Above ground liners are purchased based on pool shape & size, liner depth, liner thickness, how liner fastens to pool (overlap vs. beaded), and finally the desired liner pattern.
A large variety of liners are available for round, oval, and rectangle pools. This includes flat bottom, expandable, and hopper bottom liners (rectangular pools only).
For a round pool the diameter across the pool from inside wall to wall is measured. Oval pools are measured from the center of each end (inside wall to inside wall) + width of the pool measured in the middle of each side (inside wall to inside wall). Rectangle pools are measured by the length and width of swim area only (inside wall to inside wall).
If the pool bottom is flat, take the measurement of the wall height from outside of the pool. If an expandable liner is desired they are available in 60" and 72" depths. For rectangle pools with hoppers - determine if depth is 5-1/2 feet or 7-1/2 feet deep. Also, be sure to know who your pool manufacturer (Kayak® or Fantasea™) is.
An overlap liner (as the name implies) has excess material that folds over the wall to the outside of the pool and is often visible from the outside. It is capped with flat or round coping that secures it to the wall. If a liner is beaded, the top of the wall has an obvious thick bonded vinyl material that would allow the liner to fasten into a track (aka. the bead receiver) on the pool wall or have a thick hook that slips over the wall itself. Some beaded liners may have both these features such as Unibead , Duobead , or EZ bead liners.
Please consult a pool specialist if you are considering switching to a different type of liner. Additional materials may be required. Occasionally changing liner types may not be possible.
Ideally a liner should be installed on a sunny day with moderate temperatures no less than 70 F and preferably no hotter than 85 F. Both the sunlight and the ambient air temperature help the vinyl to relax . If the temperature is too cold, the liner will be stiffer and more difficult to work into position, manufacturing folds may be apparent and the liner will not lay properly against the wall. If the temperature is too hot the vinyl liner will relax and stretch too much , possibly thinning the material as well as creating wrinkles / folds due to excessive (overstretched) material.
It provides an important protective layer between a vinyl swimming pool liner and it's sand or soil base.
Wall foam helps protect your liner from rust and corrosion and it will improve your pools heat retention.
Cove molding helps eliminate stretching, pulling and tearing at the bottom, and is easier to use than trying to mold your sand.
View the video below for a visual explanation of how each of these three components work together to protect your above ground pool liner. If you can't see this video, please view it on YouTube.
NOTE: When ordering a beaded liner the actual wall height must be known. Please click here to determine your bead style.
