Esther Williams Variable Depth

by Kevin
(New Hampshire)

I've recently picked up a round 48" deep x 27 ft wide Esther Williams pool on Craigslist and am going to be installing it partially in-ground (against a hillside) later this spring.

I want to make it variable depth with a 4 ft outer "ring" that then gradually slopes down over another 5 ft to a final 6 ft deep inner center with a 9 ft diameter.

I've been checking online and it seems that all the variable depth liners are of the 'overlap' type while the Esther Williams uses a channel 'beaded' liner.

Will a standard E-W liner stretch enough to fit my described profile?

Or do I either convert the pool to use an 'overlap' liner (not even sure if this is possible with a E-W pool) or must I have a custom sized beaded liner made.

Are there any other options? If a custom liner is needed can you make any recommendations for who can do this?

Thanks, Kevin

Hi Kevin.

I would need photos of the pool you are working with to know for sure that this would work, but it should. I would convert to an overlap liner. Overlap liners are much cheaper to buy and they also install much easier into a deep area. Beaded variable depth liners can be almost impossible to get the wrinkle out of. A beaded liner, when installed like the one on this page

Expandable Liner Installation

can be installed without any wrinkles most of the time. Some of the cheaper online liners will tend to wrinkle no matter what you do with them, but a good quality expandable liner will not.

Most of the time coping can be installed under the bead receiver, and then the receiver re-installed to stabilize the wall. This is not always the case, just most of the time.