Swimming pool liners - general information
There are generally two different types of swimming pool and two different types of swimming pool liner that work with them. The swimming pools themselves can be of the conventional below-ground form, or the cheaper above-ground version.
Above ground pools are made of a metal, plastic or moulded material and they have a smooth internal surface which does not necessarily require a separate liner. Even so, many owners choose to improve the look and feel of these pools by adding a vinyl liner.
Below ground pools are constructed in the ground and they have no finished internal surfaces. For this reason they “must have” a separate pool base and wall liner.
Traditionally below-ground pools have used tile and grout linings that are hard wearing and durable, but equally they are hard to the touch and expensive to replace. However, over recent years vinyl liners have become increasingly popular and they are now the first choice for most pools.
What is a vinyl pool liner
Swimming pool liners are made from a prefabricated vinyl envelope that is fitted to the walls and base of a pool as a single component. These liners can be ordered in standard pool sizes or made to measure for any pool of any shape and size.
These vinyl liners can be fitted very quickly, usually by a specialist contractor, using a clever vacuum technique that sucks the liner to the floor and walls of the swimming pool. The entire process takes a matter of hours and produces a high quality finish that is barely discernable from a tiled and grouted swimming pool lining.
Different types of liner
The two different types of swimming pool liner are the overlap or overlapping liner and the beaded or tracked liner.
Both of these liners will work with an above ground pool, however the only vinyl liner that fits a below-ground swimming pool is the beaded version.
The overlap liner has a self-descriptive name as this type of liner runs up the side walls of an above ground pool and laps over them (hanging down over the outside face). Naturally there are finish treatments to improve this style of liner’s appearance and these include attractive capping details.
The beaded pool liner has a much more complex way of terminating and its edges do not reach the top of the pool walls. Instead special beads (that are formed in the top edge of the liner) fit into a track that runs around the perimeter of the pool walls a few centimetres below the top of the walls. This gives the beaded pool liner an almost identical look to a tiled pool and this, along with its big cost saving, is the beaded pool liners main appeal.
Reasons to use a vinyl swimming pool liner
Vinyl pool liners have a number of advantages over tiled and grouted linings. Here is a summary of the main plus points –
- Price – they are cheaper to buy and fit than tiled pool finishes.
- They have a simpler fitting system than tiles and this means less disruption along with a pool that is finished sooner.
- Vinyl has a soft tactile feel and this means that you are less likely to bump, bruise or injure yourself than you are with hard tiles.
- Vinyl liners come in many colours with different patterns. Nearly all seek to replicate the appearance of a tiled and grouted swimming pool finish.
- A damaged vinyl liner can be quickly and easily removed and replaced. There is no worry about matching tiles or grout and the process can be completed in a single day.
- Finally, vinyl pool liners can be used with both types of swimming pool, i.e. above and below ground versions.