Expandable Pool Liners

by Paul
(Idaho)

I am thinking of buying a used 18x30 doughboy pool. It is an older model but in great shape. I can't find an 18x30 expandable liner online. Can I use an 18x33 expandable liner? Thanks

Hi Paul.

Before using an oversized liner I would contact In The Swim and see what the cost of a custom liner would be. They can make a liner any size you need it.

An oversized liner will leave you with a lot of wrinkles at the ends. Wrinkles this size are hard to clean. The liner will also wear out faster. Trying to keep the liner clean will be abrasive to the wrinkled areas eventually causing liner failure.

Expandable Pool Liner Replacement

by Phil
(Colonia, NJ, Middlesex)

I have inherited an old pool when I bought my home (age unknown) and I replaced the top rails since they were rusting about 3 years ago. I now think I need a new expandable pool liner since there is a lot of water on the ground around the pool and not much in the pool itself.

I think I need an expandable liner since once area of my pool goes to a six foot depth. Pool companies want to charge me around $1000 to replace the liner.

Can I buy one online and replace it myself to save money and will my wife be satisfied with the installation? (will it look like a professional did it?)

Hi Phil.

You might want to visit this page Holes in Vinyl Pool and if at all possible find the hole and patch it. Changing a vinyl liner in an expandable above ground pool can be an expensive process.

If you followed the directions on this page Expandable Liner Installation and used a Doughboy brand expandable liner you should end up with good results.

The only problem with ordering expandable liners online is you will probably wind up with a lot of wrinkles. I have yet to install an expandable liner made by any other company that went in as nice as a Doughboy.

I would suggest contacting several local installers and see what liner they recommended for your pool. Ask them how many wrinkles they expect to have when they are finished. Hopefully you can find someone who can confidently say that they can install a wrinkle free expandable liner, because not all pool installers can. If you find that person you can then ask them if the liner brand makes a difference. If you can find a recommended brand that is less expensive than Doughboy you might consider it. You can then consider whether this will be a do-it-yourself liner installation or if you are going to hire a contractor.

With the right liner and the right installation process you could probably do just fine installing it yourself. I'm sure you could do just as good as many so called professionals.

Expandable Liner Base

How should the bottom be landscaped on a 27' round pool for an expandable liner?

Hi. There are two basic designs for round pool deep ends. One way is to put the deep area off two one side. The page below illustrates a deep end done in this way.

Expandable Liner Installation

The other way is to dig the deep area out of the center of the pool. With both styles you need to make sure you always have about a foot and a half of walk way before digging the deep area. This means that you start at the sidewall and come in a foot and a half before starting the slope to the deep area.

The slope you put on the deep area is an important consideration. It needs to be sloped, not straight up and down. You need enough of a slope to be able to pack it with sand.

I use a washed mortar sand for all my deep ends. Once the deep area is shaped you should damped the area. You should then wet the sand before spreading it out. Once the sand has been smoothed onto the slopes I wet it down once more before installing the liner.

These pages might help also.

Above Ground Pool Deep Ends

Round Pool Deepends

Overlap Liners

Deep End

Do you need a special liner to have a deep end for an above ground pool?

Hi.

I will start by saying this discussion will be about steel walled, vinyl lined, above ground pools. As opposed to any of the soft side pools.

If you are just talking about sloping down about 3-4 inches deeper in the center, then the regular liner would probably do just fine. You would need to install it on a warm sunny day, but it should fit just fine.

If you plan on going deeper than that you should get an expandable liner. With an expandable liner you can dig an extra two to two and half feet deeper. On a round pool this deep area can be off to one side or it can be in the center. On most oval pools the deep area can be at one end or it can run the length of the oval.

Be sure to leave plenty of outer ledge for the pool frame to sit on and make gradual slopes. Most everything you need to know about expandable liners and deep ends can be found on these pages.

Expandable Liner Installation

Above Ground Pool Deep Ends

Oval Pool Deep Ends

Round Pool Deep Ends

Vinyl Liner Replacement

Liner For Deep End Pool

by Kayla
(Arkansas)

I was given an 18' X 36' pool that is 4' on the shallow end and 7' on the deep end, Doughboy pool. I have not the first clue about what kind of liner to buy or how to install one. Any suggestions would be great.

All I have been able to find online is that they cost about $600 but it didn't specify about the different depth ends.

Hi Kayla.

I would try to find a Doughboy brand liner in that size if you are going to do the deep end. A Doughboy liner will go down about 2 1/2 foot. Just because a pool once had a deep area does not mean you have to set it back up that way again. It can be set up flat bottom or with a smaller deep area if you want.

Flat bottom liners are much cheaper and easier to install. If you don’t really need the deep end you might consider that.

Doughboy liners have to be bought through a Doughboy distributor and are more expensive than other liners, but they are well worth it, especially if you are doing the deep end. Doughboy liners stretch into a deep area much better than any other liner on the market.

Here are a couple of pages with installation information.

Above Ground Pool Liner Installation

Oval Pool Installation

Expandable Liner Installation