Help! My pool liner is floating.

 Spring is around the corner and like most homeowners you can't wait to get your backyard in order and ready for summer.  Spring means rain, rain and more rain.  Usually after multiple rainfalls or one big rain we get a very common phone call.  Help!  My vinyl pool liner looks like it's floating!

Vinyl liner bubbling in from wall.

Vinyl liner floating.

First and foremost, this is a common occurrence in the Spring and your pool isn't the first to experience it.  Take a deep breath, the vinyl pool liner will eventually go back into place without damage.  So why is this happening to your vinyl pool liner?

Being located in Central Indiana, the water table underground can create hydrostatic pressure underneath your swimming pool.  Typically during the Spring you will see the ground water table rise due to snow melting and spring rain showers.  If your backyard or surrounding areas have some standing water or easily become swampy, your water table is very high.  This affects your backyard swimming pool because that high groundwater table or hydrostatic pressure is pushing up on the bottom your pool.

So hydrostatic pressure is created when the groundwater outweighs your pool water.  The groundwater will then push upwards to relieve the pressure. This gives your pools vinyl liner the appearance of floating, bubbling or a blister.  The upside to a vinyl liner in-ground pool is that after the groundwater resides and your liner drops back into place, it may leave you with a few wrinkles.  These wrinkles can be an eyesore but do not damage the integrity of the pool. If your pool was constructed with a concrete or fiberglass, the hydrostatic pressure could lift and break the concrete or fiberglass bottom, creating a major issue.

Pool coming up out of ground due to hydrostatic pressure.  

So how do vinyl liners survive hydrostatic pressure when concrete and fiberglass pools are damaged by it?  Vinyl liner in-ground swimming pools are typically constructed with a vermiculite bottom or base.  Vermiculite is a porous base that can keep its form similar to concrete.  But being porous allows the ground water to pass through it.  This helps keep your in-ground pools floor intact with no damage.

Owner, Tom Murr troweling the bottom of a pool with vermiculite.

So next time your vinyl pool liner looks to be floating, keep as much water in the pool as possible!  The more water in the pool, the more pressure to keep the ground water from rising higher.  Look into installing a sump pit if your liner floats multiple times a season and want to help alleviate the problem.  This can help ease the high ground water problem by moving the water away from underneath your pool.

Talk with your local pool builder professional about any issues, concerns or solutions you may have regarding a high water table in your backyard.

What's better? Vinyl liner or fiberglass pool?

When planning the installation of a new backyard swimming pool, one of the first decisions a homeowner encounters is what type of swimming pool should I install?  Being located in Central Indiana the two most popular types of pools are vinyl liner and fiberglass.  Discussing with your local swimming pool builder, typically whatever pool they specialize in is the best.  So which one is ideal for your family?

Like any major home project there are pros and cons to either choice.  So lets explore some of them:

A fiberglass pool being installed in backyard.

A fiberglass pool can look beautiful and bring years of entertainment for your family with minimal costs to the actual fiberglass shell itself.  Being molded in a factory allows your fiberglass pool to hold the same great shape year after year.  Installing a high quality fiberglass pool can typically come with a warranty for up to 30 years.  Be sure to research the quality of fiberglass so that your pool won't crack, blister or peel to quickly.  With advancements in technology, more options are available such as entry steps and benches to give your pool a little something extra.

Fiberglass pool coming apart from deck and lifting out of the ground.

One of the first downsides you will hear about a fiberglass pool is that it easily can pop out of the ground.  Depending on different variables, this could be a big con or not a problem for your backyard.  In Central Indiana homeowners can have a high ground water table.  If your backyard is on a hill or elevated, you typically don't have any issues with a high water table.  If not though you may have to deal with a high water table.  Simply put if the ground water during the spring (from melting snow and spring rain) rises and more water is underneath your pool than what is in the pool, the pressure can displace (or pop out) the pool.  Due to water tables, the majority of fiberglass pools are not diving depth safe either.  If your backyard ever has standing water or gets saturated during the spring, a fiberglass pool might not be the best fit.

