Structural spare parts and profiles

Choosing replacement structural parts and profiles requires checking the original reference number stamped on the part or listed in the manufacturer’s technical manual. For steel-wall pools from brands such as Gre or Starpool, components are not universal across different product ranges or wall heights.

To ensure you buy the right parts, check these three technical factors:

• Total height of the perimeter wall (usually 120 cm or 132 cm).
• Pool shape: the curved profiles of round or oval pools differ in curvature from the straight side sections.
• Type of connecting material: structural metal parts versus upper trim made from injection-molded thermoplastic resin.

If the pool is several years old, check whether your model has buried metal straps, as the connecting base plates vary by year of manufacture.

It is essential to immediately replace any vertical post with deep corrosion before filling the pool to prevent catastrophic failure caused by hydrostatic pressure. The post base supports the water’s lateral force and keeps the galvanized steel wall upright.

A post weakened by rust loses its resistance to mechanical fatigue. When the pool holds more than 15,000 liters, a deformed base plate or post transmits uneven stresses to the rest of the perimeter, causing the watertight liner to tear or the wall to buckle. Also check the condition of the Gre blue liner Ø 350x120 for round pools to rule out leaks that could accelerate metal deterioration.

The top profile secures the liner bead against the edge of the steel wall, while the bottom profile rests directly on the ground or base slab, serving as a guide for installing the steel wall. The two components serve completely different mechanical functions and are not interchangeable.

The top profile is usually made of flexible resin or lacquered steel, with a specific groove for securing the liner clips before installing the coping pieces. By contrast, the bottom profile has a groove designed to support the weight of the walls and hold the connectors that link to the lower tension straps. Fitting these guides incorrectly compromises the stability of the pool shell.

A top connector or injection-molded trim piece can be replaced with the pool full of water, provided that the underlying metal structure and screws are not compromised. These plastic covers mainly protect against scuffing and provide a decorative finish where the coping pieces meet.

To replace them safely, follow this technical procedure:

• Remove the fastening screws with a manual screwdriver to avoid damaging the threads in the adjacent metal pool walls.
• Check that the inner steel plate has no cracks or bends caused by structural fatigue.
• Fit the new trim piece, making sure it slots into the plastic stops without forcing the angle.

If the damage affects a lower metal foot plate, immediate draining is mandatory for structural safety.

Structural replacement parts and profiles must be replaced as soon as rust reaches a measurable thickness of more than 0.5 mm or when there are visible holes in the sheet metal or profiles. Salt electrolysis accelerates galvanic degradation if splashing continues outside the pool without proper preventive rinsing.

Galvanized steel effectively resists ambient humidity, but water with salt concentrations of 3 to 5 grams per liter destroys the protective zinc coating in areas where water accumulates. Replacing perimeter profiles and foot plates in time prevents global structural failure of the pool shell. In addition to the structure, always check attached components such as the Gre Ladder for Above-Ground Pools mod. AR11680, which is also subject to surface wear from salt chlorination.

Converting a pool with external supports to a system with buried beams using old profiles is not feasible due to critical engineering differences. Oval pools with support legs distribute loads to external diagonal braces, while models with concealed profiles transfer stresses to straps and main beams secured underground.

The upper and lower curved profiles of both models may share the same arc dimensions if the radius matches, but the anchoring points for the support feet and the central straight profiles are incompatible. Trying to adapt profiles designed for external supports to systems with buried supports voids the manufacturer’s warranty and causes load imbalances that bulge the steel wall during use.

Fasteners used to secure profiles and posts on Gre pools must be made of marine-grade stainless steel or have a high-resistance galvanic coating applied by the original manufacturer. Using standard untreated hardware-store screws causes galvanic corrosion, which perforates the perimeter sheet metal within just a few months.

Every structural joint between the post and wall requires self-tapping screws with protective washers that distribute the tightening force without chipping the profile’s protective coating. When replacing parts after work on the skimmer or on the Skimmer + AR100 return nozzle, always replace the gaskets and screws with compatible ones to maintain the watertight, rigid assembly required by European safety regulations for above-ground pools.