Beaded vs. J Hook Liner....

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cherylandco

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May 7, 2009
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Our pool liner needs replaced because the winter ice/snow/wind tore it to shreds.

It is currently a J-Hook liner. I purchased a Uni-bead liner (it can be a J Hook or a Beaded liner), and am wondering whether to reinstall as a J-Hook, or purchasing bead receivers and converting to the beaded.

My thoughts (as a VERY INEXPERIENCED pool owner - this will be our first season with a pool - moved here in late summer last year)...

Reason to do J-Hook
1) Don't have to buy bead receiver
2) It's firmly seated once installed - don't have to worry about the bead coming out of the track - one pool company suggested that kids will end up pulling the liner out of the bead track..

Reason to do Beaded
1) When I have to replace liner again, won't have to take top railing off pool
2) I *think* it will be easier to find a beaded liner (vs J-Hook) in the 21x41x54" size. I had a heck of a time finding one this time!!!!

Can anyone comment on my thoughts? I would appreciate it!!!
 
I'm in the same boat as you. I've been trying to decide between the beaded, overlap, J-hook, snap bead blah blah... lol I finally went with the beaded, BUT I added on the track for the snap bead(?) so I wouldn't have to take off the top rail like you mentioned above.

I actually thought that buying a "beaded" liner would allow me that already, but later on found out that I also needed the top rail to do what I wanted it to do.

Looking at the J-hook, it seems very easy and fast to install, with no worries, but it may be easier in the future to have the snap bead on there. I can always have the option of using the J-hook. It wasn't too much of an extra charge for the top rails. I have a small 18ft round pool.

I will be having a small deck on top of the pool ledges (on two pieces of rails) and may be easier to have the snap bead there so I don't need to take the top off and move the deck or whatever I need to do. This is my first season with a pool as well, so I'm finding out things for the first time too. Good luck.
 
I have the J hook and it was as easy as pie. I think there are more and more merchants carrying these in more sizes these days. They were new to the mass market only a few years ago. I have heard so many people complain about beaded liners coming off track. Really, your problem was a snow/ice issue, not the liner - once you determine how to avoide that snow ice issue, you shouldn't have to replace a liner again for many years so how often are you going to have to take that rail off? We have never had damage so far from snow and ice in 15 years of ag pools - how did yours happen?
 
Just another opinion. You did ask for them, right. :)

I can see using a beaded liner so you never have to remove you top rails again. That's the only reason I can see, but it is a very valid one.

What is the reason for a J-hook. I can see absolutely none. You still have to take the rails off, why not have the flexibility offered by an overlap liner. They can be set wrinkle free ninety nine percent of the time without having ulcers over whether my pool is 51" deep or 50 1/2" deep or whether I have 2" of pool base or 1".

They can also be stretched into the pool meaning the entire install is done from outside the pool leaving no footprints and no wrinkles.

Overlap liners are no longer plain blue, any pattern imaginable is being made. With vinyl liners I would stay away from the ones with a top tile. You have no way of knowing where that tile will end up when the liner is full of water. One side may stretch a little more than the other and the tile looks really funny, big on one side and small on the other.

anyways, later, Dennis
 
NWMNMom said:
I have the J hook and it was as easy as pie. I think there are more and more merchants carrying these in more sizes these days. They were new to the mass market only a few years ago. I have heard so many people complain about beaded liners coming off track. Really, your problem was a snow/ice issue, not the liner - once you determine how to avoide that snow ice issue, you shouldn't have to replace a liner again for many years so how often are you going to have to take that rail off? We have never had damage so far from snow and ice in 15 years of ag pools - how did yours happen?
Click to expand...

We live out in the country on top of a VERY VERY windy hill and the windbreak is - well, growing - but not effective yet. This winter with the FRIGID weather and wind and ice, the liner just got decimated above the water line. I looked out on the day after Christmas and saw something flapping in the wind and thought that someone dropped wrapping paper out there. Nope - it was the liner!!! It's literally GONE for the top foot 1/2 way around our 21x41 pool. Not pretty!! The liner was only 4 years old, so I hope this doesn't keep happening every 4 years!!!!!
 
Do you have a winter cover on your pool? You need to get a good cover and really be sure it is secure or you can have damage. Some people have that "wrap" that goes all the way around the sides. We have the cable in ours and then secure them further so nothing is whipping up underneath.

It does not get more frigid than here in the Nation's Icebox of Northern MN so I can sympathize but you really need to address the problem of the wind at your pool, as even with a winter cover you will need to be sure everything is secured completely. We live in the Red River Valley so we basically are land of no trees - lol - so when that old wind blows - it BLOWS for about 10 miles before it hits something to stop it. We got an ice storm that ended up with a lot of snow and 50mph winds, all topped off with 32 deg below for several days this winter - then the entire month never above 20 below. We had to be sure the winter cover was secured and with that we had no damage.

When you invest in your new liner, look into a more secure system for protecting it this winter too. Check the "closing" section to see what others are using in deep winter areas to get more ideas. Good luck.

BTW Dennis - the reason for choosing J Hook here was we like the easy installation of over the edge along with not worrying about the liner coming out of the bead with a gaggle of teenagers rubbing and hanging on the sides AND we do like that nice patter all along the top edge - it went in perfectly so it doesn't droop or go off kilter any way along the top rail. I know you aren't a big of anything with a border that isn't a beaded, but that was our reason and it worked well for us on our most recent pool.
 
I'd stay way from the beaded liners. I have had nothing but trouble with mine. Once the bead channels start to spread out the liner will never stay in. J hooks are greats. I when I replaced mine I went to an overlap becuase I decide to dig out the middle a bit for a little deeper water
 
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