How hard is a liner to install. what would be the hard part of installation always had liner installed. old company gone out of business do not trust new guys.
New here need liner install advice
- Thread starter richtonflash
- Start date
Welcome!!!! It's tough. I personally would never do it myself. Even Pool builders get it wrong. Hopefully DIY'er's will chime in.
We paid someone to help us LOL It was SO much easier to have help even if it "cost" steak and beer!
Kim
Kim
Nectarologist
Well-known member
- Apr 3, 2015
- 642
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I worked at a pool company over 15 years ago and just had my own liner installed last April as part of my new build for an IG pool. It is easy but like Kim said you'll need help. I was a 25 year old kid when I first saw one put in and I though "that's all it takes?" When my own was put in I confirmed what I had thought back then. IMO, the hardest thing is making sure you have the correct specs and it's ordered correctly (I've seen that mistake made where it was measured to short). If you're even somewhat handy or at least confident you can do it. How much will you save? Or it sounds like it's more a trust thing. Check out videos on YouTube. For my pool they only used one shop vac where as when I worked for a company we used 3. One was fine but if you can borrow another then do it.
The hardest part I think is unfolding it and making sure you hang it correctly at the very start (i.e., that it's squared up). For example if you are off by 8 inches in the first corner you start in it will be messed up and you'll have to take it out and start over. I will say that when my was installed the company said to shut the water off when it reached an inch away from the bottom steps. They wanted to come back and make sure there were no wrinkles and the steps looked good to get water on them (liner covered steps). If there were wrinkles they could be fixed easier at that point. Find out how it is folded too. A lot easier to switch the direction before you unfold the entire thing. The cut out for the stairs (or the shape for over stairs) helps you to line it up properly as well. Wears socks only of course. Depending on how much I could save I may do it myself when the time comes. -Chris
The hardest part I think is unfolding it and making sure you hang it correctly at the very start (i.e., that it's squared up). For example if you are off by 8 inches in the first corner you start in it will be messed up and you'll have to take it out and start over. I will say that when my was installed the company said to shut the water off when it reached an inch away from the bottom steps. They wanted to come back and make sure there were no wrinkles and the steps looked good to get water on them (liner covered steps). If there were wrinkles they could be fixed easier at that point. Find out how it is folded too. A lot easier to switch the direction before you unfold the entire thing.
The cut out for the stairs (or the shape for over stairs) helps you to line it up properly as well. Wears socks only of course. Depending on how much I could save I may do it myself when the time comes. -ChrisI am a huge DIY guy and thought about doing mine myself. I am so glad I didn't. The professional I used measured the one wall on the ordering plan as 76" he meant 7'6". They went to install and oops, not even close. He had to eat the cost and order again. That simple and easy mistake combined with the actual work made it money very well spent as far as I am concerned.
What's your access to the pool like? Thermoplastic walk-in steps with a gasket? The dimensions listed (26x43) make me think this is more of a freeform pool rather than a straight wall / geometric shape, correct? IMO straight wall pools will be the easiest to square up and drop a liner into, although having multiple 'hands on deck' to assist in the initial dropping and squaring is pretty important.
One of the biggest thoughts here for me would be having accurate dimensions. Personally, if I had a dimension sheet that I was confident was still accurate and could order the liner off of, and had a couple (3 or 4) buddies that were available for an hour or two on the day of the install to square up, I'd tackle it myself. If I wasn't sure of the dimensions and had to re-measure, I would probably call in an installer. As Realdeal mentioned above, it just takes a minor mistake in measuring to eat the cost of an entire couple-thousand-dollar liner, and I'd want to put the responsibility of measuring on someone who's done it numerous times / has insurance against these kind of mistakes.
One of the biggest thoughts here for me would be having accurate dimensions. Personally, if I had a dimension sheet that I was confident was still accurate and could order the liner off of, and had a couple (3 or 4) buddies that were available for an hour or two on the day of the install to square up, I'd tackle it myself. If I wasn't sure of the dimensions and had to re-measure, I would probably call in an installer. As Realdeal mentioned above, it just takes a minor mistake in measuring to eat the cost of an entire couple-thousand-dollar liner, and I'd want to put the responsibility of measuring on someone who's done it numerous times / has insurance against these kind of mistakes.
thanks for info the liner will come from fox. they have no dealer in my state so I can buy direct. they have the specs on pool because they built it, this will be the third liner for pool from fox. So I think it will fit the pool guys here want to much to install they want more than liner cost. so I will do it myself.
