How to install above ground liners

If you have a concrete floor under your liner, floor prep includes sweeping the floor clean to remove any grit or pebbles, and patching any cracked or sunken areas. Above ground pool floors are not as strong as sidewalks or driveways, and cracks are not uncommon. Vermiculite is an often used above ground pool floor material that is easy to work with, and easy to repair.

As an option to extensive pool floor repair, Liner Pad installs on the floor of the pool. These are ordered to fit the size of your pool, and spread out in place before the liner is installed.

It also gives the floor a softer feel, and can help prevent divots on sand pool bottoms. Wall Prep involves using Duct Tape to tape over any bolt holes or bolt heads used where the wall panel connects, and inspecting for rust or other signs of corrosion. Rust is common at floor level on above ground pools, and to protect the new liner, trowel a sand cove up against the wall, or use Foam Cove sections.

Rusty walls can be scraped, sanded and painted with a rust conversion paint or rust hiding paint. As an option to extensive wall repair, Wall Foam can be adhered to the walls of the pool before installing the liner, to protect and cushion the liner. It also gives the wall a softer feel, and helps reduce punctures. Be sure to check the weather forecast for stormy or cold weather, which could postpone the installation.

For best results warm weather is best, to allow the liner to stretch more easily. As a minimum, temperatures should be 65 degrees, calm winds and no rain. With temperatures from degrees, keep the liner stored inside a warm house until you are ready to install. Second thing to check is the label on the box, to confirm that the pool size listed on the box matches your actual pool size. At this point it may be wise to double-check with a diameter measurement of the pool, before you open the box and spread out the liner, which makes returning an incorrect liner difficult.

Open the box carefully, without any sharp implements, to avoid cutting the liner. Unroll the liner inside the pool, from side to side, and then while standing outside the pool, people reach over the wall to grab the liner and spread it out around the pool. Use pennies or Popsicle sticks on overlap liners to temporarily hold the liner in the track and for overlap liners, use clothes pins or other clamps. Overlap Liners: With clothespins, or using Coping Strips, adjust the liner so that the overlap on the outside of the wall is consistent all the way around the pool, and the liner is just barely touching the floor.

It can take some time to get the drape just proper, without any twisting of the liner, and without large wrinkles.

Pull and push the liner towards the wall to work out any wrinkles, and continue to adjust the amount of overlap until consistent around the entire pool, and the liner is about 1" above the floor. Beaded Liners: Check that the bead of the liner is fully inserted and hanging correctly around the pool. If there are diagonal wall wrinkles, shift the liner in the track to remove the twisting. Reach over the wall and pull up on the liner to pull any floor wrinkles toward the pool wall.

The liner is meant to stretch into place somewhat, so it should not be contacting the floor fully, but slightly raised above the floor. This step could be considered optional, but can be very helpful in preventing wrinkles in your new liner. Snake the vacuum hose into the skimmer top, and out through the skimmer front opening, running about halfway down the pool wall. Use lots of duct tape around the top of the skimmer, to prevent air from leaking around the hose.

Turn on the vacuum, and within a few minutes you should see the liner suction tightly to the walls and floor of the pool. You may also see some wrinkles on the walls and floor. If so, shut off the vacuum and pull and push on the liner towards the nearest wall. Turning on the liner while you quickly yank the liner towards the wall, or push the liner with a pool brush , or just with your hands, can often help pull wrinkles out towards the wall, or smooth them out into larger areas.

For Overlap liners, if you are struggling with many wrinkles across the floor, check that the overlap is even, or consider pulling the liner over the wall more, so there is less vinyl in the pool. The wall seam on the liner, where the wall meets the floor, can help you gauge an even overlap around the pool. Very small wrinkles on the floor and wall often smooth out with the weight of the water.

After an inch of water is in the pool, but no more than that you can rework any remaining wrinkles by pushing the vinyl toward a wall, or smoothing it flat into a larger area.

Before filling the pool, be sure that the top rails are all reassembled to provide the structural strength for the pool walls. Once you have the liner set with the vacuum the way you like it it can take many attempts before you get there , keep the vacuum running until you have at least 6 inches of water in the pool.

Remove the hose from behind the liner, and remove the duct tape. While filling the pool, monitor the liner to be sure that wrinkles don't re-develop, or to confirm that small wrinkles are smoothing out properly. Overlap liners should also be checked to be sure they aren't overstretched. Once the floor is held in place with a few inches of water, you can release any tension on the wall vinyl by removing and reinstalling the Coping Strips one at a time.

Excess vinyl overlap on the outside of the pool can then be trimmed if desired. Then duct tape the open space at the skimmer and return jet for an air tight seal. Plug the vac into a safe GFCI outlet. When you turn the vac on, if there are any wrinkles, or desired adjustments with the liner, manipulate them by hand before filling.

As the vac runs, and the liner is adjusted to your likeness, you can start filling the pool with water. You think your work is done, but it is not done yet.

Fill during hot and sunny hours only. Fill only when someone is home to check on the filling process every 20 minutes until the pool is half way full. If something loosens, pulls inwards, or slips at the top, turn everything off, adjust, tighten clamp down, and resume filling. Important: Check filling process every 20 minutes until the pool is half way full. The shop vac continues to run until the pool is half way full. As it fills, pull the vac hose up a little bit at a time so that it stays above the water level in the pool.

When the water reaches the half way point, eliminate the vac by pulling the hose out of the pool wall. Then cut the holes for your plumbing pieces including the skimmer box and return jet. Search Search our store. Round Pool Liners 12' 15' 16' 18' 21' 24' 27' 28' 30' 33'. For best results, this pool liner is designed to be installed according to the instructions enclosed.

Failure to follow these instructions will void the warranty. For additional video installation instruction, go to linerworld. For best results, this pool liner is designed to be installed in 80 degrees or warmer temperatures. Filling should be completed in hot and sunny conditions, daylight only, do not fill at night. It is recommended to hire a professional contractor. However, the buyer assumes the risk, as the general contractor, when the buyer chooses a contractor.

If the contractor does not follow the instructions, the burden falls between the buyer and the contractor and not on the seller. If the pool begins to lose water after several days of holding water, it is likely due to improper use, abuse, poor maintenance, poor water chemistry, or act of God.

It is your responsibility to ensure your pool meets all National, State, and Local building codes and safety requirements.