Expandable Liner Not Working

by Jodi
(South Jersey)

We are installing a 28' round doughboy with a 6' deep end. We attempted to put the liner in yesterday but after filling about 5000 gal we realized the liner is bunching on one side and not touching the wall on the other side of the pool. I don't believe it will stretch in because the bottom seam isn't in the cove. It's about 4" on the bottom. Basically it went in crooked. So as we wait for it to drain the perfectly fresh 5000 gal of water I was wondering if the liner will re-stretch in ok or will it shrink?

Hi Jodi

Be sure you are installing the liner per instructions on this page.

Expandable Liner Installation

The next most important thing is to use the sun. Stretching a liner into a deep end should only be done in full sun. The liner will stretch a lot as long as it is in direct sun. When the sun is off the area that needs stretching it is best to turn the hose off and start it again the next day.

Your liner should be just fine to drain and start over again. Shrinking does not normally start until the liner is a couple of years old, till then you are fine to do it until you get it right. As long as you don't cut the skimmer opening, once you do that it better be right. That's why I suggest that beginners wait until the pool is filled to just below the skimmer opening before attempting to install it.

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Jul 24, 2014
 Day 2 retry liner install
by: Jodi

Sooooo after waiting for it to drain the water we tried again. This time we followed the directions more closely, wink wink, and really paid more close attention. We didn't quite get the liner to float above the pool floor in the middle but it was barely touching so we felt it was close enough considering it's such a big pool. We tugged and stretched and pulled until the bottom seem was about 14" from the top rail. We started filling the pool when the sun was almost overhead.

The first time attempt I don't think we let the liner stretch enough. It really needs to be taunt. I think we let it down into the pool too soon the first time. The deep end was definitely challenging. Lots of monitoring and checking to make sure it wasn't too taunt. After a very long day of releasing and reclamping it was a success!!! Not one single wrinkle.

Now we have to start taking the top rail off in sections to put the liner under it. I feel a certain sense of accomplishment now after such a trying experience. Glad we didn't try to keep filling it the first time when we realized it wasn't quite right. Better to cut our loss of 5000 gal of water and restart the right way. So my father always said persistence beats resistance and it's true. There is a very fine line between too taunt and just right with these expandable liners. At times I thought it might buckle the uprights and wall. It's hard to describe the right tension. I would slap the liner and almost listen for the right sound.

Great news, glad it worked out.

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