When To Replace A Pool Liner
Professionals recommend replacing your pool liner every 10 years at a minimum. However, with the current liners on the market today, expect to replace your pool liner every 6 to 8 years on average. If you wait too long to replace your pool liner, you could cause further damage like:
- Wall Damage When the water leaks through a tear in the liner, it will begin to cause rust to the steel walls.
- Floor Damage Water leakage can weaken the subfloor beneath the liner, leading to cracks. When this happens, the whole subfloor will need to be redone.
- As the water goes through the ground, it will affect the foundation the deck is supported by. Water will cause erosion, which causes cracks in the paving and makes your deck sink.
Remove The Old Pool Liner
After draining the pool, use a utility knife to cut up the old pool liner. Cutting them up in sections will also make it much easier for you to roll and dispose of it later on.
For overlap pool liners, youre going to need to remove the top rails to release the pool liner from the walls. When doing so, be sure to take note of all pool hardware that you removed. Place screws and bolts and in a small Ziploc bag, label them, and store them in a safe place to avoid losing them. Check the coping strips as well since they tend to become brittle with age. More often than not, youre going to need to replace the coping strips whenever you change your pool liner.
How Long Does A Pool Liner Last
On average, an inground pool liner will last 5 to 9 years, while an above-ground pool liner lasts 6 to 10 years. A typical 25-year liner warranty may only consist of 2 to 5 years of full protection before it’s proratedmeaning it loses value drastically every year.
An exact measurement of time is difficult to determine, but anything over ten years is impressive. With the right chemical balancing in your pool water, you can get more life out of your linernot maintaining chemical and pH levels in your pool water can destroy a vinyl liner.
- Keep your pool covered whenever its not in use.
- Dont let pets with claws swim in the pool.
- Fix tears as soon as they occur.
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Choosing A New Pool Liner
At this point, make a note of the size of your above ground swimming pool or measure it if you dont know before proceeding. Next, you need to purchase a new pool liner. A word of caution, purchasing the cheapest liner available may not always be the best for your pools needs. Its best to consider the thickness of the liner you are purchasing and it often determines how durable the liner will be. Also, its suggested to purchase some additional preventative liner protection since you have the primary liner out.
We recommend purchasing a Liner Guard to protect the bottom of your pool from any foreign objects puncturing the bottom of your swimming pool. Liner Guard is made from a geotextile material this gives the bottom of your pool soft cushy feeling while protecting your liner from foreign objects like rocks and tree roots.
The best way to save yourself time and money in the future is purchasing a Perfect Pool Bottom Kit, these kits use hard flat polymer material that give you a super smooth pool bottom that reduces your need for using sand and of course, it adds the additional protection you are looking for your pool. This kit includes a pool bottom liner and pool coving to prevent liner punctures creates a smooth transition between the pool wall and floor.
How To Clean Your Pool Liner
Help your sanitizer work more effectively, prevent algae blooms, keep bacteria from setting up camp on your liner, and keep your water chemistry stable by properly cleaning your liner on a regular basis. And guess what? You dont have to drain the pool first. In fact, you dont want to drain the pool first.
Draining your above ground pool can leave the liner vulnerable to damaging ultraviolet rays. It may also affect the integrity of the walls, or even cause your pool to collapse. Unless youre replacing the liner, dont drain your pool.
When the time comes to replace the liner, be sure you know how to drain a pool before you start. Youll save yourself a lot of headaches and avoid costly mistakes.
Youll need a few things to keep your liner clean.
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What Is The Average Life Of A Pool Liner
A professionally fitted and installed vinyl liner for an inground pool should last, on average, 10 years when properly maintained and the water chemistry is correctly balanced.
Liners in above ground pools typically last 5 to 10 years depending on usage and maintenance. If you empty your pool every year and store the liner in a container over winter it will last longer.
What To Consider When Buying
There are three types of pool liners to choose from, and often which one is best for you will be determined by the kind of pool you have and the aesthetic youre going for. The first type is called an overlap liner. These are easy to install and are pretty affordable. They fit almost all above-ground pools as well and come in a decent range of patterns and colors. The second type is beaded liners. These are the easiest of the three to replace, and theyre also the easiest to find in stores. Lastly, unibeaded liners are more of an investment and can be more challenging for novice pool owners to install. Be sure you find a liner that fits with your pools needs, your experience level, and suits the aesthetic youre going for.
