Beaded Liner Size

How do I measure my pool to determine if I need a 48" or 52" tall beaded pool liner?

Hi.

The measurement they are looking for is from the bottom of the wall to the top of the wall. This can be taken from either the inside of the pool or the outside, whichever is easiest to get to the bottom of the bottom rail. You can then measure up to just under the top rail.

Some beaded liners can tend to be a little on the big and baggy side so there are a few more things you might consider before ordering one.

If the liner that is currently in the pool fits just fine, try to buy the exact same thing. If it has a lot of wrinkles on the sides or the bottom, chances are it was a little big for the pool.

With a beaded liner little things like too thick of sand on the base, or too large of coves, can make a big difference in how a liner fits.

We were doing installs one year for a store that insisted on selling beaded liners. The only liners we could get to actually fit the pool correctly were 48" liners with 52" pool walls. This combination worked perfect.

If you are not using the exact same thing that came out of the pool you may want to ask the manufacturer a couple of questions. Find out how large the cove should be and how thick of a base the recommend. Will the 52" liner work OK with a 6" cove and a 2" base, or does it need a 4" cove with a ground level base? Try to get as much information as possible before buying.

Find beaded liner installation tips on this page.

Beaded Liner Installation

Beaded Pool Liner Question

Will a 33' x 48" inch beaded pool liner fit a 33' x 52" foot above ground pool?

Hi.

On a nice hot day with plenty of direct overhead sunlight you would have no problem.

Oval Pool Beaded Liner Size

by Robert
(Millington TN)

I have an oval that is a strange size. 18' X 32'4". Does this sound like a normal measurement?

By the way it is a beaded liner 48"deep. Will an 18' X 32' work? Or should I special order?

Hi Bob.

It would not be at all uncommon for a 32' pool to measure 32' 4". The 32' liner should work just fine. I prefer them a little on the small side anyway, since most seem to be baggy.

The amount of sunshine will have a lot to do with how the liner fits. It is not uncommon to insert the liner in the bead, all the way around, and be short of liner by a couple of feet. You than take it all out and start over, this time pulling the bead a little tighter as you go. It may take a few times to get it right.

On a hot day you may get all the way around and have too much liner. Same story, take it all out and start over, this time pushing back and bunching the bead a little as you go. Sooner or later it all works out, or at least it should.

Another tip for installing beaded liners is to make sure your bottom seams are lined up perfectly before you start. Oval liners will have one of several seam configurations. You might have one seam running down the center from end to end. You might have several side to side seams, or possibly two or three running from end to end. Use these seams to align the liner before you start putting into the groove.

Using the single end to end seam as an example you should set the seam at one end in the dead center of the end. This will either at an upright or directly between two of them. Hold the seam to the wall with your foot and raise the liner straight up from that point and insert it into the bead receiver. It's usually helpful to have someone hold your starting point so it does not come out.

This page offers a little more advice for beaded liner installations.

Beaded Liner Installation

Beaded Liner For Deep Center

by Roger Yates
(St John, IN)

I have a 54" x 27' round AGP that was installed 18 years ago. The installer did a "deep center" approximately 60" deep with center drain and installed a beaded liner.

From reading your excellent website I now find that a beaded liner is not suitable for this type of installation. The liner has finally worn to the point where it has countless pinholes and is losing water.

I plan on replacing the liner and am leaning toward eliminating the deep center and going with a beaded liner. Can I use sand to fill in the center or is clay preferable? The walls have rust spots and in some cases rusted through. What is the largest galvanized metal patch I can attach to the inside wall without jeopardizing the structural integrity of the pool?

Any comments or thoughts you have are appreciated.

Hi Roger.

The thing with deep end beaded liners is they have to fit perfect. If the pool manufacturer made a beaded liner that fit a certain sized deep area then it might be OK. To find an aftermarket liner that will just happen to fit your existing deep center would be difficult.

You do not want to use sand as fill. Use something that will pack solid and not shift.

I would leave this area a little deeper that a real flat bottom. Beaded liners tend to be a little big so leaving the center a few inches deep would help.

Correct Liner Size

I purchased a used pool oval 16' x 32'. The guy said it was four and half feet deep. But the wall measures 52". I need to order a new liner beaded. So if I order a 16x32 beaded 52" high will it fit? Do you recommend a 20 or 25 gauge?

Hi.

The 52" is what you are looking for, that should be the correct size for your beaded liner. That does not mean it will fit your pool, it just means it should.

Beaded liners tend to be a little long on the sides. So if you get it in and it seems too large you can always lower your cove or remove some of the pool base. Or you could just leave the excess on the sides and have a few wrinkles.

On the other hand, it might fit perfect. In Arizona, when the temperature exceeds 110 degrees I prefer using a 48" liner with a 52" wall, they just seem to melt in perfectly. But if you are not working in that kind of heat you better stick with the correct size liner.

A 25 gauge liner is pretty close to the thickness of a 20 mil liner, that would be my choice. The 20 gauge are awfully thin, a two or three year liner at best. If that is all you need it's not a bad choice, but if you are wanting five years or more go with the heavier one.

48" Unibead Liner on 52" Pool

by Shannom
(pa)

Hello, I, being a dummy, measured my pool from the inside of the pool at the sand level. I assumed (which you should never do and I continue to learn this) since the liner sits on top of the sand the depth should be measured from there up, I later learned I was wrong. Lets not forget I learned this AFTER I already received my pool liner and realized I would lose about $90 on shipping and restocking fees. I honestly just wanted to cry from frustration until I came across a post of yours stating you used 48" liners on 52" walls for an entire season. Obviously you are the "pro" but do you think it's possible for me to do this, being an amateur, without ruining my liner?

Hi

It is very possible but you have to make use of the sun. The liner needs to stretch in the direct sunlight on a hot day.

If the liner is attached to the top of the wall, like I think you mean, it needs to be secure. Many pools that use j-hook liners have rods that go over the liner bead. That should hold the liner in place while it stretches a little.

Building up the cove is also an option if you need to. One way or the next you should be able to get the liner installed.

And you are very right, I have installed many 48" beaded liners in 52" wall pools. In the hot Arizona sun it is very easy.