Most of the pools are protected by liners. Liners extend the life of swimming pools by protecting walls and floors from damage and mold. These are made from durable components like vinyl or other synthetic materials. Installation is done during construction, using waterproof adhesive.
Above ground pools use overlapping or beaded liners. Overlay siding covers inches beyond the top of the wall, while lip siding uses siding locks that snap into a rail. There are also beaded vinyl liners for underground pools, but no overlay is applied. Most of the above-ground applications are simple, as the shapes are usually oval or round in shape. In-ground pools can be trickier with the different shapes. In-ground pool wall installation can be expensive and challenging and must be done by licensed pool contractors.
At some point, the liners will need to be replaced due to wear and tear. A licensed pool professional specializes in installing a replacement pool liner set especially for underground pools. Do-it-yourself though, installing a replacement pool liner is easy, whether it’s for an above-ground or in-ground pool. Here is a step-by-step process that can be helpful for a homeowner who can do it yourself.
First of all, you will need tools and supplies, such as trowels, sand, liner, and masking tape. In some cases, coping strips are used in place of a liner lock.
To remove the old liner set, you will need to drain the pool water. The top rail is removed by unscrewing the bolts and screws. The liner locks or cap strips are then removed before removing the old liners.
The sand is sifted to ensure that there are no rocks, it is smoothed and leveled with a trowel. The sand should prevent the growth of grass or weeds. The pool walls should also be checked to make sure the entire surface is smooth. The walls can be sanded, cleaned and painted if necessary to prevent rust. Masking tape can be used to cover severe rust damage or non-repairable surfaces.
While covering the area with the replacement pool liner, allow some slack as the replacement pool liner stretches when the water fills it. There should always be excess coverage over the top of the wall for an overlay replacement pool liner. Protection strips or padlocks are attached once the replacement pool liner is in place. Just make sure the replacement pool liner is smooth and straight. Once the replacement pool liner is in place, you can begin filling with water.
Make sure the edge or top of the wall is secure and the replacement pool liner does not slip or slip out of place. At this point, smoothing out the wrinkles would be easier as long as the water level is shallow, ideally below a foot deep. As the water fills the pool, you can start cutting holes for its accessories, such as the inlet and outlet of the filter pump. Strainer plates can be installed as the water continues to fill the pool.
Most do-it-yourself homeowners can install a replacement pool liner. When in doubt, there are licensed pool professionals who can do the job for you.