more proportional to gallons than ABG or IG. The 33ft round 54 inch deep people probably pay as much as a comparable smaller IG pool. At first glance a 24 ft ABG liner looks cheap. But my 35k IG needs a lot more liner. Not only perimeter width but depth as well.

When we built my pool I originally got a quote for an 18X36. I asked about going to 20X40 and the liner was the same price for both pools. I only had to pay the difference in concrete between the two. So I’m assuming the liners (or at least the IG ones) get made from a 20ft spool and anything smaller gets trimmed off as scrap but you still have to pay for the whole sheet. I had a similar thing with a carpet install in an odd shaped room. I had to pay for the full square even though there were cutouts making it smaller in parts. Those scraps weren’t useful to me, but they factory still had to make them so I paid for it.