Tear in Wall

It is winter now and I noticed a buckle in the pool wall below the skimmer. Looking closer I see a tear in the metal wall about two inches starting from the bottom of skimmer. The question is can it be repaired.



Hi. Yes, tears in above ground pool side walls can be repaired. Holes in or around the skimmer are usually caused by rust. If that is the case you should probably place a large sheet of metal over the entire skimmer area and cut a new hole. This method, is of course, only effective if you are doing a liner change.

If you are not installing a new liner and just want to repair the hole, that can usually be done also. You would need to drain the water down about half way. You would then pull off a few top rails and get in behind the liner. I would not pull the skimmer off as it might be impossible to get it back on using the same liner. It is very possible for the liner to shrink just enough to not fit again.

A cookie sheet or anything like that can be cut into a square and used for a patch. Duct tape is just fine for holding it in place. Apply the tape to the patch and slip it in behind the liner. In most cases this will hold the wall together until the next liner change.

If a major rust issue is the reason for your tear use extreme caution when repairing. It is not at all uncommon for a rusted wall to just give out and split from top to bottom. This creates a lot of water in the yard fast and can be dangerous it the pool is being used.