Fiberglass Pool Repair Advice & Vinyl Conversion Question

[Danvil77]

I apologize for starting a thread as a brand-new member. I tried to locate an active thread on this topic but could not locate one that was less than 60 days old. I am inquiring about fiberglass pools to assist my 70+-year-old father in exploring options to resolve a crack in his fiberglass pool. Unfortunately, he bought a pool with a lifetime warranty but found the manufacturer requires warranty work to be mitigated through his installer, and his installer no longer exists. The pool is approximately 12 years old, and a leak had developed behind one of the jets. He was getting that jet repaired, but just before that work was scheduled to begin, a 2-foot crack appeared in his deep end. At this point, the fiberglass has spider cracks in it anyway, and at minimum, it would need to be patched and resurfaced. We have seen very few positive results from those adventures, so my question centers on vinyl pool conversion. I tried to outline my questions below in case anyone can assist with practical advice.

• Assuming the deep-end crack can be sorted from a support standpoint, can a vinyl liner be installed directly into a fiberglass pool?
  • If Yes
    • Can the current lines and jets be used if they are repaired and working?
    • Is there a vinyl liner track that can be installed to the pool's walls, or does the coping have to be torn out and reinstalled?
  • If no
    • What are the other options people have pursued?
    • Did coatings and repair last?
• How can I contact @etbrown4 since he has posted on this topic and is still posting on this forum?
• Does anyone have recommendations on shoring up or confirming support under the crack?
• Is he doomed and looking at an entirely new pool installed?
  • What are the more cost-effective options for reusing the existing space and equipment?

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
You properly started your own thread. Better to do that than hijack an existing thread.
You tagged the member correctly so they have been notified you would like their input.

 

[sls]

I saw a fiberglass pool that had been drained and they received a large rain which popped and cracked the bottom of the pool but didn't pop the pool out of the ground. They had a vinyl liner installed in it and it looked great. I was really surprised how well it looked. They attached the liner to a track that just left a small amount of the track exposed at the top but it pretty well blended in with the liner. The track was both taped and screw to the fiberglass shell. They put a small amount of sand in the bottom of the deep end to cover some of the fiberglass damage prior to installing the liner. You will just have to find a pool installer that willing to take the chance. They covered the main drain up and just used the skimmers.

 

[Danvil77]

I saw a fiberglass pool that had been drained and they received a large rain which popped and cracked the bottom of the pool but didn't pop the pool out of the ground. They had a vinyl liner installed in it and it looked great. I was really surprised how well it looked. They attached the liner to a track that just left a small amount of the track exposed at the top but it pretty well blended in with the liner. The track was both taped and screw to the fiberglass shell. They put a small amount of sand in the bottom of the deep end to cover some of the fiberglass damage prior to installing the liner. You will just have to find a pool installer that willing to take the chance. They covered the main drain up and just used the skimmers.

Thanks for the feedback @sls. The more I research I am seeing it has been done. There is a company in Australia that advertises the service. Do you happen to know the track style they installed?

 

[sls]

I believe it was something like this. They either made the ones for the bends out of the same material or bought something like the item below.

 

[Danvil77]

Many thanks sir!