Swimming Pool Debate
We have an above ground pool that is at least 10 years old. We don't know how old it is as it came with the house when we purchased it.Neighbors have told us the previous owner got it used from somebody else.
A couple of years ago a tree branch fell into the pool which ripped the liner. Last year was unable to get the pool into great shape. Part of the issue was not replacing the sand in the sand filter.
Currently the pool has some leaves, in addition, the bottom of the pool is slippy. The color is between dark brown and black.
We have to take some action as the pool is unusable and simply running the sand filter isn't going to help.
We have been thinking of a few options this year:
- Replace the liner
- Replace the liner and pool walls
- In ground pool.
Replace the Liner
We can simply replace the liner and put in nice clean water.
- Cheapest option cost about $800 for the liner, Installation and new water
- New liner and clean water means we'll have a easier start to the pool season.
- Can be done fairly quickly.
- Doesnt really present a viable long term solution.
- What if the liner get rip again?
- What if the walls dont hold up correctly when the liner is placed in?
Replace the Liner and the Pool Walls
The walls around the pool are old and we're not sure how long they will last. Should we just replace the pool, and not the pump/filter?
- Moderately expensive $7,000.
- New pool walls will brighten up the backyard.
- New technology, may last longer.
- Pool walls are better at keeping the bugs away by not having holes between posts.
- Have to figure out what to do with the old pool walls.
- New pools that we looked at have limited liner designs.
- May need a new town pool permit.
In-ground pool
What if we go all in and replace the above ground pool with an in ground pool.
- Certainly the most expensive option. ~ $25,000
- May add value to the house. However, in New England, not every home buyer wants a pool.
- Long term solution. High cost now but may pay off in the long run.
- There might be an issue with getting it installed for this season (Schedule issues)
- Will need to get a building permit from the town to install and be subject to the latest regulations.
- Due to the slope of the backyard, additional landscaping may need to be done to properly level an in-ground pool.
Where we stand
As of now, we are considering just replacing the liner. This is the cheapest and best option for this year.
We did learn that there's a new concept of putting an above ground pool partly in-ground. Not exactly sure why someone would do that, I suspect the cost would be marginally cheaper than just installing an in-ground pool.
Looking forward to Better Pool Days
