Vinyl Liner Pool - Cool Weather Install

[DIYLinerPool]

Hi Everyone - first post here. I ordered a 32 x 16 foot vinyl liner pool with steel walls inground kit back in July, thought it would be shipped by now but now looking like mid-end of October due to all the supply chain delays currently. I was hoping to get the pool in this year. I am in the Chicagoland area, ground freezing wont be an issue then. Biggest concern is the vinyl liner - is this doable if the temps drop to lets say high in 50s during the day? Weather has been so unpredictable here, we have had years where it gets in the 90s in October , vs last year where it snowed on Halloween, followed by a very mild November/December. Anything else to be concerned with? Would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has installed a vinyl liner in ground pool in cooler months. Thanks for the help!

 

[jimmythegreek]

If this is your first time doing a liner its gonna be a challenge getting it set in cold temps. You have to figure the time to get to the point of actually installing it. I'd guess that after digging and getting the walls and floor done your likely going to be in late November. On winter builds i leave the floor out and just do everything else and finish floor/liner in spring. If on a time crunch you can tent it and use heaters but that's alot of effort

 

[Auburn02]

How cool is too cool? I had never even considered this as a concern, and ours build is slated to take place in November. Granted I'm near the coast in Alabama and it may very well be 80 in late November, or it could be 50. Shouldn't be too hard to find a day in a 2 week span when temps are higher, just curious what the preferred minimum might be.

 

[DIYLinerPool]

If this is your first time doing a liner its gonna be a challenge getting it set in cold temps. You have to figure the time to get to the point of actually installing it. I'd guess that after digging and getting the walls and floor done your likely going to be in late November. On winter builds i leave the floor out and just do everything else and finish floor/liner in spring. If on a time crunch you can tent it and use heaters but that's alot of effort

Thanks for the reply - so on winter builds you will put up the walls, will you backfill behind the walls as well?

 

[DIYLinerPool]

How cool is too cool? I had never even considered this as a concern, and ours build is slated to take place in November. Granted I'm near the coast in Alabama and it may very well be 80 in late November, or it could be 50. Shouldn't be too hard to find a day in a 2 week span when temps are higher, just curious what the preferred minimum might be.

My guess is by the time I'd be ready to put the liner in we could see some days with highs in the 50s.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Yes I complete the pool and finish the floor and liner in spring on a winter build. All my pools come with a full drainage plan and water remediation standard so I never worry about water issues

 

[DIYLinerPool]

Thanks - I was just worried if I dug the hole before winter I would spend a lot of time in the spring shaping the ground again before putting the vermiculite down.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Depends on the soil type. After walls are up and the collar is poured the inside of pool is pretty stable. I once had a section of the deep end that was slimy gunk and got a huge tarp and filled pool to the bottom of the walls to help keep soil in place for winter. Worked well