Doughboy Expandable Liners for Deeper Pools

by An Marie
(Suffern, NY)

I am considering buying a Doughboy pool and read that the expandable liner could make our pool up to 7' deep. What are your thoughts on this product?

Hi An

You do not need to read too many of my pages to know that I am a big fan of Doughboy pools and Doughboy liners. They are by far the best, in my opinion.

That goes double for the Doughboy expandable liners. I have never, in forty plus years of doing this, installed an expandable liner that would install wrinkle free most of the time, unless it was a Doughboy.

If done properly you will have a pool without wrinkles and one that you can enjoy for many years to come.

Doughboy liners are the only ones I have ever placed into the ten plus year class. There may be others, but none I have ever seen.

This page shows a Doughboy expandable liner being installed.

Expandable Liner Installation

7ft Expandible Pool Liner

by Tim
(KY)

My wife and I purchased a foreclosed house that included a 15x30 pool. The pool is in great shape but the liner is bad. With a straight edge across the pool top rails, the deep end is 7'8". I can't seem to find a liner any deeper then 6ft. Any help on where I could get a deeper liner would be great.

Thanks, Tim

Hi Tim

Most expandable liners will go a little more than the specs say, but I would not try going as deep as 7' 8". You could check with someplace like In The Swim and have a liner custom made. This is a little expensive, but certainly a possibility.

The other option is to fill in the deep area with dirt. Water and compact it good, and then toss in some more sand for the base. This will bring the level up to what a standard expandable, or veri-depth liner would normally fit.

Check out this page before you install your new expandable liner.

Expandable Liner Installation

16x32 Doughboy Deep End

by Paula Smith
(Mansfield,Louisiana)

We bought a used Doughboy with no installation manual. My husband picked an area to put it. We have a pro coming to install. We are doing the ground work.

My husband squared off area then decided to use tractor to dig deep end. Of course its not gonna work. Our soil is red clay and it gets hard as concrete after it gets wet.

I say fill it back in, wet it, pack it, wait till it hardens and level area then let pro install. Then we can dig it out properly. He wants to build around deep end. Which would be best?

Hi Paula

Every time I went to do a Doughboy oval pool where my customer had dug the hole it was too big. Even after I told them exactly how to dig it, it was too big. That means backfilling and packing, not a good thing.

There are side brace structures that protrude into the pool by about three feet on each side. These brace assemblies must sit on level ground.

When I am building a Doughboy oval with a deep end I install the braces first. I then use my shoe as a spacer and come in one shoe from the pressure plates to start my deep end.

So unless you know exactly what you are doing you will probably be messing up the installers. I would check with them before doing anything.

Pool Liner With A Deep End Hopper

by Michele
(Virginia)

We have installed a 15X30 oval pool with a deep end. The liner we received with the kit has the hopper deep end, however, we are having problems with the liner.

We tried to install the liner at the deep end first and then the shallow end but there is about a 4 ft distance where the liner does not meet the wall.

Do we need to lay it out and use water to get the liner to meet the wall. It's a uni-bead liner that just slips over the walls and has black strips to keep it in place.

HELP!

Hi Michele

A uni-bead liner installs much the same as beaded liner. These instructions might help.

Beaded Liner Installation

The liner should be equal distance from the wall at all points, not up against the wall at one end and 4' away at the other. That will never work.

You could try to center it perfectly and see if the vacuum will draw it to the wall. On a hot sunny day this might work.

It sounds like the liner is not nearly big enough for the pool. That means the deep end may be too deep.

It might also be advisable to contact the place where you bought the pool and see what they suggest.

Deep End on Oval Pool

by David
(Chesapeake, VA)

I have an 18 X 33 above ground pool x 52". Is it OK to lower one end of the pool to 56"? Will the line stretch and fit?

Hi David

A standard overlap liner should easily be able to go a few inches deeper at one end.

An oval pool may have straps that go across the bottom of the pool, connecting the braces. If you have these in your pool do not try to lower that area.

The best way to make sure you have enough liner to pull over the pool wall is to stretch it into place. Doing this on a warm sunny day is important. It is much more difficult to install a liner on cold or cloudy days.

For tips about installing your overlap liner visit these pages.

Expandable Liner Installation

Above Ground Pool Liner Installation