Oval Pool Brace Problem

by Mr. P Slater
(Bray Park Qld)

I have a problem with my above ground pool. It is an oval shaped pool and has 6 braces, 3 on each side. My problem is that 2 of the braces are leaning outwards and I am worried the pool will collapse flooding into the neighbors yard who has their pool next to our fence.

What should I do ??


Hi Mr. Slater. Yes, this could be a problem. It depends on how far the braces are leaning out. If it is just a little, and it has been that way for years, it will probably be just fine. If it seems to be getting worse, or if it is really leaning, then I would drain the pool and fix it.

When draining the pool to do these repairs you have a couple of choices. If it is a good time to change a liner, it's pretty easy. You drain the pool, toss out the old liner, and straighten the sides. Re-leveling braces requires work both inside and outside of the pool. The blocks behind the braces will need to be raised. When this happens the inside channels will need to be settled back into the ground and the sand re-packed around them.

Doing this much work on the pool structure is easier without the liner to worry about. If you want to re-use the liner it can still be done, just not as easy. When draining the pool be sure to leave a couple inches of water in the bottom. This will hold the liner in place, keep it from shifting and shrinking, and make the re-fill much easier. That means someone will have to be in the pool holding the liner back out of the way while the repairs are being made.

Depending on the age of the liner, it will probably still want to shrink, even with a couple inches of water in it. If the work is done on a warm sunny day, and done in one day, and refilled in the early afternoon, it should still be OK. Don't leave the pool empty thinking you will get to the job in a few weeks. Don't do the re-fill at night, the liner will need the sun to stretch back out.