I have observed over three decades that the average decent quality above ground swimming pool lasts between 10 and 20 years. Sometimes pool owners will replace their pool because its top rails are too rusty or some of the uprights and pieces of bottom track have rusted out. Mostly though, people decide that their pool is dead because it has a rusty or corroded wall. And this is what makes an above ground pool no good anymore as it’s the wall that holds all the water.
Most of the time, a rusty pool wall is noticed when a liner is changed. The pool gets drained and then the existing liner is removed which exposes the interior wall. A sinking feeling is experienced when you see that the interior wall is rusty. You’ve already bought a pricey replacement liner. You start to ask yourself, “Is this normal? How bad is it? Can I fix this? How do I fix this?” As you climb out of the pool to go look for that can of Rust-Oleum you bought two years ago, you wonder how bad this rusty wall really is and instead go search on the Internet.
You’re Going to Have to Do Some Poking Around
This blog post is about advanced wall repair for above ground pools, but before I can tell you about that you must find out if you need it. Most of the time the discovered rust on the inside of the pool wall is just surface rust and not much of an issue. With surface rust you can maybe get some sandpaper, sand the rusty areas smooth, and then use that can of Rust-Oleum you found and the wall is good to go.
What if it’s more than just surface rust? Maybe the rust is falling off in small pieces and looks pretty bad and deep. What’s important here is the wall’s integrity. The wall of an above ground pool wall has to hold thousands of pounds of water so if the rust has eaten its way deep into the steel or aluminum, it may no longer be strong enough to hold the water. A wall can look pretty bad and still be fine, but if there are spots where it has rusted all the way through then that is bad and cause for alarm. To find out, take a medium-sized screwdriver and poke at the rust. Scrape off any loose pieces of rust and firmly poke those areas. If the screwdriver pokes completely through the wall, then that’s not good. It may not be the end, but it’s not good.
Some Holes Are Worse Than Others
So you’ve poked around the rust and the screwdriver went all the way through in a couple of spots. That’s always bad, but you may still be OK. A small rust hole that’s located high up the pool’s wall is usually alright.In that case I will cut a small square of roofing tin or some kind of sheet metal and use duct tape to secure it in place over
the area. I do this only to protect the new liner I’m about to install from the rust as this repair adds no strength to the wall.
If the rust holes are closer to the bottom of the pool’s wall, then that’s worse and should possibly require more than just a simple patch job. The reason a hole lower down is concerning is because the water creates more outward pressure there at the bottom. A rust hole at the bottom of the wall is much more likely to tear open under pressure and cause a “blowout” than one nearer to the top. In most cases a small hole towards the bottom of the wall won’t cause a blowout. I usually tell the pool owner about it, tape some tin over it, install a new liner and it holds. Though, there is always the possibility that it won’t hold and I leave the decision up to them. I’ll show them the concerning rusted area, give them the odds of whether I think it’ll hold or not, and let them tell me either to proceed with the change of the liner or wait and get it repaired. Worst-case Scenario
Worst-case Scenario
It has come down to this. Let’s say you have a lot of rust toward the bottom of your pool wall and it has rusted all the way through. What now? Well, there are three options at this point. You can tape over the rusty areas with some kind of sheet metal, install a new liner, fill the pool back up and hope for the best. This is a viable option for many as they have already purchased a replacement liner and don’t have the money for a new pool. Many times this is the best decision for them as the wall holds up and they get to have their pool. Though, with this option, you may not be so lucky, because if it doesn’t hold, you’re out the cost of the new liner, the installer (if you didn’t do it yourself), and all the lost water and chemicals.
The second option is not to take the chance and get a whole new wall. Or at least that’ll be what you think you’ll do until you try to find a replacement wall. It’s not easy to get just a replacement wall for an above ground pool as manufacturers don’t like to provide them for models which are more than a couple of years old. That’s OK though as you would soon find out, because if you do get lucky and find a replacement wall it’ll be way expensive. At that point in the story, people usually opt to get a whole new pool as the price is just slightly more than for just a wall.
The third option is to repair the wall. This is rarely done, though. The reason for this is not because it’s too expensive, looks bad, or doesn’t hold. Repairing a rusty above ground pool wall is rarely done, because there are not many people who know how to do it. Over the years I have learned by way of trial and error that there is only one true way to repair a wall and that is to add a new piece of wall from top to bottom.
The Only Guaranteed Way to Repair a Rusty Wall
Over the years I’ve tried to repair damaged pool walls in many ways. It was easy to experiment as people facing an apparent pool replacement would take a chance on my repair. I started by just duct taping some rigid steel sheeting over the holes and some failed. Then I would bolt the pieces of sheet metal to the existing wall all the way around the rust holes. Some failed. Then I tucked bigger pieces of sheet metal into the pool’s bottom track and upward to cover the holes and bolted them. Still some fails.
