Top Rails Not Fitting

by Mark
(Slidell LA)

I am having problems getting all of my top rails on properly. I am installing a 15x30x54 Bermuda pool about 2 feet into the ground. There are 3 rails that don't line up with the pre-drilled holes on the frame. The rails are to long. It almost seems like I need to move the frame out some to get these to fit.

Is this what I need to do or can I modify the rails by cutting them to the proper length.

Hi Mark. Usually when rails do not fit properly it is because of a real problem of some sort, but not always. Occasionally they are just not the right size and we modify them to fit.

With an oval pool there could be several reasons for the rails not fitting. An oval could have up to four, maybe five, different size rails. If in doubt, measure them all and be sure they are in the proper locations. You may have side rails, transition rails and possibly two different sized end rails.

Bottom rails could be the same way, with different sizes for specific locations. If these are improperly placed the top rails will not fit correctly.

The arc at the ends of the pool need to be shaped perfectly for the rails to fit, especially the transition rails from ends to sides.

Another tip is to make sure all the uprights are straight up and down. Many times just going back and adjusting the hole spacing on the top rails so that the uprights are straight will take care of the problem. In rare cases when the pre-drilled holes make no sense at all and just do not work, I resort to this method. I use whatever holes are available when the upright is perfectly straight up and down.

If all the uprights are straight, and everything else about the pool looks fine, and you are sure the top rails and bottom tracks are all in the correct locations, and they still won't fit, there is nothing wrong with cutting them down to size.

Comments for Top Rails Not Fitting

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May 16, 2010
 Rails
by: Anonymous

I don't know if it was clear in my earlier post but the rails I am talking about is the decorative top rail. The rails I have are as follows.

Pool frame then beaded track then top wall rim then the rail in question the decorative rail.

All of the other rails are fitting fine and tight.

I posted earlier about my liner not fitting tightly in one "corner" of the pool. I wonder if the pool is actually not the proper dimensions. If it is actually off measurements.

Hi. Yes, those are the rails I'm talking about also. It could very easily be that one end is not perfectly round, that is so easy to do with an oval pool. Looking straight down the side of the pool, from all for corners, the sides and transition into the end should all look exactly the same. It's pretty easy to see if one corner does not look like the rest. Or even worse if they all look different.

straight side on oval pool
Jun 27, 2014
 Top Rails not fitting for an 18' aboveground rounc
by: Anonymous

I have the same problem except my pool is an 18' round. The 12 support posts are level but I noticed that when I measure between them the measurements are different. They are anywhere between 49" & 52" inches apart. What should the distance be...I'm confused. I believe we measured out the bottom rail correctly and the pool looks round and level...

Hi When you say all the posts are level, do you mean level with each other or level straight up and down? Both ways are important. Put a level on each upright, make sure it is straight up and down. From there you just try to get the distance between top rails as close as possible. It is not critical and there is no right distance, just keep them as close as possible to the same. This may mean adding you own holes, deviating slightly from the suggested hole pattern, that's OK to do. On some pools it's the only way to do it.

Jun 27, 2014
 Top Rails not fitting for an 18' aboveground round
by: Anonymous

Hi, thank you for taking the time to reply. By level I mean I have placed a 'level' along each upright and confirmed that they are straight vertically.

Technically I could move the top rail brackets here and there a little to force the same distance between the uprights and to line up the top rails with the screw holes in the top brackets too but my concern is the top and lower brackets for the uprights will then be seriously out of alignment. Would that not cause structure integrity issues?

Damn this is frustrating but happy to know that there is no set distance between the uprights. I was thinking of adjusting the distance to approx 48.5ish" by adjusting the top brackets.

Hi If the posts are straight vertically then don't move them. Make any adjustments you need in the top rails, either by making new holes or by having your spacing be a little off.

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