One side bowing on oval pool.

[coopgraphic]

I have an oval pool with a deck built on one side of the pool. The other side is bowing out a little bit causing the framing to be noticeable on the pool floor. I'm guessing this needs to be addressed and if so, how? Should I brace that side of the pool or completely drain the pool and try moving the bottom of that wall out a touch? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't have a good picture showing the amount its bowing out but I've attached a photo that shows how the framing is showing on the floor. The lights make it look worse that it really is but its definitely there.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

 

[cj133]

How long has the pool been installed?

The part that confuses me is there should be a good amount of sand on top of those plates under the liner so why are they showing like that even if pulled up.


The only thing I can see doing is draining it, pulling the liner and fixing it properly. Those plates need to be lowered and the outside of the supports needs to be properly supported.

 

[coopgraphic]

The pool was installed a year ago. It's a freestanding pool without any side supports.

 

[cj133]

The pool was installed a year ago. It's a freestanding pool without any side supports.

The sides have horizontal supports below ground that you can't see on the outside of the pool. If they sink the sides will bow out.

Did this just happen or did it happen slowly?

 

[coopgraphic]

Not sure exactly when it happened. I noticed it right after the install but it hasn't gotten any worse...just concerns me a bit.

 

[mariane]

I am also concerned with the pressure plates showing so close to the top of the ground.
The correct way to have installed the pool was for those plates to be lower in the ground, the side supports slightly angled inward toward the inside of the pool. So when the water is added, the weight of the water pushing out on the walls is offset from the plates under the pool. The water pushing out on the supports brings the supports upright and so then the wall becomes upright.
Since they are bowing out, maybe the installer set the upright supports completely vertical without the angle inward. Then when the pool was filled, the supports bowed out a bit because of the water pressure.
Here's a shot of the installation guide for our Doughboy pool which shows the correct way to install a pool with those plates.

I hate to say it but I agree with cj133, that you might have to empty the pool and install it correctly. The water pressure will continue to push out against the walls. If you have enthusiastic swimmers jumping in, cannon balls etc. you could have the wall collapse - worst case scenario.

 

[cj133]

I am also concerned with the pressure plates showing so close to the top of the ground.
The correct way to have installed the pool was for those plates to be lower in the ground, the side supports slightly angled inward toward the inside of the pool. So when the water is added, the weight of the water pushing out on the walls is offset from the plates under the pool. The water pushing out on the supports brings the supports upright and so then the wall becomes upright.
Since they are bowing out, maybe the installer set the upright supports completely vertical without the angle inward. Then when the pool was filled, the supports bowed out a bit because of the water pressure.
Here's a shot of the installation guide for our Doughboy pool which shows the correct way to install a pool with those plates.

I hate to say it but I agree with cj133, that you might have to empty the pool and install it correctly. The water pressure will continue to push out against the walls. If you have enthusiastic swimmers jumping in, cannon balls etc. you could have the wall collapse - worst case scenario.

Mine was a Wilbar design and they have you set them plumb but they also stick out much further on the outside under the dirt than your diagram. Sadly after all of my work mine did end up a hair out of plumb but nothing like in the ops picture. Just enough to annoy me forever because I know it's there.

After they're plumb and level 2-3" of sand goes ontop of everything.

Do you have any pictures you could PM me of the strapless model you mentioned in another thread?

 

[mariane]

Mine was a Wilbar design and they have you set them plumb but they also stick out much further on the outside under the dirt than your diagram. Sadly after all of my work mine did end up a hair out of plumb but nothing like in the ops picture. Just enough to annoy me forever because I know it's there.

After they're plumb and level 2-3" of sand goes ontop of everything.

Do you have any pictures you could PM me of the strapless model you mentioned in another thread?

I was talking about the Doughboy pool with the pressure plates. They are on the long sides of the oval, so one is able to dig out a deep end and not disturb the pressure plates.
Sure. I can get back with you later today with pics.

 

[coopgraphic]

Thank you everyone for chiming in. I'll have to read up on how to remove the liner and reset the wall and then reinstall the liner. I'm always up for a challenge but this is a bit daunting.

 

[cj133]

Thank you everyone for chiming in. I'll have to read up on how to remove the liner and reset the wall and then reinstall the liner. I'm always up for a challenge but this is a bit daunting.

Hopefully someone else will confirm but I don't think there will be any reinstalling the old liner. It'll shrink while you're working and not stretch again when you fill the pool.

 

[mariane]

Thank you everyone for chiming in. I'll have to read up on how to remove the liner and reset the wall and then reinstall the liner. I'm always up for a challenge but this is a bit daunting.

