Wood Wall Vinyl Liner Pools
SwimmingPoolSteve.com is user-supported. In order to keep this resource about pools and spas available for free to all readers I earn commissions for purchases made through links on this page. For more information see the full disclaimer page.
If you were to contact local vinyl pool installers in your area and ask about having a new inground pool installed chances are you will be offered a pool kit that either has galvanized steel walls or resin walls. These two materials make up the vast majority of inground vinyl liner pools in operation today with steel being far more common, but newer resin wall pools growing in popularity. So where do wood walled vinyl liner pool kits fit into this? The answer is squarely at the bottom.
There are actually quite a few ways that you could build a vinyl liner pool. Some builders do not buy pool kits at all for their vinyl liner installations. Some companies pour concrete walls or filled block walls instead of buying a vinyl pool kit. Really all you need to build a vinyl pool is a hole in the ground and some kind of wall support system to hold back the weight of the earth surrounding the pool and give you a suitable surface to put a liner against. Even to this there are many variations in that some companies use foam on the walls and some do not. Some use 20 mil liners and others use 30 mil vinyl. Some even use 60 mil PVC membranes so in total there are many different ways that you can build a liner pool. Of all of these ways wood walled vinyl pools are easily the worst. If you are just finding this article while deciding whether to install a wood wall pool or not I would strongly encourage you to go in another direction. Wood wall pools simply do not last and are not serviceable once they start to fail.
Wood walls for vinyl liner pools - The only reason that wood walled pools exist at all is to create the cheapest possible pricepoint for an inground pool. Already vinyl liner pools represent the entry level into the inground pool market with both concrete and fiberglass pools being substantially more expensive in most areas of the country (pool prices actually fluctuate quite a bit based on where you are located). The pool kit that builders purchase for building vinyl pools is one of the most expensive individual components needed for building an inground pool. By using wood instead of a steel kit, resin kit or poured concrete walls means that the total purchase price for the finished installation will be substantially less than other methods...or more profitable for the builder if the purchase price is the same.
There is absolutely no advantage to using wood walls for building an inground pool other than reducing the price. If your goal was to build an inground pool for the least possible money and the rules were that it must work but it doesn't matter at all how long it lasts or how serviceable it is then you might have an argument for wood walls. This is the only condition that would be preferable for wood walled inground pools. In every other sense using wood walls for an inground pool is short sighted in the worst possible way.
The walls of your pool are like the bones. Wood does not perform well buried in the ground, even expensive marine grade plywood which should be what is used for a wood walled vinyl liner pool. Regular untreated plywood would deteriorate in less than one year buried in the ground around a pool. Even the more suitable marine grade plywood leaves a lot to be desired in terms of strength, ability to resist forces and ability to resist rot and decay.
How to repair an old wood wall pool? - If you have discovered that you own a wood wall inground pool you might be searching for information about how to work on, repair and renovate these pools. The reality is that this is not always possible. Depending on how deteriorated your pool is many of them fail once you drain the water. This is especially true for wood wall pools that have been leaking for a long period of time as this may destabilize the hole that the pool is installed in, and without a more robust wall system there is very little support in place to prevent from experiencing a total collapse of your pool. Once that happens you now are essentially looking at a full new pool installation plus the work of removing the old pool. In this sense you would actually be further ahead to be starting from a blank slate rather than an old, broken wood walled pool.
Common problems with wood wall inground pools
The biggest concern with wood walled vinyl liner pools is simply that the walls will eventually waterlog, weaken, bow, shift and eventually fail. When the walls fail the dirt behind the walls can push against the liner which can cause damage. During the normal maintenance process of replacing the liner the pool will need to be drained. With a failing wood walled pool the weight of the water pushing against the walls actually helps to hold the structure of the pool in place. Once drained the weight of the earth pushing on the walls will cause the walls to lean, buckle and ultimately fail. When this happens there really is no possible repair other than to rebuild the pool with better materials. Before this eventual failure happens it is very likely that you will experience problems with your coping ripping off the pool wall. Wood is not strong enough to hold the coping and resist the pull from the liner unless the coping is deck mount style. Wall mount and face mount coping is very likely to rip off after time and this allows a pathway for water to access the back side of the liner and the wood walls. This will only serve to increase the rates of deterioration.
In conclusion you can build an inground vinyl liner pool with wood walls for a very small budget however it is a complete compromise in terms of quality and longevity of design. Entry level inground vinyl pools can use sand floors to save money, or thinner liners, or even onground pool kits that only require partial burial as this will reduce your dig and installation costs considerably. All of these are better long term solutions than a wood walled vinyl liner pool. Genuinely it is a design that should have been abandoned 30 years ago and for the most part it is. If you own a wood walled vinyl pool that is still in functioning condition then be aware that your renovation options are likely very limited and the longevity of these pools is definitely a concern.
Top content from www.SwimmingPoolSteve.com
Pool and spa chemistry crash course
New pool owner guide
The Swimming Pool Steve blog
Have a question - ask Steve
Swimming Pool Steve is an award winning, second generation swimming pool and spa specialist from Ontario Canada. With over 10,000,000 views on the Swimming Pool Steve YouTube Channel, winner of the 2018 Pool & Spa Industry Leadership award and author of hundreds of pool and spa articles both online and in print Steve is committed to helping pool and spa owners as well as pool and spa industry workers learn more about the technical side of building, renovating, repairing and maintaining all types of swimming pools and spas. Follow Swimming Pool Steve on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Endorsed Brands From Swimming Pool Steve
The following links and products are to affiliates of the Swimming Pool Steve website. These are brands, products and services hand selected by Steve for endorsement. Please note that these endorsements can include monetary compensation, affiliate links and referral fees to Swimming Pool Steve, however there is zero additional cost to you should you use one of these products or services. Income generated from these links helps to keep this pool and spa resource available for everyone. To have your product or service considered for listing here as an endorsed brand email SwimmingPoolSteve@gmail.com.
Amazon Disclosure Statement - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
www.ClearComfort.com
Clear Comfort's patented hydroxyl-based advanced oxidation systems (AOP) represent the pinnacle of water care technology available to pool and spa owners. To put a complex technology simply, if you are looking for the best possible water care system for your pool or spa then you are looking for a Clear Comfort AOP system.
- Swimming Pool Steve
www.PoolPartsToGo.com
New Black + Decker variable speed pumps are available online from www.PoolPartsToGo.com and they are a drop in replacement for many popular pump models including Pentair Superflo and Hayward Super Pumps. With an adjustable platform base, union connections included and a very strong warranty these pumps offer an impressive value to pool owners.
- Swimming Pool Steve
www.PoolSupplyWarehouse.com
Pool Supply Warehouse has a large stock of swimming pool equipment, chemicals, maintenance items and consumables needed for caring for your swimming pool. They offer fast shipping and by shopping with this retailer you are helping to support Swimming Pool Steve directly.
- Swimming Pool Steve
www.PoolSuppliesCanada.ca
When it comes to ordering pool and spa supplies online in Canada www.PoolSuppliesCanada.ca is by far the best option. They carry everything from chemicals to replacement pumps to entire pool kits, with free shipping options and more "in stock" items than any other Canadian online retailer.
- Swimming Pool Steve