Not satisfied with liner installation

[joykens]

I am so grateful to have discovered TFP this summer after struggling with pool care for 10 years. Its so great to finally understand pool chemistry well enough to fix a green pool and keep it blue.

I have a question about a less than perfect liner installation. The original liner on our pool (we didn't own the house then) finally gave out after around 15 years. It was a doughboy overlap liner, very smooth in the pool. The pool sat empty due to liner having leaked out during winter and the spring being so wet no installation was possible for a while. The pool walls were kinda sucked in on one side but uprights were solid and the pool held up fine. I was told the wall might look a little dented but was ok, which it appears to be.

We paid the installer recommended by the store where we got the liner to put it in. While it is certainly serviceable there are some things I question. First, the overlap was not tucked up under the top rail at all. It's visible for several inches down the side of the pool. It was pulled up over the top of the skimmer which looks really weird. There are wrinkles along the wall that was sucked in. The bottom is not smooth but has small and foot size depressions in it. Some of the metal plates (I can't remember what they're called) over the uprights on the top rail want to pop up on one side. Most of these things seem to be just aesthetic but I think a professional installer should do better. One question I have is. if we contact the installer, is there anything he can really do about most of this with out damaging something, since he seems kinda inept? I know we probably should complain, but I'm not sure what really can be done at this point.

 

[flyweed]

probably in this case, your best time to complain would have been after the liner was installed and before the pool was full of water, if you noticed the problems at that point. Otherwise, you paid for a service and if it's not to your satisfaction, you should complain and have the installer fix it. Remember when you pay..YOU ARE THE EMPLOYER..you tell them what to do..not the other way around.

Good luck
Dan

 

[TravisD]

Bottom line is if you are not satisfied, then you should say that to him. Most professionals want their customers to be happy. I'd talk to him about it and see what happens.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I've seen overlap liners that hang far over the side as you describe - it looks for lack of a better word, icky. Hanging over the top of the skimmer does not sound right at all....if it was replaced just this summer I would contact the store where you purchased it and ask their advice, and I would discuss your concerns with the installer.

 

[joykens]

Thanks to all for the replies. I wish we had known at the time of installation there were some problems. I really didn't know these things were undesirable until I started reading here and then did more looking into liner installation instructions. I think I've learned so much in a short time from this site!

As for the overlap on the skimmer, it's not in the way of the opening or anything, but it does look kinda strange. What really got me to thinking about it was that I was wanting to paint the pool, and that liner is going to be so in the way.

We are planning to keep gathering information and then talk to the store about it first, since they recommended the installer. If anyone has thoughts on whether any of this will affect the life of the liner, I like to hear what you think.

 

[flyweed]

And if it's an overlap liner over hang issue..that's pretty easy to fix yourself..you can take the top rail off, and then pull the receiver off and tuck the extra under and put the receiver back on..OR..you can cut off the excess up under the rail. Either way it's a pretty easy fix for that part.

Good luck
Dan

 

[Casey]

I was just going to suggest cutting off the excess. I went about a 1/2" from the reciever. I cut it pretty close but you should really leave a couple inches so if it does slip, you'll have enough to pull back over the wall. <I'm taking mine down in the next year or so, so I'm not worried about it>

I too tried to tuck my liner and with wall foam and 28mil liner, it was just too much for the reciever to handle. I couldn't tuck anything... it was just too tight of a squeeze so I opted to cut instead. It's ben holding for a few summers now. It's an easy fix to an unsightly problem.

Good Luck.