I finally realized that I needed to reinforce the damaged wall’s integrity from top to bottom and not just in the local bad spots. So, this is what has to be done:
- Get an entire piece of above ground pool wall.
This may be the hardest part of the above ground pool repair for the do-it-yourselfer. The two ways to get an entire piece of pool wall are from an old pool that has been taken down or by buying a piece from a pool maker. The wall piece should be at least 4’ long or long enough to cover all the bad areas of your pool wall.
- Get at least 30 stainless flathead steel bolts and nuts and four pieces of metal steel channel.
You’ll use these to bolt your new piece of wall to your existing pool wall.
- Place the new wall piece against the pool’s wall on the inside.
You’ll have to move away the bottom cove in that area so the wall piece can fit right up against the existing wall from top to bottom.
- Line up the metal channels to the edge of the wall piece and drill holes all the way through.
You’ll be drilling holes from the inside of the pool through the inside and outside steel channel, the wall piece, and the existing wall from top to bottom.
- Bolt everything together through the drilled holes.
Make sure the nuts and bolts are nice and tight.NOTE: If I’m not making sense here, you can look at the way the pool wall was bolted together orginally and do the same thing with this.
- Use duct tape to fasten the bolts on the inside from top to bottom.
Do it like they did with the pool’s existing wall bolts.
- Replace the coves at the bottom and you’re done.
Now you’ll have a piece of wall covering the bad place in the existing wall. And it’s bolted from top to bottom on both ends so the wall cannot split open when filled.
This is not an easy repair, but works well when done right. If you have a pool wall that has rusted away badly, my advice is to get a new pool to replace the wall and frame completely. If you don’t have the cash then try this. It may save you money, if you do it right.
We just had a custom liner installed in our above ground pool which has a hopper, 6′ deep end. The pool is a 16′ x 32′ rectangle. When they removed the older liner, there was rusting at the skimmer box and return. There is a large area that is pushing out an inch or more in the corner along the length side of the pool. Our pool is 30 years old but the pool company we hired said the pool was strong and fine to replace the liner. Can this be repaired? I’m very worried it will burst. Liner and repairs are paid in full and have a large deck around the pool that is also pulling away. Is there anything we can do to support it from the outside until we get someone out here to look at it? Should we empty some of the water out to reduce the pressure?
I would have to see a couple of really good pics of the bulging area to have an opinion. You can email Inyo with the pics and they will send them to me.
I know you are not in my area but what do you charge for taking down an 18 x 52 round pool, dispose of it and then install a new one, liner and new sand? TOTAL COST..
Without knowing anything else, $900
We just had a custom liner installed in our above ground pool which has a hopper, 8ft deep end. Pool is 28,000 gallons 19’x39′. When they removed the older liner, there was rusting at the skimmer box and return. They put a metal panel around the skimmer and around the return bolting it. We also have new 18″ sheet metal at the bottom of the entire pool wall. I noticed today, the rust has split the wall from beneath the new return plate to the ground. The sheet metal is what is keep it stable, but there is a large area that is pushing out an inch or more. Our pool is 30 years old but the pool company we hired said the pool was strong and fine to replace the liner. Can this be repaired? I’m very worried it will burst. Liner and repairs are paid in full and have a brand new deck large deck around half of the pool. Is there anything we can do to support it from the outside until we get someone out here to look at it? Should we empty some of the water out to reduce the pressure?
Dan,
I am sitting here sick to my stomach at the moment. I just let the dogs outside to go to the bathroom to find my aluminum above ground pool liner had torn and pushed out under the side of my pool. It appears that there is a 6-inch tear in the bottom of the aluminum pool wall. I don’t know if it can be fixed or where to even start. 🙁
I have a 24ft. Resin 52” pool 13 yrs old with a hole midway up the wall under my deck. After cleaning the rust away the hole is 12” in diameter. I read one of your earlier post about purchasing a piece of sheet metal 14GA you recommended to cover the hole. I was thinking 3 ft. Wide by ht. 50” and then slide in down in the track and bolt along the sides with wall bar. Only problem sliding into the lower track. There’s not much space, I could barely fit a kitchen knife. Any suggestions
Hi Dan. We have an 18 year old 16×32 Doughboy oval that I’ve torn down and am restoring. Grinding off rust, new paint on all the uprights, top rails, replacing heavily rusted bottom track, etc. When I took the wall down there was what appeared to be mostly surface rust around the bottom, as it was buried about 8-10″ deep on one side. Now that I’m at the point of grinding rust off the wall for new paint, I’ve noticed quite a few perforations around the bottom. The largest individual holes are not larger than a nickel or quarter in diameter. However, in some places I have smaller holes or that run along like a dotted line, in one place several feet long. I believe all of the perforations are within 6″ of the bottom of the wall.
