Pool Liner Too Small

by Shawna
(Ky)

We have just installed a 27 foot 54 in deep above ground pool. When we installed the liner it was so tight on one side that the wall started to buckle when we started the water, so we drained the water and started over. After doing so, in the rain, it seemed that no matter how hard we tried we couldn't get the seam to go completely around the bottom to the cove.

We finally decided to measure to make sure that we had the correct liner. We measured the seam on the bottom from one side to the other and it only measured 25.7 feet. Due to this being last night I haven't gotten a chance to talk to the liner company that I ordered the liner from, but this seems like the liner is not a 27 foot liner.

We only have about 2 inch overhang all the way around the pool, so I'm not sure how this could work. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hi Shawna.

That is very normal for a liner being installed in cold weather. If you add some direct sunlight on a warm day it will be a whole different story. The bottom could easily grow by a foot or so with some sunlight. Once the liner gets warm, and the wrinkles get pushed to the edge, the liner will stretch out.

So I would try it one more time on a warm sunny day. Be sure the seam is even all the way around. Wherever it falls is fine as long as it is even.

If the liner is centered, and the overhang is even, it is not critical how much overhang you have. A few inches is nice, more is better, but two inches will work if the liner is set correctly.

27' Round Pool Liner Too Small

by Denise
(Illinois)

I have a 27 ft round pool that needed a new liner. I purchased a 27' liner. It will not fit the pool, it is too small.

I measured the length of the bottom of the liner and it came to 24 1/2 - 25 feet. Shouldn't it be larger to go to the middle of the pool cove? Could I have been sent a 24 foot liner by mistake?

I have already discarded the old liner, so I could not measure it. I have a 52 inch wall and the overlap was barely enough to cover with the pool cove. My pool is made by Home and Roam, 13 years old. What should a 27' liner measure across the bottom from seam to seam?

Hi Denise

The measurement across the bottom of a pool liner will depend on the temperature, and the direct sunlight. Try it at high noon on a warm sunny day. It should stretch out just fine.

It might also be helpful to stretch the liner into place.

Above Ground Pool Liner Installation

Pool Filled and Noticed Liner Pulled

by Gloria Peters
(New Glasgow, Novanscotia)

When our pool was filling we noticed the liner pulling in. We ended up with a quarter inch of liner over hang only. When we do get in the pool and use it is there any chance the liner can come completely off the side?

Hi Gloria

The posts above might help also. The liner just may need more heat, more direct sunlight. But, if you have already cut the skimmer opening I would leave it as is. As long as the pool remains full there is no more pull downward. It should stay as it is and it should be OK to use.

Larger Liner Than Pool Size

I have a 24 ft. round above ground pool. We made the mistake of not checking to make sure it was perfectly round before securing it.

Now the 24' liner won't work. It is an overlap liner. Would it be ok to use a bigger liner?

Hi.

This is not something I would do. First off, an over sized liner looks terrible. It would be a complete mess of wrinkles, especially on the sides. Most of the time you would have so much excess liner around the top it becomes next to impossible to keep the coping on.

My second concern would be the integrity of the pool. If a pool is so far out of round that you run out of liner in any one spot, that's not good.

Above ground pools really do need to be round. In fact, pools need to be perfectly round and perfectly level. If it were me, I would start over.

Wall Buckling Because of Tight Liner

I installed my pool this past weekend and everything was and is perfectly level. I used a beaded liner but one end seems to be a lot tighter than the other and the liner was not against the pool wall but stretched out about 6" away from the wall. I figured once I put water in the pool this would push the liner against the wall but as the pool filled to about a foot the pool wall began to buckle above the water line. Am I in danger of a collapse or will the water pressure push the dents back out of the pool wall?

Hi
You could try resetting the liner and getting it even on both ends, that might help. Make use of direct sun light. Don't fill the pool at night or on a cloudy day. A liner can easily stretch without pulling the wall down if it is warm enough.