side wall rust

by Phil Callis
(Greenbrier tn, u.s.a)

I have a lot of rust on the side wall at the bottom. In a couple spots its rusted thru. I was told I could flip it over. The top is fine and I could repair the new top. I would like to know if you can just buy the sheet metal wall, and if so, where?

Hi Phil, I would not turn the wall upside down. Most walls have holes in them for skimmers and returns. You would not want to have to patch a hole that large on the bottom portion of a sidewall. Also, the liners can put a lot of downward force on the sidewalls as they are filling with water. A weak upper section of wall would probably not hold up well at all.

It has been my experience that buying a new sidewall from the pool manufacturer is a very expensive way to go. It is usually possible to find a good used pool for less money.

If the holes aren’t to bad I would try reinforcing the wall you already have. You could go to a hardware store or a shop that sells aluminum awnings and get a roll of 12 -16 inch flat stock aluminum. This can be taped into place around the entire perimeter of your pool. The pool cove needs to be pulled back and the flashing should be inserted into the pool bottom rails. Duck tape around the top of the flashing will cover any sharp edges.

It is also a good idea to sand and paint the wall before installing the flashing. This can slow down any future rust.