Hey all of you with beaded liner pools!
The question of ‘reattaching the liner back into the track’ comes up on a regular basis so I figure it might be nice to have one place for the ‘tips and tricks’ of getting a ‘popped out’ liner back in track.
First and foremost (!) make sure that the track is clear of dirt/ debris (ants like to make their colonies in the track) – usually splashing some water into it will clear the dirt, but sometimes you have to clear it with a screwdriver.

A – Try to pull the liner up enough to put it back into the track, on a warm day with direct sun, it’ll usually go back in. * The bead has to slide in perpendicular and at a slight downward angle (ok, that defies the ”perpendicular”, but I hope you know what I mean) to the track.


B- Not enough stretch to the liner, or a cold and cloudy day? My first trick to adding some stretch to a liner is to rapidly rub the area with a cloth to generate a little friction and try to pull it up again. If that’s not enough, or the area is too big to make it practical, hot water from the tap
should be enough to give you the stretch you need – pour it on the entire area both on the poolside and behind the liner. I DO NOT recommend boiling water – it will soften the vinyl too much and you could end up poking a finger through it while pulling up!

C- It is possible to use a hairdryer or heat gun to warm the liner enough to stretch it back in, but *BE CAREFUL!!!!!* not to burn a hole in the liner or warm it too much!!!! Use your other hand to feel the temp of the liner and *DON’T!! put it directly on the liner or too close to it!! DO warm the entire liner from bead to waterline and ~3” past either end of the part that’s out of the track. (note - sometimes you have to lower the water a little (you don’t want to warp the tile pattern)


D-SUPER SECRET TECHNIQUE (I had to be cleared by the Pentagon to be able to give this info!) If you fold the bead over to be ~perpendicular (as above) to the wall just below the track, you can ‘nudge’ the liner back into the track. (Here’s where it gets hard to describe) With the bead folded so that the ‘nose’ of it is perpendicular to the wall, use the flat part of your index fingers (** detail – put your hands out in front of you, palms facing away – thumbs perpendicular to fingers [like you were going to brace yourself on a wall], curl your fingers [but only the fingers – don’t make a fist] so that the middle bone of your fingers creates that flat area) put your thumbs (thumbs are still extended) on the coping , turn your elbows out and reach down so that the ‘flat’ of your index fingers is just under the seam that connects the bead to the liner. Gently ‘kneed’ the bead up the wall – the bead will ‘inch’ it’s way up and into the track (angstrom is probably more accurate than inch). It doesn’t go quickly, but you’ll be able to see the 2 ends of the ‘pop’ going back into the track, and all of a sudden – the liner is back in. (I know that I didn’t explain this very well – if someone figures out what I’m trying to say and can put it more eloquently, please post it and I’ll edit, with credit) A lot of times I can use this ‘trick’ without resorting to heating the liner, but sometimes still have to relax the liner first.


I wanted to make this post ever since I read this http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=7114

There are a few things in that post on which I’d like to comment or expound upon:
1. HeatherC fears using a screwdriver (flathead or [-]) to force the bead into the track – I use the screwdriver, sometimes you have to tuck the bead’s lip into the track—her recommendation is to use a popcicle stick (it’s a good idea , less chance of damaging the bead using wood instead of steel), but sometimes you need something a little thinner than the tongue depresser.
2. Liner lock, the barbed bullnosed plastic strips, can be used where you have an area that keeps popping out to secure it. It can also be used when you have a large ‘pop’ to keep what you’ve put back in, in the bead while addressing the rest. Sumo and Cleancloths also had some good alternative things to use.

I’ve tried to make this complete (so I don’t have to go back and edit it), but if I missed something, or was unclear, please respond and I’ll ‘touch it up’.

HAPPY SWIMMING, EVERYONE!!

Thats a very informative post Waste. But when it comes to part D I think a picture is worth a thousand words. If the oppurtuniity comes for you to get some pictures of the hand positions it might even be a better post. However, Thank-you for getting the information out there. I know someone who melted their liner attempting to warm it.

He used a heat gun instead of a hair dryer. You know how us guys get the Tim Taylor thoughts sometimes. If a little heat is good a lot should work better.

What's up, Doc?

I'd love to post some pics, but my partener is a little 'uptight' and this is one of the busiest times of the year - maybe I can talk him into doing the pics after Mem Day. I've never tried to post "D" before because of the difficulty I'd have with 'putting it into words'. (I did however purchase a $40 digital cam so I could snap some shots of what I talk about -- the resolution is what you'd expect for the price, but not horrible-- when I get a chance, I'll show everyone the hands for D and what I'm talking about when I speak of the pools we build)

Any pictures???

Sorry, none have come out so far

The trouble is that the person doing the tucking is in such a position to prevent the photographer from getting a good shot - I need to find one just off a corner to be able to snap the photos.

I just the other day noticed we have one in just such a place...wanna come visit? Hahaha.
I'm having a hard time getting a hold on it since there is very little bead...unless I'm just showing my ignorance and this is another type of liner.
There are a couple pennies stacked up in the corner right next to this so I guess the installer was having a hard time with it too eh?

Certainly sounds like they had trouble keeping the liner in that corner when they installed it

Of course I'll come over and help, when should I expect the plane tickets?

The 'folding the bead over' trick works well for this, you're using the bent down bead to allow more force to be put on bringing the liner up.

Just to check, the liner is warm and the pool water is less than 3" from the track?

Good luck with this, in the meantime - until you can get it back in, slam some pennies on the other side of the slip, so it doesn't get any worse.

I'm thinking I may have to 'stage' a corner pop so I can get the photos for y'all

Well, we just had quite a deal with this subject....we had our 21' pool installed 3 years ago by "professionals"...a few days before we were to open the pool this year, I looked out the window to find my cover sitting inside my pool, all torn up...I ran outside to see my yard flooded...it took a moment to realize what had happened....our liner came off the bead! During the swimming season, I remember there was a tiny section that didn't seem to stay in all that well....well, I had a new guy come to replace the liner....he saw immediately that the receiver was installed UPSIDE DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because they installed it upside down, the liner never fit snugly and the stabilizer bars would not fit over the receiver, so they were never installed (they must have just driven away with them)......I just paid him $700 for the new liner and install, $125 for him to come back to put the stabilizer bars on, and over $200 tomorrow when I pick up the stabilizer bars.....yeah, I'm serious. So, if your liner is coming off the receiver, make sure it was installed properly! Hope this helps to prevent someone else from this kind of misery!
-Tammi

Waste, you are awesome!! Your "secret technique" was great help! With some hot water, about ten pennies, your technique and the tool for changing the blade on a circular saw, we were able to fix three spots in about twenty minutes.

When we built the deck, we built over the top rail (not smart). We cut away two boards (got lucky where we started, the top rail was visible for the most part because we have a door there to access the filter) so we could remove the top rail. HUGE mistake. We thought we were going to have to drain the pool to get the top rail screw holes to line back up on reinstall! So, on next two spots, we did not remove the top rail and was able to get it done.


With this little tool, we were able to do the rest fairly easily without removing the top rails.

Perfect size and angle!!

I always love to hear success stories

I'm glad my info was useful for you