Dented Pool Wall From Winter Ice

My husband went out to open the pool the other day and the wall by the skimmer was dented and partially caved. We contacted our retailer and home owners insurance and no one wants to cover the less than 1 year old pool. (Not to mention our loss of labor taking down an old one and possibly this one.)

My husband thinks if we fill it and with some pressure that he can push the wall back out. Is that safe to do? The liner doesn't seem to be damaged and the pool will be crinkled, but at 65 if it works and doesn't cost... I agree. I just hear stories of it letting go and not being safe etc. Your thoughts please!


Hi. The wall repair you suggest is very safe and it might even work. There is very little water pressure around the top of the pool, so most anything you do up there is safe. It is also possible to drain the water down to almost half way and remove a few top rails. By releasing the liner and getting in behind it, the dents can usually be hammered out.

It is not a good idea to release the skimmer, as that might be hard to align back up properly. But you might be able to get in close enough to it so that you could slide in a piece of plywood, or something that you could hammer against. The hammer could then be used on the outside of the pool. There should be no need for expensive repairs.

In the future, be sure to cap off your skimmer during the winter months. If water gets into the skimmer and freezes, just the slightest drop in the water level will pull that area down causing wall damage. The ice in the pool drops with the water level below it, the ice is now attached to the ice in the skimmer, so it all comes down.