I have an eleven year old eighteen foot round above ground pool. I have approximately five or six dime size rust spots on the exterior walls of the pool. Some of the rust spots are rusted through and I can see the liner. A repair person has said that this can be repaired and should last for many years. His fix will include patching the holes with a metal plate, replace the liner and cover the inside walls with sheet foam. Any idea if this type of repair is safe, I don't want children swimming in the pool and the sides give way.

sfortne

Did you ever find an answer to your pool question. I have the same problem. I have a few spots rusted through.

mol

No

Alank

Our pool wall was crushed during the last winter right over the skimmer due to ice on the cover. It buckled down about 4 inches. I removed a section of the liner behind the buckled area, and banged it straight with a hand held mallet with a piece of wood on the outside to take the hammer blows. Took about 1 hour. Got 90% of the dents out. Went to Home Depot, got a piece of steel, 24" x 24", cut a new skimmer hole and riveted it to the inside of the pool. I cut out the rust (about an inch on all sides of the skimmer hole) with a dremel tool around old skimmer hole first. Taped over all rivets with heavy duty duct tape.

Had liner guy put in new liner (since I think this requires practice to get the least amount of wrinkles). He put in a wall liner (foam between wall and liner. My pool is over 20 years old.

Bottom line: With the pool empty, I would tap all around the pool and feel for weak metal, especially around the rusty spots. I had good damage but it repaired well and is full and operational.

serendipity pools

Rust spots along your wall will develop over time anywhere there was a leak in the liner allowing the chlorinated water to access the steel wall. The answer to your question is difficult as it is not a clear matter of yes or no. If the structural integrity of your wall has deteriorated to such a degree that the walls are no longer sound, then you should replace the walls altogether. If the damage is not structural, or is localized to a small area then yes you can indeed repair the wall with steel patches. Protecting the liner with styrofoam is a good idea as the forming rust can puncture the liner and perpetuate the problem further.

Since the rust has already started, it will spread over time even if you add new steel patches. You can prolong the life of your pool for a while by patching, but you should consider:

New 30 mil thickness liners are pro-rated for a lifetime of up to 30 years. If the steel walls will not easily last as long as the liner then you should consider replacing the rusted wall panels completely at this stage before you install a new liner. If you decide 5 years from now that the steel is getting weaker - or the rust and damage is spreading, you will need another new liner in addition to repairing the walls again.

Your pool weighs approximately 100,000 pounds - this is a lot of pressure pushing outwards on the walls of your pool and shortcuts are not recommended. A professional needs to examine the walls' structural integrity and you must be comfortable with their expertise and recommendations or you should find another professional.

To test the steel wall integrity I would use a pointed (tack) hammer and hit the wall around the corroded areas. If the walls are weak the hammer will punch holes right through and this can help you to determine just how severe the damage is.

I hope this info helps you. Good luck.

Steve Goodale
Serendipity Pools