AGP with 60" (or 66") wall

by Alan
(Nicaragua)

I would like to build a round, flat bottom AGP with a wall height of 60" (even 66" if possible) using an overlap type liner. Searching the internet it appears that 54" is the maximum liner wall height.

If I don't want to use an expandable liner (issues with wrinkles and limited color/print selection), is a custom liner my only option? Or, is there sufficient, extra material on "stock" AGP liners to cover a 60" (or 66") wall? Thanks.

Hi Alan

Many years ago I would say no problem to what you are asking. Today, however, it's a different story.

Vinyl Liner Overhang has gotten much less over the years. It started happening about the same time the walls started getting bigger. The old 48 inch liners had so much extra liner we would tuck at least a foot or better back into the pool. When the 52 inch walls started becoming popular most of the standard 48 inch liners would fit them just fine.

Then they all started to shrink. I have installed 52 inch liners into 52 inch pools with only a few inches left over. It can be even worse with a 54 inch liner into a 54 inch wall.

Given a Doughboy brand 48 - 52 inch expandable liner, and a hot sunny day, I could probably still make it work. And with a Doughboy liner there are never any wrinkle issues. But there is no way I would recommend you trying it. That is a very expensive investment to make and have it come up short by an inch or two. But using this method it might be possible.

Expandable Liner Installation

I would check with In The Swim and see what the cost a making a custom liner would be. It should not be that difficult to add the needed inches to the side material. They also have all the fancy colors to choose from.

Be sure you understand the difference between mil and gauge before ordering. A 20 mil liner is close to being equivalent to a 25 gauge liner. A 20 gauge liner is about 16 mil, very thin. So you would probably want to go with a 25 gauge, at least that's what I would do.

I would love to see photos of the completed project. I hope it turns out well.

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Sep 13, 2011
 Other Options?
by: Alan

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I'll call a few liner vendors over the next few days and see what they say and report back for the benefit of this posting.

I have another thought I'd like to bat around and would appreciate member's/visitor's comments. I have some experience working with PVC membranes in the roofing industry. We used both a heat welding tool (like a paint stripper on steroids) and adhesives to weld seams to make a totally waterproof roofing membrane (and with a little practice it is very DIY-able). In that trade the PVC membrane is 60 mil (or more) and has a polyester scrim (mesh) embedded in it. If I could get my hands on some extra material the same as the liner, could I either weld or glue a strip to a "stock" liner to increase the wall height to 60 inches (or 66")? Or, and I may be answering my own question, is the PVC membrane used in prefabricated pool liners too thin/unsuitable (at 20-30 mil) to seam as a DIYer using such means?

Thanks.

Hi Alan

My experience with vinyl repair would say it is too thin for the DIYer to seam together. I have never seen it done. I have done some pretty large patches with glue but nothing like what you are talking about.

Sep 16, 2011
 Buyer Beware - specs highly variable
by: Alan

Thanks to this thread I dove back in :) for another round of more informed and specific questions for liner vendors offering 60" and 72" AGP liners (expandable or otherwise).

Two vendors said that their 60" and 72" liners indeed were designed to fit 60" and 72" walls (60"/72" from floor seam to wall top).

Six vendors said that their 60/72" liners were designed for only 48-52" walls (floor seam to wall top) with extra material in the floor to accommodate a "hopper" of 1 to 2 feet. Of the six, four were clueless about about the possibility of perhaps adding 12-24" of material to the wall on a custom order. And, two of these vendors stated right away that a "special" or custom order was certainly possible. I had the feeling that for these two every order was cut to/on order and not just stock off the shelves.

So, a 60/66" wall in an AGP liner is possible. Just be very careful about listed specs and sales-speak.

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