Initially I planned on using 12″ wide galvanized roof flashing around the bottom, but I’ve become more concerned now that I see this dotted line, and after reading your top-to-bottom repair method I’m not sure the 12″ wide flashing will work.
Is this wall even salvageable?
I have a similar situation and am looking for your response as well 🙂
I have a rough rust area about 1-2 feet round toward the bottom (from mid all the way to the bottom). It looks really bad but rust is not visible from the outside yet, nor any holes. Would it be safe to clean the area from rust, preserve it and put a strip or two of sheet metal over that area?
Great read. The beginning describe me to a t when I took my old liner out….. All surface. Thank you Dan. This question may sound crazy and off topic, but frankly I cant find the answer. I am replacing my liner and stumped as to what size to buy. It’s an Oval pool an measures 15′ 5 1/4″ x 26. Wall to wall… Butress to butress its about 15′ 1″…… So do I go with a 15 wide or 16? PLEASE HELP…
Hi we found our 24 foot by 54 inch round pool empty this spring with the liner all cracked on the bottom we were going to replace the liner but when we removed the old one we found the bottom of the pool wall had folded in on its self . If we straighten the bottom out is it ok to use. This is about and 2 foot area in 6 different places so about 1/2 the wall has damage but not all in one area. A large ice ring had formed and did the damage. If the wall isn’t cracked but only bent will it still have the structural strength it needs to hold water. not worried about a blow out so much as the wall bending again and losing new liner. Any advice very appreciated.
I have the same issue as above and am considering removing pool entirely.
My pools always rust around the bottom like there is no bottm lefteven i la lahe roo and Iuse thbefore I’m getting ready to replace liner and this one when I touch it with my toe at the bottom of the outside it just moves like it’s not in the ground anymore it’s weird like it’s just a little slice it just moves right in should I replace the liner or the whole pool
I have a 21′ Lomart Whispering winds II that is about 15 yrs old, but in good shape. Well it was, until recently. the top 1/3 of the wall along about a 4′ section was damaged by a tree. The top rail along that section is definitely trashed, but I think I could probably straighten the dents out of the wall. I’m just not sure if it’s structurally safe to do so. Any feedback? I could send pics. I just hate to replace it if I don’t really need to.
I think you are probably ok with just straightening out the damaged part of the wall since it’s at the top of the wall. Just make sure the wall isn’t split or sliced.
I have a 18×39 oval shaped above ground pool which is over 20 years old..With all the snow we have had and ice, some how the liner slipped off one side of pool and all the water drained out. Now the walls are starting to lean in.. is there any way to fix this or is our pool done for? we cant get in to fix liner and refill right now..what should we do? I dont want to lose our pool…
Walls don’t just lean in when the pool is empty. Did you leave out that the pool is in the ground? If it’s not in the ground, then something is seriously wrong with your 20 year old pool and it may be time for replacement. If in the ground, you can only wait until the ground thaws enough to dig the earth outside of the pool wall where it is leaning in so you can pop it back in place.
Pool is about 2 ft in ground..we did that in order to meet our deck..We’ve had so much crazy, wet snow and we still have cover on, which I think stresses the one wall which is leaning…but there is so much water around pool (from all the rain, snow, etc) we cant get near it to do anything till it dries up..and to top it off the 40 mhp winds we’ve had also…hoping we can save it…Its been thru a bunch of storms and has held up…do you think once we get pool filled back up, the walls will move back?
The walls most likely will not move back in place when you install a new liner and fill. I say to wait until things dry up and dig the earth away from the outside of the pool wall where it’s caving in. At that point you’ll know you are good when you can push the wall back out and in to place. Then you can fill the pool.
I have a 33 ft pool maybe 7 yrs old. The wind damaged it and caused the top panels to jump off and that cause cover problems which led to breaking a upright leg. I have noticed a small whole under the liner and sand has ran out and small section out of track. Is it possible to put back in track and push sand back under.. It is drained. I have heard never drain but only way to put liner back on??
Thanks
Yes you can just put the track back in place, re-cove and re-smooth the pool bottom and you are good. You’re gonna need to install a new liner though. Liners shrink when you drain the pool. They don’t like to be without water for any more than a day or so.
One of the posts of our 27′ round above ground pool has come loose from the bottom holder into which it snaps. Should we try to shim it up to snap back in or put up a support against the post to hold it in place?
You can secure it in place in any way that works. Those uprights don’t have much structural value other than keeping the two top rails that are connected to it in place.
Hi Dan, If we can’t get the post to snap by in due ti pool crimping in that area where it snaps in at the bottom, is it ok to leave the post not snapped in and just make sure the top rails are in place. Any other way to secure this bottom portion of post?
