Swimming pool liner fitting tips (page 2)

This is page 2 of 3 describing how to remove an existing swimming pool liner and fit a new one (beaded or overlap). Use the links below to access the other 3 pages.

Page 1 covering tools, when to fit, and liner removal.
This page covering pre-liner preparation, and fitting and adjusting.
Page 3 fitting and adjusting (continued) and finishing off.

Pre-liner installation preparation

Here are some general "good house keeping" tips that you should take note of before you get your new liner out of its packaging. They assume that any old liner has already been removed.

• Clean the pool base and walls with a leaf blower, blowing all of the loose debris and any undesirable material to one corner where they can be thoroughly swept up and cleaned.
• If at this stage the pools structural condition looks questionable, get a contractor to perform a survey and make any necessary repairs or remedial work.
• If required, use a No.60 grade sand for the pool bottom.
• Use duct tape to cover the edges of copings and any other potentially sharp surfaces that could damage the vinyl liner above or within close proximity of the pool.
• Seal around the top of the skimmer (outside the pool) with duct tape to create an airtight seal so that suction will not be lost against the pool's walls during vacuuming.
• Make sure that the pool's side walls are clean, smooth and free from any projections.
• Any side wall seams should be covered with tape to maintain a smooth projection free surface finish.
• Apply any coving, cushioning side batts or other protection and tactile treatments that you are using to the cleaned side walls and base immediately prior to getting the liner out of its packaging.

Fitting and adjusting the liner

Firstly, protect the liner from possible damage from skimmers (inlets) etc by covering them with duct tape before the liner is taken out of its packaging and placed in the pool.

Unroll the liner at one end of the pool starting width ways and then commencing from the deep end first. This is at least a two man job (one either side). Be careful not to damage the vinyl, or to allow it to catch on the sides of the pool or the pool base.

Note - The packaging containing the liner will normally indicate the orientation of the liner within it using arrows, so it should be easy to start with the liner facing the right way.

Once spread over the pool, try to get the liner accurately positioned in the pool and roughly held in place at either, four points along the walls (i.e. one for each side wall for a smallish pool), or at each corner. In the case of an overlap pool-liner, the liner can be hung over the entire perimeter and then easily pulled into the correct alignment.

Many liners will have marks that indicate the exact position of each corner of a (e.g. a rectangular) pool. If this is the case, and you have a beaded liner, you can feed the liner bead into the track at these corner points and the basic lining up is done.

At this point there are two slightly different approaches for fitting and tightening the liner within the swimming pool. I have titled them approach 1 and approach 2. Approach two is covered in the "Finishing off" section.

Approach 1. Next, have one or two people inside the pool, who can start to smooth out the liner from the centre of the pool outwards, with a further one or two people (outside the pool) adjusting and removing creases along the pool's walls. This process will take place as water is slowly pumped into the pool. A soft broom, towels and cloths are required for the smoothing out part of this task.

At this stage it is important to fill the pool very slowly so that you have ample opportunity to make any adjustments. No water should be placed in the pool until the base of the liner appears to be crease free and correctly aligned.

As a general guide, virtually all of the adjusting of the liner should be completed by the time that there is one foot to eighteen inches of water in the bottom of the pool. If this has not happened, and there are still major folds and creases visible, turn the water off.

During this time the vacuum can be slipped down one of the side walls to suck out any air and pull the liner tight to the walls. Having two vacuums, i.e. one either side of the pool, will be the most effective way to do this.

As any creases disappear and the liner starts to tighten against the pool's surfaces, the liners beading can be fed into the track bit by bit. This is a process controlled by observation and feel. Some sections of the liner will fall into place on their own, whilst others will need a tug or the rubbing out of the occasional fold or crease.

With the likes of skimmers, mark and cut the vinyl openings for these inlets from the inside as the filling water level approaches them (i.e. a few inches below them). This way they are accurately cut. Once this is done fit the plates over the cut-outs in the vinyl and the skimmer. Alternatively, the plates can be fitted over the liner against the inlets and the liner cut with a utility knife once they are screwed in place.

With pool steps adopt a similar approach ensuring that the cutting is as accurate as possible.

Using this method a combination of water pressure, human observation, pulling out creases and vacuum suction fit the liner tightly to the pools horizontal and vertical surfaces.