How to Patch a Swimming Pool

Is the family pool showing some wear and tear? Here's how to put it back in shape.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Epoxy
• Epoxy Paints
• Paintbrushes
• Pool Supplies
• Pool Trowel
• Paintbrushes
• Paintbrushes

Concrete and Fiberglass Pools

1. Repair hairline cracks in concrete pools, according to John Kistler at Sunflower Pool & Spa in Salina, Kansas, with a coat of the proper chlorinated rubber or epoxy swimming pool paint. (See "How to Paint a Swimming Pool" in the Related eHows.) In fiberglass pools, tiny hairline cracks may need no repair; such cracks are merely a sign of inevitable weathering.

2. Patch slightly larger cracks with marketed epoxy compound for concrete pools or with fiberglass patch kits for fiberglass pools. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer.

3. Hire a pool care professional to repair any cracks in either kind of pool that are wider than 1/8 inch or longer than 1 foot. (Find a qualified pool care professional through your local chamber of commerce, Better Business Bureau or court records - any business with numerous past court cases against it should be avoided.)

Swimming Pool Liners

4. Patch rips in a vinyl liner with an inexpensive repair kit from any pool dealership. Just apply the waterproof bonding agent to the vinyl patch material and place it directly over the rip - even underwater. Smooth any air or water bubbles out from under the patch.

5. Replace the liner if the damage is bad enough - this will be less costly than a paint job or a fiberglass replacement.

Tips & Warnings

• You can buy fiberglass patch kits at swimming pool and spa dealerships, auto body supply houses and watercraft dealerships.
• Deal with any crack in a fiberglass pool immediately. Water penetrating the surface layer can quickly damage the substrate of fiberglass, causing it to rot.
• Leave water in a fiberglass pool until it can be determined that there is no water under the pool. Removing all the water from a fiberglass pool that has too much water under it can cause the pool to float out of the hole, doing major damage to the pool and the plumbing.
• Large cracks in concrete pools can indicate serious structural damage and should be inspected by professionals immediately.

[Bycin]

on 4/25/2008 If the tile border is old and faded out, apply adhesive swimming pool tile borders available on the internet through swimming pool websites, its called Borderlines adhesive swimming pool tile borders that come in different patterns. The borderlines are a peel and stick application and they look great, took me just one afternoon myself, pool looks new again.