Question about In-ground Pools

When I was in high school we had next-door neighbors who did their own in-ground pool with a vinyl liner. Dunno how long the liner lasted but Google Earth still shows a pool in that back yard.
 
I hired mine out but after watching I think it is very doable but don't kid yourself, it would be a BIG JOB! I think a lot would depend on how good the instructions were and if you had someone to call when you ran into something you were not sure of.

AND, you need a blower or actually it is vacuum pump to pull the air out of the liner and get a good fit to the pool while you put in the water. Otherwise you end up with wrinkles and I assume these are potential failure points. I know the guys were very picky about getting the liner in right before we started to fill it up.
 
I've got the vinyl liner on mine, Will be interested to see what you decide. I've been told the liner will last about 5 -6 years, then have to replace it. Have the receipt from the last time, it was around $2400, which the previous owner did 2 years ago.
 
I believe there is sand under mine, but it may have been converted from a gunite pool. There's also a sump pump that keeps any ground water out from under the liner.
 
I have a 16 x 32 vinyl lined in-ground. The liner lasts about 10 years and cost me $3,000 to replace a few years ago. It is a huge job and I would not tackle it on my own, and (usually) I'll try anything once. :rofl::rofl:

Here's a look at what's involved.
DSCN1145.jpgDSCN1147.jpgDSCN1150.jpgDSCN1151.jpgDSCN1152.jpgDSCN1153 (790 x 593).jpgDSCN1154 (790 x 593).jpgDSCN1155 (790 x 593).jpgDSCN1156 (790 x 593).jpg002Polar Bears resize.jpg
 
I have a 16 x 32 vinyl lined in-ground. The liner lasts about 10 years and cost me $3,000 to replace a few years ago. It is a huge job and I would not tackle it on my own, and (usually) I'll try anything once. :rofl::rofl:

Here's a look at what's involved.View attachment 53818

Just curious: What's the purpose of the pump(?) fan(?) in photo #9 that seems to be either blowing or drawing down the side of the liner?
 
We installed our own in 1990, with the help and advice of a friend who had worked in that trade. It's a big job, but do-able, if you're handy.
Our original liner is still holding up. We had an expert excavator operator dig the hole, which saved a lot of fine-tuning with shovels. We put a "hard" bottom in, basically 3-4 inches of mortar trowelled in. Probably used an excessive amount of concrete around the outside of the steel sidewalls, but they've never moved. Saved some money on the diy install, but splurged on a wrc deck, which turned out very nice.
Outdoor swimming season here is May-Sept without supplementary heating, but could easily add a month on each end with some solar heat.
It has been our "cottage", since we're somewhat tied to home by a barnful of animals. Never regretted the investment. People who say "pools are a lot of work" usually haven't owned one. There are lots of work-saving accessories.
With our friend's help, the liner went in nicely, but when the time comes to replace it, I'll be calling the pool guys! (The original crew are still around, but we're not as spry now :)
Good luck.
Peter
 
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Don't take my word for it, I'm a cheapskate anyway... but my opinion of a pool a a big hole in the ground, full of water that you have to keep throwing money into....

I've had two houses with pools... there won't ever be a third.
 
Thanks for the input. 2 more questions:

How are the steel sides installed?

Is it possible to do some of it yourself and then get pros to do the rest and save some $$$$$?

The steel sides (ours are about 4 feet high) sit on a level sort of shelf that your excavator has made. The top of them should be slightly above the natural grade of the site, for your deck or patio and so that any surface water will drain away from, not into, your pool. (Some people just backfill with soil, but we poured about 10 inches of concrete around the outside bottom of the steel wall once it was all level and plumb. Sure locked it all together.)
The side panels are bolted together. If your style of pool has a deep end, your excavator will have dug this in a sort of hopper shape matching the shape of your vinyl liner.

If I wasn't comfortable with such an install, I would get the supplier to install the pool itself, then put my diy energies into building the deck/patio and surrounding landscaping, which can cost as much as your pool.

Peter
 
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