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Above Ground Swimming Pool Liners
A new pool liner is a great way to update the look of your above ground pool. With loads of different colors, designs, shapes, and sizes to choose from, a pool liner from Dohenys can really brighten up your backyard. We carry a huge selection of overlap liners, beaded liners, overlap expandable liners, rectangular flat-bottom liners, and j-hook unibead liners.
Types Of Above Ground Liners
There are three basic types of above ground pool linersoverlap, unibead and beadedand the differences between them is just how they’re installed.
- Overlap liners. Overlap pool liners are usually the cheapest and easiest liner installation. They’re draped over the top of your swimming pool and clamped in place with strips called coping.
- Beaded liners. Beaded pool liners have a groove that is attached to a track around the edge of the pool. They create a very uniform and smooth look.
- Unibead liners. Also called universal bead liners or J-hook liners, these are probably the option because they’re easy to install, come in plain and tile patterns and create a very seamless look. They have a sort of J-shaped piece at the top that just hooks over the top of the pool.
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Above Ground Liner Diy Installation
Replacing your own above ground pool liner can be an easy weekend project that can save well over $1000, when you measure, buy and install your own pool liner.
Assuming that you’ve already measured the pool, and purchased your pool liner , let’s dive into the when and how of installing above ground pool liners.
Install Strucuture Part 2
It’s now time to finish the structure. Start by leveling all the posts that you installed earlier. The pieces of the top cap and posts are different for every pool, so make sure to consult with the “instructions” provided in the box.
Yours posts should somehow be lightly secured to the wall. It’s now time to install the top rails. One you have installed at least 3 top rails, your friends inside the pool should be able to jump out from that area, assisted by the friends outside.
Finish installing all the top rails and add the top caps as well. Your pool should be looking really nice at this point. You are done with the major structure now.
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Do I Need A New Liner
There are a few reasons you may decide that you want/need a new liner. Is it old? As time goes on, liners may lose elasticity and wear down due to the sun, weather, or chemical use. As this process progresses, eventually the liner will no longer be able to support the weight of the water. A typical vinyl liner will last between 10 and 15 years, but there are other factors that could reduce the life of your liner.
Were there errors in the first installation? If it is not installed correctly, it will not touch the ground and walls of the pool which can cause liner damage and tearing.
Has the liner been torn/cut/ripped? Small scratches and cuts can usually be patched up easily with a vinyl repair patch, but some cuts are impossible to repair, which means the whole liner needs to be replaced.
Was there improper chemical balance? If your water chemistry is always out of control, it may cause the liner to degrade faster, causing you to have to repair the liner sooner rather than later.
Above Ground Pool Liner Replacement Cost
To replace an existing above ground pool liner, the labor costs $200 to $800 or more for larger pools. Add the cost of the liner, and the total cost to install ranges from $350 to $1,600. Several factors will affect the price of installation, as each aspect makes it more difficult to line it up perfectly.
- Thickness of the pool liner
- Shape of the pool
- Solid color vs. swirl design
- Type of product to seal the edge
- Condition the pool is in
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How Do I Replace My Pool Liner Myself
If your liner is old, leaking and the wrinkles are permanent its time to install a liner in an above ground pool. The good news is most pool owners of an above ground pool can replace the vinyl liner themselves.
Replacing a liner is easier when the weather is fine and warm. This ensures the liner is more pliable and easy to work with.
Most liners come with instructions and the way you fit the liner depends on the type of pool you have as each pool manufacturer provides a different way to connect the liner to the top of the wall. When you purchase a replacement liner please ensure it comes with instructions or follow the original pool suppliers instructions.
Drain the Pool
Drain the water from the pool. You will need a submersible pump to remove all the water into a drain or creek. Some more advanced filtration systems have a valve for backwashing into a drain so you can drain the pool water into the drain with your pump. You need to connect a hose from the skimmer box to the bottom of the pool. Usually you can use the pool vacuum hose for this purpose. So its like vacuuming the pool into the drain until the pool is empty.
Some pool owners use a hose to siphon the water from the pool into a drain but this will take overnight at least and is only recommended for a small above ground pool. It will be difficult to get the last few inches of water out of the pool.
Remove the Old Liner
Disconnect the power supply, filtration system, skimmer box and pump.
Tips For Different Types Of Liners:
- Snap Bead liners snap into a separate track around the pool and are installed on top of the pool wall.
- V-Bead liners require no coping. The stabilizer rails will hold this liner in place.
