The Pool Bottom Above is in Need of Complete Replacement
Patches, Repairs, and Replacements
Pool patches are not very reliable to repair vinyl pool liners. They may last a few years but they usually last less than a month. Patches applied to liners on vertical surfaces such as walls and step risers are significantly less likely to last very long at all. This is because the water pressure pulling downward on the pool liner is much greater than the patch can withstand.
The most common failure point for pool liners occur in the few inches of exposed vinyl above the waterline. The rays from the sun heat up the vinyl in this area during the day and over the years the Ultraviolet light breaks down the vinyl causing it to “shred”. A patch or duct tape can buy you a couple of weeks but this kind of damage will always result in liner replacement. Don’t wait until the shredding gets so bad that it allows water to dump behind the pool liner. This can cause expensive damage to the pool bottom and if you have salt water in your pool the salt can cause very expensive corrosion damage to the steel walls of the pool.