You might be able to get away with detaching the liner only on the one side, redig the area for the pressure plates, but realigning the wall would be the big challenge. Sometimes one can reuse the liner if it's not very old. Not sure about that though. Keeping the liner wet and out of the sun might help to salvage it after correcting the pool supports and pressure plates.

It will be a lot of work. We installed our pool ourselves in 2006 and then in 2018 replaced the sand, bottom foam and liner. It is a bit daunting but we enjoy the pool.

 

[coopgraphic]

Good to know on the liner...its a year old so I'm thinking of trying a different approach so as to not have to replace it. I looked in the installation manual and it appears that I can drain the pool and carefully dig on the outside of the wall and realign the wall uprights from the outside using some blocking.

 

[mariane]

Good plan. Remember to keep that liner wet. Don't let it dry out.
Also, how are you going to get more sand on top of the plates under the liner? It doesn't look like there is enough to begin with.
When you swam last year, could you feel the hardness of the plates when you walked on them? You should not feel them at all. If you do, that would be a warning sign, it could puncture thru the liner.
Is the other side good or just as bad as this one?

 

[coopgraphic]

The other side is good but I imagine that's because the deck doesn't allow it to flex at all. When I swam, I could only feel a small hard edge on one side. I am hoping that when the pool is drained and I realign the wall that I'll be able to massage some sand onto that spot from inside. You mentioned don't let the liner dry out? When I drain the pool, it would be dry while fixing the wall...or should I spray it periodically?

 

[mariane]

I guess I mean "don't let it stay dry for any length of time". I would guess if it dries out, you might have a problem with it getting brittle. So spraying it periodically could help, or cover it with a damp tarp and keep the tarp damp. That would keep it moist and the sun won't hit it directly. Don't work on the liner when the weather is really cold. But with that being said, when you are ready to reinstall the liner, it should be a warm day so the liner is easier to work with.

Since you're in northern OH, do you partially drain for the winter? Is that water pretty cold right now? Wait till the temps warm up a bit before tackling this.

 

[coopgraphic]

I have a skimmer plug so the pool is full...and VERY cold. LOL I'm looking to tackle this in late May in the hopes that Ohio finally decides to warm up.

 

[mariane]

I can relate - cold frozen water here. ?
Hope it all goes well when you start to tackle this. Keep us posted.

 

[dbrwnn]

It appears that we have the same pool. We backfield today and noticed this evening that I have a few that lean outwards as well. Am I gonna have to do a full drain and pull the bases back to where they need to be and reblock the outside sections so they sit at the correct angle. Couldn't feel the pressure plates under the liner. Have you repaired yours yet and how hard was it. Do u have a picture of what the outside of the wall looks like so I can see if it looks like mine. As you can see it is the 3 middle ones. The very center post is perfectly level. The one before and the one after the middle is at least an inch out.

 

[dbrwnn]

I have an oval pool with a deck built on one side of the pool. The other side is bowing out a little bit causing the framing to be noticeable on the pool floor. I'm guessing this needs to be addressed and if so, how? Should I brace that side of the pool or completely drain the pool and try moving the bottom of that wall out a touch? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't have a good picture showing the amount its bowing out but I've attached a photo that shows how the framing is showing on the floor. The lights make it look worse that it really is but its definitely there.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

How far out of level is the wall. Mine is an inch maybe inch and a half. 54 in deep pool

 

[coopgraphic]

Mine bows out about approximately 1 to 2.5" in comparison to the bottom. I attached an image that kind of shows it. I still have the winter cover on and I haven't fixed it yet since Ohio is taking its time warming up. I'll be tackling this in the next few weeks though. My plan is to drain the pool down to probably about a foot of water left in the pool. Then I am going brace the top of the wall while I dig under the outside of the t-brace. I am going to place a 16" square concrete paver under the outer leg of each t-brace and get the walls almost plumb. I'll probably have them tip towards the inside just slightly to account for dirt compression once the pressure of the water pushes outward and settles the paver. The tricky part is the floor of the pool. I am planning on keeping that foot of water or so in the pool to keep pressure on the sand and hopefully help the inner t-brace settle back to where it should be. If this doesn't work, then my "Plan B" is to completely drain the pool and use probably a section of 4" pvc to push and roll on the bottom of the pool to gently move sand under the liner to be on top of the inner t-brace leg. I don't want to replace the liner as its only had one season of use. I'll be taking pictures and documenting everything along the way for anyone else that has this issue. Hopefully it works!