Rehabbing an old, outdated swimming pool is a lot of work, but very rewarding. The process take a lot of faith, as your whole swimming pool and patio will get destroyed and look a lot worse until it get a lot better.
Demolition
The first step is removing the old concrete. This is a tricky part as just taking a huge bobcat and lifting the concrete up will usually put a lot of pressure on the pool wall and bow the wall severely. I’ve seen a lot of concrete companies tear out an old swimming pool deck and ruining the whole pool. The concrete removal usually takes a day or two and all the concrete is removed from the house. We try to keep all the landscaping and the yard in pristine condition, but some of the yard will get destroyed removing the concrete. Not a lot, but there will be some landscaping down when we are finished.
Pumping out the pool
While the concrete is being broken apart, a pool pump is set up and water starts to get pumped out. Once most of the water is pumped out, part of the liner starts to get removed. The next step is taking off the old coping, the part of the pool that the liner goes into. This part is usually metal, or plastic and will be replaced with a small aluminum track.
Prepping for concrete
Next, some form boards will be laid out for where the concrete will go. Metal stakes behind these boards will keep the boards straight, and the right height to have proper drainage. After that, gravel will be brought in and rake around the make a nice level service for where the concrete will go. Then re-bar will be laid out approximately 24″ x 24″ and will all be tied. Then a big concrete truck arrives, and the concrete will get troweled smoothly and level.
Preparing the pool’s floor
The next day the walls will be scraped clean of debris and a layer of foam (if steel wall) will be placed on the wall to protect the liner from the steel. The bottom of the floor will be meticulously swept and clean to the bottom of the pool. Any remaining water and debris will be cleaned out and deposed of. Then the floor will get patched to fill in any holes in the floor or the hopper.
Installing the liner
Finally, the liner comes out of the box and will get tucked into the liner track. A vacuum will be placed behind the liner to suck out all the air, and winkles will be pushed out. The next day face-plates will be put on the skimmer, return and any other accessories, along with removing any remaining winkles. Then it’s time to enjoy your new, beautiful in ground swimming pool.