When planning a fiberglass pool, don't expect a custom layout.  You are limited to what a manufacturer offers on size, shape and layouts.  Some pools have benches, steps or ledges but the placement is predetermined.  What you see is what you can choose from.

Custom vinyl liner pool.

A vinyl liner swimming pool allows a homeowner to design their dream pool (with a few limitations) for their backyard.  Technological advances now allow liner pools to add steps, sun ledges, or benches to the shape and size pool they desire, with thousands of configurations to choose from.  The options are endless and your family can have a custom pool without breaking the bank.   Does your family want to dive into their pool?  With a liner pool, you can configure it so that the deep end is safe for diving.  Get tired of looking at the same old thing after years?  Liners typically need changed roughly 10-12 years in the future, giving you the opportunity to update the pool and make it look brand new at a fraction of the cost of a new pool.

A big downside to fiberglass pools is the water table, but how does that affect liner pools?  Liner pools are constructed with a vermiculite bottom that is porous like sand, but sets up firm similar to concrete.  This allows any ground water to pass through it and not cause and structural damage to your investment.  On the flip side, the con can be as water passes through the vermiculite and push the liner up, the result can be wrinkles in the bottom of the pool.  Pro to no structural damage but con to having to look at wrinkles for the summer.

Wrinkles formed from ground water in a liner pool.

Even though you get to refresh your liner pool in the future, you still have to replace the liner eventually and homeowners can expect $3k to $5k for a liner replacement.  Because the liner is very valuable to your pool holding water, your family has to be careful not to rip a liner.  This isn't an everyday happening (yes, liners can be patched easily too), but being negligent to what you put around the pool can quickly lead to a costly repair.

When it comes time to price your dream pool, a liner pool will typically cost $10k - $15k cheaper than a fiberglass pool up front.  After 30 years and a couple new liners, the pools may end up costing the same depending on how you want to view your pool costs.

So what is better?  A vinyl liner or fiberglass pool?  You still may not have the right answer, but hopefully this gives you some quick pros and cons to either option.  Every backyard and situation is different and we encourage you to talk your local pool builder about any concerns you may have.  Don't be afraid to get a second opinion either.  We like most builders offer a backyard consultation to help your family find the perfect pool.

Direct vs In-direct cooking on the Big Green Egg

 To cook direct or in-direct on your Big Green Egg- that is the question.  After you've selected the perfect cut of meat and are ready to fire up your Egg, now is the time to explore which method of cooking is best. 

Direct cooking on your Egg is just like the first time you fired it up.  The coals are hot and the Egg is stable at the set temperature, so you place your food on the grate and shut the lid.  This is the direct method of cooking, whether the temperature is low or high, your heat from the coals are going direct towards your food.  

Direct method of cooking.  Your heat comes in direct contact with the food.

By placing the convEGGtor piece into the Egg after you start your fire, you've now switched from direct to in-direct cooking.  It's as simple as that.  So why would you want to cook in-directly on your Egg?  By utilizing the convEGGtor, you have now placed a barrier between the heat and your food.  This barrier turns your Egg into a convection oven.  Now you have the ability to cook anything that would normally go into your kitchen's oven into your Egg.  Warning- after you taste the food that comes off the Egg vs your oven, you may never want to cook inside ever again!  Using your convEGGtor will result in even more juicy, delicious and aromatic food.

In-direct method of cooking.  The convEGGtor plate is the white ceramic piece underneath the grate.

So when is the ideal time to cook in-direct on the Egg?  Anytime can be the ideal time to cook in-directly on your Egg!  Most Egg-heads tend to really use the in-direct method on low and slow cooks. But the great part of the Egg is anything can be cooked in-direct, just remember that this method will take longer than direct cooking.  

The fun is experimenting with both methods on the same recipes so you can judge which method is better!