Sand Coping has "Sunk" on one side of the pool.

[Joe kipp]

Our above ground pools as been in place for the last 3 years. On the side of of the pool where the skimmer is located the floor of the pools has sunk where it appears the pool installed filled it in with dirt. The top rail of the pool has not sunk, it's support on some rather large blocks. Where two of the support columns are located the sand cove has move to the floor. This has exposed the bottom track that the wall sits in and at these columns the track ends and at that end it feels like there are sharp ends that are poking under the liner. My fear is that it will cut though the liner.

So my plan is to let the pool sit over winter, in the spring drain the pool, remove the J-Hook liner, no more than 1/2 at a time. I'm concerned that the liner will not go back down correctly as it's been up for three years. I'll put more sold down. I would put more soil down and tamp it down then put a little more. I was going to put a foam cove back down.

My biggest concern is the liner. if I drain the pool, do you all think the liner will shrink or not go back down? On the side of the pool where the floor has sunk it's 3-5" deeper than the other side of the pool. With a mask and snorkel on the liner is not coming out under the bottom track.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Joe

 

[kimkats]

Did water coming out of the skimmer cause this problem? Is it like the water overflowed from big rain and washed the dirt out? That happened to my pool. What I did was dig on the outside of the pool down a bit all under the skimmer and return. I put gravel there. I then put two large steppers so any water that overflowed or came out would hit the stepper and the moved away from the pool wall. They are set at a slight angle to help that. I made sure the steppers did NOT touch the wall. They are close but not touching.

Liner removal-use great care and do NOT take it off of the skimmer or return as you will not get it back in place. You are going to have to work fast to have any hope of getting the liner back in place before it shrinks or such. I would plan on doing it in one long, hot day with some help if possible. The sun needs to be shining to keep the liner pliable.

Good luck!

 

[Joe kipp]

Did water coming out of the skimmer cause this problem? Is it like the water overflowed from big rain and washed the dirt out? That happened to my pool. What I did was dig on the outside of the pool down a bit all under the skimmer and return. I put gravel there. I then put two large steppers so any water that overflowed or came out would hit the stepper and the moved away from the pool wall. They are set at a slight angle to help that. I made sure the steppers did NOT touch the wall. They are close but not touching.

Liner removal-use great care and do NOT take it off of the skimmer or return as you will not get it back in place. You are going to have to work fast to have any hope of getting the liner back in place before it shrinks or such. I would plan on doing it in one long, hot day with some help if possible. The sun needs to be shining to keep the liner pliable.

Good luck!

Its near that side but about 6-8 feet away from the scupper, I'm sure it's where the soil has settled. I was suppressed that the liner was not coming out from under the wall. There must be enough soil support as well as I'm sure that its compressed some. There's a large "divot" in the center of the pool. as well it looks like they removed too much soil from the center and refilled it and did the same for that spot on the edge. I'm sorry I was not there when it was installed to have caught it.

My plan will be to pick a sunny warm spring day and to drain the pool all the way down take the liner off of 1/3 the pool to get to this area, "Overfill" and pack the area, put the new foam cove down with sand, and kind of move around the pool. Where the skimmer and return jet I'll try to push the liner out of the corner of the wall and ground to get the new cove and a minimal amount of sand in there. I'm not that concerned about the "smoothness" of the floor as the existing floor is not smooth at all. I just don't want that liner to rip on the channel.

Over the weekend the kids were in the pool. I suspect that near the outside of the pool gets a lot of foot traffic as they made whirlpools in counter and clock wise directions for well over an hour. So the edges take a pounding even more so.

Thanks for the advice. I hope it goes well. If not a new liner will be in my future.