Downington, PA Above-Ground Pool Damaged During Winter Freeze

After a Downington, PA pool partially collapses, Landscaping Inspection Services investigates what led to the pool’s failure.

When the weather gets cold enough, preparing your pool for winter may not be enough to keep it from being damaged. Ideally, homeowners should be checking on their pool throughout the winter, and removing any snow, water, or ice that piles on top of the cover. But when the weather is too extreme, this is not always possible for homeowners. Even with the utmost care being taken, when the water in a pool freezes and then begins to thaw, landscapings, especially above-ground pools, are susceptible to damage.

Initial Consultation on Downington, PA Landscaping

Landscaping Inspection Services was called out to inspect an above-ground pool in Downington, PA that had partially collapsed. Our inspector visited the property and spoke with the homeowner, who stated that the pool had buckled, which caused one wall to collapse, and the skimmer to become damaged as well.  The insured also stated that the pool was approximately 7 years old.

Inspection and Observations

During a thorough inspection of the pool and surrounding areas, our inspector made the following observations:

• The pool was empty of water at the time of the inspection.
• The pool’s uprights were bent.
• The pool wall was split open.
• There were holes in the liner.
• The skimmer was cracked.

Analysis of Inspection and Pool Damage

Our inspector noted that typically, an above-ground pool can have a lifespan of 10-15 years, and even up to 20 when properly maintained. This pool was in disrepair after only 7 years of use. However, he maintained that the damage of this pool was caused by the extremely cold Pennsylvania winter, not from homeowner negligence.

Cause of Loss and Repair Estimates for Downington, PA Landscaping

In the professional opinion of our inspector, the damage to this pool was caused by frozen pool water that shifted as it thawed and caused the wall to buckle. When the ice shifted, undue stress was put on the wall and it split. The skimmer cracked due to frozen conditions and the wall splitting.

Because of the nature of the damage to this landscaping, our inspector determined that the entire pool would need to be replaced; no repairs could be made to bring this pool back into good working condition.

Our inspector provided an estimate of $3,932.60, which included removing the old pool, purchasing and installing the new pool, and included sales tax. He also noted that additional work may need to be done on the pool decking if the new pool did not match the current decking. Additional work on the pool decking would affect the estimate to repair this pool.