Disadvantages of Vinyl Swimming Pools

Unlike Gunite Swimming Pools Vinyl lined pools are not well suited for northern climates as they do not stand up well to the ground movement and expansion that occurs in the winter. Therefore, if you live in an area where the winters are cold, you need to pay particular attention when picking the shell for your vinyl pool. It should be strong enough to withstand the pressure that will be exerted on it when the soil surrounding the pool freezes and expands. Winter soil expansion and shifting can create air pockets around or under the floor of the pool which may cause your vinyl pool to collapse, particularly if a large amount of rainwater has accumulated. This shifting of soil will also affect your pool's surroundings, so be sure to wait for a full year before installing a deck or patio to give the soil time to settle.

When purchasing a vinyl pool liner, look for a warrantee that covers the entire vinyl liner and not just the seam of the vinyl liner. This will be of greater value to you than a warrantee that covers only problems in the seam of the vinyl liner. Read the fine print to make sure that your warrantee covers all major defects such as stretching, cracking, splitting, peeling, blistering, discoloration and tearing.

Once you have installed your vinyl pool, keep in mind the limitations of vinyl, and do not use undiluted chemicals on the vinyl liner as this will damage the material. When cleaning your pool, also keep in mind that the vinyl is held to its structure by the pressure exerted on it by the pool's water. Therefore, if the water level descends below the level of the walls, either due to a leak, or because someone drained the pool, wrinkles could occur. Besides the risk of wrinkles, an empty pool liner will allow rain water to seep into the soil that surrounds the pool, and will erode the structure of your pool. At an extreme, this sort of erosion could cause the walls of the pool to collapse, which creates a serious safety hazard. To correct wrinkles in the liner, you will need to contact a qualified swimming pool contractor for assistance as it is necessary to reset the liner using a vacuum which sucks the liner into place while the pool is being refilled.

Vinyl Swimming Pool Maintenance Tips >>