Unibead Liner Installation

by Richard
(Concored NC)

I am trying to replace my liner in a 24 foot round pool. It now has a 24' diamond metal unibead liner and I am replacing with the same and I need help with the process of removal and install.

Hi Richard.

I would start by cutting out the old liner with a razor knife. Get it out of the pool and do whatever needs to be done with the pool base. If the pool has a sand base it may just need a push broom run across it to take out any lumps or bumps.

I like doing this with the top rails still on the pool so I do not have to worry about the pool blowing down. Anytime the top rails are all off the pool it is vulnerable to blowing over, I limit this time as much as I can.

The rails come off next and the rest of the liner removed from the pool wall. A new liner can then be put into the pool, opened up and clipped onto the pool wall. Once the liner is in place I would get the rails back on the pool.

To set the liner correctly you start by making the bottom seam even all the way around. This seam will fall somewhere in the cove area. It does not matter where as long as it is the same all the way around.

At this point a unibead liner can be treated just like any other beaded liner. I would start the water filling and smooth the bottom out. This usually means getting on my hands and knees and pushing all the wrinkles to the edges of the pool. Once the bottom is smooth you can asses the sides. If the liner still needs to stretch to fit, then chances are you will be just fine without using the vacuum method. If the sides just fit, or are a little sloppy you may want to use the beaded liner installation method discussed on this page.

Beaded Liner Installation

Unibead Liner

by Bill Wagner
(Lakeland FL)

I am replacing a 12'x24'x 52" pool unibead liner. The installer has excess liner on one side of pool. He says the bottom has risen with the filler and sides have settled with weight, making a 52" too much liner. Should I have him start over and make it an overlap or is he pulling my leg?

Hi Bill.

It is very common to get a beaded liner that is too big for the pool. Many of the ones I have installed have been turned into overlap liners, just because they look so much better that way and I hate wrinkles on a professional installation.

We were doing pools for a company one year that insisted on selling beaded liners. We had them order 48" liners for their 52" wall pools and the fit perfect every time. We were installing pools in Arizona in around 110 degrees. With that kind of heat it is very easy to get a liner to stretch just a little, making them fit perfect.

If the baggy liner has left you with wrinkles, you might try installing it again, overlap style. At least you would loose the wrinkles.