- Unibead liners can be used as either a Snap Bead or a V-Bead liner. It comes as a V-Bead but you can remove the top portion to make it a Snap Bead liner.
- Overlap liners are hung over the pool wall. These are securing using plastic coping strips.
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Preparing The Pool Floor
Preparing the pool floor is crucial since the liner is the most delicate part of your above ground swimming pool. You want to make sure that the ground is clear of anything that could puncture it. The necessary preparations and above ground pool leveling solutions to apply will depend on the type of floor you have.
Sand floors are pretty easy to prepare. You simply have to smoothen and level the surface by knocking down high areas and filling in low ones. Also, check the sand cove and build it up if necessary. The cove is a wedge of sand that supports the liner and prevents it from slipping under the pool wall. It also provides a protective barrier that protects the liner from damages that the metal frame of the pool may cause it.
If you have a concrete floor you need to sweep it clean and remove any grit or pebble. You also need to patch any cracked or sunken areas. Even then, concrete floors still tend to be rough so consider installing a commercial pad or solid foam pad over it before installing the pool liner. Aside from protecting your liner from the rough concrete surface, it also gives your pool floor a soft and cushiony feel.
Installing A Round Overlap Liner
Starting at the liners wall same, place your liner on top of the pool wall, print side facing up with the flaps for the seams facing down. Keep the rails together at this time. Hang the liner over the wall of the pool with the seam straight up and down or perpendicular to the floor to ensure the liner goes over the wall straight.
Spread the liner out evenly around the pool and the center of the floor in the middle of your pool. Make sure there are no open seams as you install the liner. Be careful to avoid the wall seam over the skimmer or skimmer return. Once you have placed the liner in the proper position, using either alligator clips with cardboard or a few of your friends, secure the liner on the wall in 3 or 4 places. Begin the installation by taking 3 or 4 of the stabilizer rails off, hanging the liner over the pool wall.
This can be done with about one foot of liner overlapping on the outer pool wall. Spread out 4 or 5 feet of the liner around the top of the pool wall. At this point, you need to visually locate the seam where the floor portion of the liner and the wall portion of the liner meet. You need to adjust the liner so that it is positioned just at the top of the pool cove. Adjust by pilling more liner over the pool or letting more overlap.
A few extra installation tips:
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Overlap Liner Installation Instructions
Spread the liner evenly around the pool and center the floor in the middle of the pool. Once the liner is positioned properly, have helpers hold the liner on the wall in 3-4 places. If you are short on help, use alligator clips with pieces of cardboard .
Start by taking 3-4 top stabilizer rails off the pool and hanging the liner over the wall. You can do this with approximately one foot of liner hanging on the outside of the pool wall. Spread out about 4-5 feet of liner around the top of the pool wall to start.
From here, visually locate the seam where the wall portion of the liner and floor portion of the liner meet. Adjust the liner so this seam is located just at the top of your pools cove.
You adjust the liner by either pulling more liner over the pool wall or letting some of the overlap back inside the pool.
Once the seam is where it needs to be , place your coping strips on top of that portion of the liner. The coping strips slide over the liner on top of the pool wall to secure the liner to the wall. An alligator clip or a person to just stand and hold the section where you started will be helpful as you go around to maintain wall stability and keep the liner from coming unclipped.
PRO TIP: Once you get the first liner section hung, cut a piece of the coping the same length as the liner overlap. Use this cut piece of coping as a quicker way to measure your overlap as you work around the pool.
The Complete Guide To Above Ground Pool Liners
Its finally here. The day you walk outside and realize your above ground pool liner has become a mosaic of patches and quick fixes. And not in a pretty design, either. Its time to give in and get a new liner.
When you bought your above ground pool, it likely came as a packagethe frame, the liner, and maybe even the pump, ladder, and cover. You didnt have to make any decisions about those individual components. So how do you choose a replacement liner? And how do you care for it to make it last longer? Its just a matter of learning some terminology and a few maintenance tips, and youll be back to backstroking in no time.
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Remove Sod And Rake The Area:
Pools cant be installed on grass. The grass will rot and affect the pool liner. Plus, grass can shift or settle over time, making it unstable. This means you need to remove the sod from the marked area. Rent a sod remover from your local hardware store or equipment rental shop to make this job easier.Once youve dug up the sod you need to rake the area to remove any remaining grass, roots, rocks or other debris .Check that the area is level again. This is such a critical step its important to check everything is level over and over again throughout the installation process.
