Winter Damage to Above Ground Pools: Can You Fix It or Do You Need a New Pool?

A 30-year pool professional’s honest assessment of what’s repairable—and what’s not worth fixing.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably just pulled back your pool cover and found a disaster. Buckled walls. Torn liner. Maybe a skimmer ripped clean off. You’re wondering if this can be fixed or if you’re looking at buying a new pool.

I’ve been repairing and replacing above-ground pools for over 30 years, and I’ll give you the honest truth: some damage can be repaired, but most of the time, you’re better off replacing the pool. Let me explain what’s fixable, what’s not, and why the math usually points toward a new pool.

Damage You CANNOT Repair: Buckled Pool Walls

If your pool wall has buckled—meaning it’s bent, warped, or rolled up at the bottom—there’s no fixing it. Period.

Here’s the quick test: Look under your top rails. If there’s more than a 1-inch gap between the pool wall and the underside of the top rail, the wall has lost height and structural integrity. It’s done.

Even if you’re handy enough to attempt a wall replacement, here’s the reality check on costs:

• Replacement wall: $1200–$1,600 (delivered)
• New liner: $400–$900
• Gaskets and hardware: $50–$150
• Bottom track (which you’ll probably need because it’s locked into the buckled wall): $100–$200 plus another 2-week wait

By the time you add it all up, you’re often only a few hundred dollars away from the cost of a brand new pool—one with a warranty, fresh components, and years of life ahead of it instead of patched-together parts from a damaged structure.

The wall IS the pool. It’s the most expensive and most critical component. When I rank above-ground pools in my reviews, wall strength is the #1 factor because everything else depends on it.

Damage You CAN Repair: Torn Skimmer Area

Here’s the one scenario where repair makes sense: localized damage around the skimmer.

I’ve done these repairs myself. When ice forms in an uncovered skimmer opening and then drops as it melts, it can tear the wall like paper. It looks catastrophic—but if the damage is contained to that area and the rest of the wall is solid, you can fix it.

What you’ll need:

• Stainless steel repair panel (about 5 feet wide × 52 inches tall)
• Hardware and wall bars (usually included with panel)
• New skimmer
• New liner (non-negotiable—you’re cutting into the wall)
• Plenty of drill bits

[IMAGES: Before and after photos of skimmer repair – inside view showing torn wall, outside view showing damage, then repaired wall with new panel installed]

It’s a solid DIY project if you’re comfortable with the work. But be honest with yourself: if there’s any buckling, warping, or damage beyond the skimmer area, stop. You’re throwing money at a pool that’s already failed.

What Causes Winter Damage? (And How to Prevent It)

The #1 Cause: A Leaking Liner

Almost every case of buckled walls, collapsed structures, and destroyed liners traces back to one thing: the pool was leaking.

Here’s the sequence:

1. Ice forms along the walls as metal conducts the cold to the water
2. Ice forms on top of the water (normal)
3. Water leaks out from under the ice (problem)
4. The ice—sometimes 18+ inches thick—is now hanging from the top rails or in the skimmer instead of floating being supported by the water
5. Top rails and wall posts can’t handle the weight (they’re not designed to) 7 pounds per gallon
6. Walls buckle, bend, or collapse

Think about it this way: imagine a 2,000-pound person walking across your pool’s top rails. That’s what happens when ice loses its water support.

PRO TIP: If you ever suspect a leak during winter—water level dropping, cover sagging unevenly—REMOVE THE COVER IMMEDIATELY. A damaged cover is nothing compared to a destroyed pool.

The #2 Cause: Improper Winterization

That skimmer tear I mentioned? (pictures above) My customer (friend Stevie) forgot to install the winter skimmer cover I gave him. Ice formed inside the skimmer opening, bonded with the ice sheet on top, and when temperatures rose, the falling ice ripped his wall open like a hot knife through butter.

Side note: I sold him the pool the year before and installed it. He swore i never gave him the skimmer cover. When I went to his house we found it with the other goodies I gave him

Proper winterization includes:

• Winter skimmer cover or Gizzmo plug
• Water level lowered appropriately
• Air pillow in the center to create an ice dam – Recommend sledding tubes as they last longer
• Solid cover (not mesh) properly secured
• Confirming the liner isn’t leaking before you close

What About Shattered or Cut Liners?

If your liner looks like it went through a shredder, or has clean “guillotine cuts” around the edges near the walls, here’s what happened:

Metal pool walls conduct cold. Ice sheets form along the walls first, then connect to the main ice layer on top. When water leaks out and the ice drops, those wall-ice sheets slice through the cold, brittle vinyl like razor blades. Customers have told me they heard it happen—a thunderous crash in the middle of winter.

A shattered or sliced liner means replacement at minimum. But check the walls carefully before you invest in a new liner—if they’re compromised too, you’re looking at a new pool.

The Math: Repair vs. Replace

Let’s be real about the numbers:

Repair costs (wall damage):

• Wall: $800–$1,200
• Liner: $400–$700
• Track, hardware, gaskets: $150–$350
• Your time: 1–2 full weekends
• Total: $1,950–$2,850 minimum for a patched pool with aging components

New pool package:

• Quality above-ground pool with premium liner: Starting around $2,300–$3,500
• Everything new: wall, liner, skimmer, top rails, posts, hardware
• Warranty coverage
• Modern engineering (stronger walls, better tracks)
• Pro Tip* I supply a winter skimmer cover in my Elite Pool Maintenance Tools Kits

The difference is often just a few hundred dollars—and you get a pool that will last 25–35+ years instead of one that might fail again next winter. We only use US American Steel or thick aluminum!

If You Need a New Pool

I sell pools because after 30+ years in this industry, I got tired of watching people waste money on junk from big-box stores that rusts out in 3 years. Every pool I offer has a heavy-gauge wall—because the wall is everything.

Check out these options:

• Above-Ground Pool Buyer’s Guide – Compare all models
• Lamark Pools – Best value, premium wall and liner at the lowest price
• Atlas Pools – More sizes, colors, buttress-free ovals
• Dauntless Pools – All-aluminum, built like a tank
• Aquasport 52 – The strongest pool made, can be buried

We ship nationwide with free shipping on pool packages. Local installation available in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

Questions? Call or text me directly: (978) 710-8667

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