Pool Steps Tore Liner

by Ed Silva
(Seaville NJ)

Can I get some advice please? I have an above ground pool and just put in a new liner. It installed great and when we installed our walk in steps (Royal) after a day of use a large round indentation and a tear in the middle appeared.

I was able to use an underwater patch and it stopped.

My questions are:
1. How can I get rid of the indentation or just leave it? It is about 9" round and 2" deep.

2. Can these stairs be used? I followed the liner install exactly with a nice 6" cove all the way around.

3. Do you recommend just getting a good deck mounted above ground pool ladder?

4. Do you feel the underwater patch is sufficient? It took well and stopped the leak right away.


I really appreciate your response.



Hi Ed. The only way to get rid of the indentation is to drain the pool. If you go this rout be sure to leave a little water in the pool bottom. This keeps the liner from shifting and shrinking. The liner can be pulled back and held while the repairs are made.

If the liner is not resting on the pool frame, like the bottom rails or footplates, it is probably OK to leave it as is. If you decide to leave it you could go over your existing patch with a larger one just for insurance purposes. The glue I like the best is boxer glue and I like using a piece of the actual vinyl cut in a round circle. When I cut the skimmer opening out of all the pools I install I give the vinyl to my customer telling them to use it should they ever need to patch their liner.

There is probably no reason at all the steps could not be used. They are used in above ground pools all the time. I would check very closely how the steps fit into the cove area and see if an adjustment needs to be made. There are also step pads that can be used under this type of step assemblies, this may be what you need. I would work with the pool steps a little more before giving up on them.