Winnipeg, Manitoba
Pool renovationin Winnipeg
Our first pool in Canada was a renovation in Winnipeg, in June 2025: an old backyard shell re-lined in reinforced PVC membrane, welded on site by the two of us.
The first and the last day of a Winnipeg pool
We came to Canada in May 2025, founded Membrane Surfaces Inc. in June, and that same month we were in a Winnipeg backyard re-lining a pool.
It was a renovation, not a new build. The shell was already there, with its steps, its round raised spa and years of use behind it. The new surface went over it the way every membrane renovation goes: an underlay first, then reinforced PVC membrane cut to the pool and welded seam by seam, then the steps and fittings by hand.
The two of us did the membrane work ourselves, as we did for twelve years in Russia and Kazakhstan before moving here. You can read that part of the story on our About page.
Where a re-line takes the most hand work
The first day of the same job, from the house side. Every pool has these places, and they decide whether a new surface stays smooth and holds water.
- The stepsEach tread and riser is cut, shaped and welded by hand. On the finished pool every step edge carries a light stripe, so the treads read clearly under water.
- The round spaA curved wall standing inside the pool. The membrane has to follow the curve without a fold, which is slow, careful welding.
- The fittingsEvery drain, return and light is cut out and sealed with a flange. The two floor drains are visible in the last-day photograph.
- The shell itselfA membrane takes the shape of whatever it is laid over, so the condition of the old surface is looked at before anything is priced.
The City lines its own outdoor pool the same way
In 2023 the City of Winnipeg tendered the replacement of the reinforced PVC membrane in its outdoor pool at 5 Des Meurons Street. Its specification, tender 883-2023, reads like a description of our work.
RENOLIT, whose ALKORPLAN membrane we are certified to install, describes reinforced membranes as a non-porous lining of reinforced polyester and PVC layers that adapts to any pool shape, size or existing material. The certificates themselves are on our Documents page, and the three makers we work with are on Membranes.
Permits in Winnipeg, from the City's own page
The City of Winnipeg publishes its rules for outdoor pools and hot tubs. This is what the page says today.
- Any outdoor pool or hot tub that can hold 600 mm (2 feet) or more of water needs a building permit under the Winnipeg Building By-law.
- The structural design of an in-ground pool has to be sealed by a structural engineer.
- Electrical work for an outdoor pool needs its own electrical permit, and plumbing needs a trade permit.
- A deck built around the pool needs a separate deck permit.
- Seasonal pools that can be taken apart do not need a building permit, but they still have to meet the by-law's fencing rules.
- Applications go through Permits Online, or to the Zoning and Permits office at 30 Fort Street.
Sending us a Winnipeg pool
Our office is in Woodbridge, Ontario, so a Winnipeg estimate starts from what you send. Every estimate is prepared by us after we review the pool, not generated from a square footage.
- Where the pool is: the address, or at least the part of the city.
- Its history: when it was built, what surface it has now, what has been done to it before.
- Its condition today, with photographs of the walls, the floor, the steps and every fitting. A detail that seems minor may matter.
- When you expect the work to begin.
We reply within three days with when the estimate will be ready. If the pool only leaks at a seam or a fitting, a membrane repair may be the first step; if it needs a new surface, the work is the same as in our installation steps, over the shell you already have.
Questions from Winnipeg pool owners
Do you take pool renovations in Winnipeg when your office is in Ontario?
Yes. Our office is in Woodbridge, Ontario, and we take projects across Canada. Our very first pool here was a renovation in Winnipeg, in June 2025.
Can a Winnipeg pool that has had a liner or a painted concrete surface get a membrane?
A reinforced membrane is laid over the shell that is already there, on a geotextile underlay, and RENOLIT writes that it adapts to any pool shape, size or existing material. What is under it has to be right first, which is why we review the pool before the estimate.
Do you work with pool companies in Winnipeg?
In most cases we work as subcontractors for pool companies, and several of them have already invited us back for more projects. A Winnipeg builder or service company can bring us in for the membrane part of a renovation.
Tell us about your pool
Every estimate is prepared by us, after we have reviewed the pool. Send photographs if you have them.