It is ok if the post isn’t snapped in.
i have a 24 ft above ground pool the service pannel is rusted can i take out a 4ft section and bolt the wall back together and cut a new hole and get a 20ft liner
Yes, you can but make sure the new wall piece bolts together very well. Otherwise, things will go badly.
I have a 21 year old pool. It developed 5 pin hole size leaks. Can this pool be saved? Otherwise it is in great condition. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Leaks in the liner or the pool wall? If you mean liner, congratulations. You just set the record for oldest above ground pool liner. Install a new one. If you mean the wall, well it depends on where the holes are and how close they are together. At 21 years old though, unless you are broke, get a new pool.
hello the anonymous person from above is donna
i have an above ground pool and it is a JW type of pool and it needed a new liner, yes it is an old pool but in great shape no rust anywhere in or out, the place island recreation that we bought a new liner from came and inspected my pool and said we need to replace 2 panels so we did and then the came and inspected it again after and said it was perfect to go, I then asked them what they thought of my pool they said it is a great pool and it will last forever had no rust or anything. they put liner in and after 7 days ther was a piece of the liner hanging down and I went to place and told them and they said take picture and send it to them and they will let me know what they were going to do and a day later my side by where the liner was coming down blew out. we emptied pool again and called they are saying not there problem. what should I do
I don’t know enough of your situation to say. Your pool has panels? Is it an above ground? Most above grounds have a single piece continuous wall so what are these panels you speak of? Some are made with aluminum panels but they would never need replacing and would never blow out. Regardless of who is at fault here, if you want to have a pool again, you’ll have to get someone over there who knows his stuff. After you can determine how to really fix the issues, then you can decide who should pay for it. One thing at a time is how its done.
Hi Dan, bought a used pool, was wondering if you can reverse a steel wall pool for the interior color on the outside.
Yes, I’d say you can. I’ve never seen or done it but I could make it work. Keep in mind that the wall has a memory curve so it’s going to be extra fun getting the wall in the bottom track with the opposing curvature.
This is going to be somewhat of a ridiculous question but here goes! I recently got a free pool given to me, free doesn’t always mean good… it took 4 hours to take down and looked promising at first, only one major rust spot under the skimmer! Then we dug out the 5-6 inches (in some spots) out of the earth and sand… some rust and even rusted through in a handful of spots along the bottom… you said that rust toward the top is better than the bottom, so can i take the pool wall and flip it so the part that was in the earth is now on the top? Rustolium paint it and patch it with new metal, Cut a new hole for the skimmer and patch the old one?
Ok so you could do this. But I wouldn’t. You’ll need to install a piece of wall that is bolted from top to bottom over the old skimmer and return openings. Otherwise, it will burst when it fills. Then the now top of the pool(which used to be the bottom) is rusty so you may have integrity issues with keeping the top pieces of the pool together and intact. My best advice is to scrap steel there is for about thirty bucks and use it to start a new pool fund. I hear you can make some extra cash driving for Uber.
Our water level has been going down and we found a whole in the side of the pool about the size of a golf ball with the liner bubbled out again about the size of a golf ball? How can we fix without draining the pool? It is not leaking fast just at a steady drip.
Patch the liner using an underwater patch kit. The wall is a different story as it should be patched from the inside. So, unless the hole is closer to the top of the pool, you’ll have to drain if down to repair.
this above ground pool has a gunite base how would replace outside wall
I noticed that some posts supporting the wall of our above ground aluminium oval pool are rusted near the ground. Some have openings through the rust. Otherwise the walls themselves are OK. Is there a way to reinforced those posts ? – Thanks.
Can aluminum rivets be used for wall repair? The rivets would be used to attach the replacement wall to the old damaged wall. Thanks.
Yes, but they will offer no structural value whatsoever. That’s why I just use duct tape for small wall repair. It’s smoother. If replacing a whole piece of wall, you must use bolts and nuts from top to bottom.
Great Site! I just had a replacement 24′ round steel pool installed. I had my landscaper put stone around the pool. Some of the stones were bigger than I wanted and there are a few scratches near the bottom. Should I worry? Should I spray a clear something on the scratch?
Don’t need to put down sand but you will need foam coving and a liner pad.
I have some bottom rails or tracks that are falling apart or corroded. Can they be replaced without tearing the pool down?
They can. Or I should say that I could do it but it can be a tough job. I don’t think you need to though. The bottom track is needed when the pool is being built and will help keep the shape round but pools that have been up for a while are pretty set in their shape. I say if you want to change them, do it during liner change time. Otherwise, cover them up and stop thinking about it. They have little to no structural value.
Thanks so much!! I have a 30+ year old pool that my dad installed and for sentimental reasons, trying to keep going. I have a total rust through spot at the bottom of the wall and will do the double wall repair as you recommend. I know the bottom channels are disintegrated so it’s great to hear they are not necessary!!