Liner Quality

[jrh1010]

I wanted to see if I can get some real world information on pool liners and what the people that use them have found out. I am pricing liners for my 28' (according to doughboy) pool. The liners I am pricing for them are very very expensive. To the tune of $920 for a 20 mil doughboy liner. GFI liners seem to be much cheaper. Can anyone tell me if the extra cost is worth it. Thanks. I will be strating excavation next week. I havent even thought about plumbing Lots and lots to do.

 

[jrh1010]

Another side of this, which I talked about in another thread, is the pool I have has some rust on it already. I am assuming the liner will not outlive the pool. I am hoping. I hope once i bury this thing, I wont have to change the liner for ten years and the pool will stay right where it is and never be moved. When the liner gets changed, I may just buy a new pool. Thanks again everyone.

 

[linen]

I have only had my liner now for 1.5 years. It is a swimline (72' inch expandable, with a blue swirl pattern), that I spent about $200 on for my 21'. It has worked great so far. I believe it might be considered a 20 gauge (though swimline does not say this and manufacturers are not consistent on this) with a 15 year warranty. I looked at a 25 gauge liner (I think this was a GLI with a 25 year warranty), but was a little worried about it's stretchability. It just might take more sun and time.

My liner has had to deal with some roots and constantly moving wedding cake steps. No leaks yet...knock on wood. I thought I had roots removed enough but I had a couple as of last fall trying to poke through the liner, but the liner was still fine. The steps are constantly being moved by those "meddling kids" when they water rotate into a huge whirlpool Again no problems...yet.

 

[jrh1010]

Linen, what kind of pool do you have? OK, I have done a lot of research on this, but will ask for a straight answer now. From what I have read, I need to put a doughboy liner in a doughboy pool. The reason being that a 28' doughboy is not exactly 28' (for some reason they measure from outside rail to outside rail). Also, when you buy a doughboy expandable liner, you dont actually buy a 48" or 52" or 54". The liners are a one size fits all as long as you have the measurement of the length of the pool. So if you buy say an aftermarket liner, and you buy a 48", it may not fit right. Has anyone found this information to be correct? If I could get away with buying a aftermarket expandable liner, that would not wrinkle, that would be preferable, because like I said, I am not sure if the pool will last 5 years or 10 years or longer. But I dont want to spend $900 on a doughboy liner if I can get away with a lower cost aftermarket liner for comparable quality and that will stretch appropriately. I hope that rant made sense to everyone.

 

[linen]

I bought my pool used with no documentation. I am sure it is not a doughboy. Are you planning on doing a deep end? Then you need an expandable liner, weither from doughboy or another manufacturer. The typical sizes are 60" and 72" (I have the 72). The beauty of an expandable liner is that it should pretty much stretch into your pool as you fill it. You will need to know what the inside diameter is, but then match that to the closest diameter liner available. Do you know what the inside diameter is?

Seems to me that all doughboy liners are considered expandable? I can't find the post, but somewhere on here,I thought there was a post discussing using non-doughboys on doughboys. I will post if I can find it.

EDIT: This post has some discussion: http://www.troublefreepool.com/ground-leveling-noob-having-brain-fart-help-t21687.html

 

[jrh1010]

Just to add to the discussion for future pool liner buyers, from what I have gathered, all doughboy liners are not all expandable. They sell a uniform depth liner, and then an expandable liner. The expandable liners dont come in certain depths (ie. 48", 52", 54"), they only come in diameter sizes.

 

[linen]

Just to add to the discussion for future pool liner buyers, from what I have gathered, all doughboy liners are not all expandable.

Good to know...I was not sure.

It still seems to me like any expandable liner could work for you if it is "close" to the diameter of the pool. When you stretch these expandable types into the pool the water really pulls them into what ever contour you have. If you had a slight amount of excess diameter, I would think it would disappear if you spread it out over the whole circumference. If it was slightly small, it should stretch in the sun just like it does to expand into the deep end. Now if you pool was say at 27.5' feet in internal diameter...that might cause a wrinkle along the side if you picked a 28' diameter liner.

Just a note: my pool ID was about 20' 10" and the 21' liner fit great.

 

[jrh1010]

Awesome linen. I will measure the diameter
And see what I have. I would love to pay
$400 less : )

 

[linen]

jrh1010, do you have a new or used doughboy...I must have missed that somewhere since I thought your were looking online at new pool packages from other manufacturers. If it is used, you can join my "I am cheap" club with a non doughboy liner

 

[jrh1010]

I was originally but am super super cheap too : ) I will take that as an
Invite!!! But honestly, once you start adding up pool cost, it became expensive quick.

 

[jrh1010]

Also, just a thought, if any one wants to get a good tread rolling, we should
Take photos of our pool an list he liner pattern!!
It is tough to find a good picture, close enough you can see
The pool liner with water in it. The little picture that the websites show
Can't be doing them justice.

 

[X-PertPool]

ag material are usually lacking some chemicals that help the liner last longer. sometimes ag material is reprocessed. ag material is usually thinner as well. 20 mil is standard for inground ag is usually somewhere around 14-17