I recently had a contractor install a new vinyl liner in my pool. It's been about a week and we were able to get into the pool for the first time and we noticed that virtually the entire way around the pool, at the intersection of the wall and floor, the liner is not pushed flat against the wall and floor. That is, there is an angled area where the liner spans from 6" above the bottom of the wall out to the floor about 6" from the corner. It seems that the liner may be too small for the pool - is that the cause? What can the installer do about this - new liner? Thanks.
vinyl liner - not flat against wall and floor
- Thread starter 241comp
- Start date
did they vacuum the air out overnight? they should have! If they did.. my guess is the liner is sitting wrong or like you said, too small.
241,
Wow! If that liner is able to resist the weight of the water and not go to the floor that is some tough liner....even if it's too small!!
Are you sure it's off the subsurface? Most pools are built with so that the floor and walls don't come together at a sharp 90 degress....they usually round or slope the floor up to meet the wall.
Wow! If that liner is able to resist the weight of the water and not go to the floor that is some tough liner....even if it's too small!!
Are you sure it's off the subsurface? Most pools are built with so that the floor and walls don't come together at a sharp 90 degress....they usually round or slope the floor up to meet the wall.
duraleigh said:
Yes, I'm certain it's off the wall/floor. If you gently step on the spot, it is spongy. There are places where it is worse (up to 15" of angled section) and places where it is better (just 1-2") but the entire way around, it's not flush against the corner. Could it be ground water behind the liner? I would think the weight of the pool water should push ground water out of the way if that's the case...
It's just a standard 28mil vinyl liner... nothing special.
ivyleager
LifeTime Supporter
I'd call the contractor and have him/her come back and check out the problem. It sure doesn't seem correct.
If it's groundwater, the liner will "float" and you will be able to move it freely in and out. If it's too small, it'll be "tight as a tick" and you will be unable to lift it.
Sounds like you have a liner that's too small....I'm surprised at it's strength!
Sounds like you have a liner that's too small....I'm surprised at it's strength!
duraleigh said:
Ok, it's not floating free (definitely can't lift it) so it doesn't sound like ground water. Must be too small.
Spoke with the installer - he said that it is normal and that the liner needs to finish stretching and that could take up to a year. He said that it may never stretch out sufficiently to lay completely against the walls and floor. That doesn't seem to me to be an acceptable answer - would anyone here accept a liner install that had a large (12"+ area) section not stretched enough to lay flat against the floor and walls of the pool? Is this industry standard or commonly accepted practice?
He's blowin' smoke. It should be flat against the subsurface as soon as you put water in it. Totally unacceptable.
Thanks for the responses. I told the installer that I do not consider my liner an acceptable install because of this and he put me in touch with the service manager who is coming out next week to look at the liner. Your posts have encouraged me that a better job could be done with my pool. Especially at the price I paid (I probably overpaid - this wasn't a cheap install). Anyone who works in the industry want to chime in with an opinion on whether or not they would consider this standard practice? Thanks!
The service manager came out and agreed that something is not right and that they will need to replace the liner. He also agreed that they should be responsible for the 30,000 gals of water and startup chems required once the liner is replaced and that they would do the work at the end of the swimming season so as not to reduce our season any further (they took 3 months to get the first liner in). Thanks for the suggestions - I'll post back with an update when this is resolved.
241 - I wish I had seen this post while you were asking! I've got a few choice 4 letter words (and some with more letters 
) for any pool guy who tries to BS a customer like that (I think Dave summed it up well with "He's blowing smoke")
I want to make sure that you get something in writing wherein they admit the improper installation and to pay for the water and start up chems (Dee, another member here, could tell you the importance of having something in writing!)
Until the new and improved liner is installed, be VERY! careful with the areas that are not touching the wall or floor!!! - the liner is under tremendous pressure and will rip/ tear with the slightest provocation: this is to say, don't let anyone walk on those areas, be very gentle with the pool brush or vacuum and keep an eye on your water level - it's a new liner but if something hits any part of those areas 'just right' you could easily end up with a leak
Have a great summer and enjoy the pool, just be aware that the liner is fragile where it's not being supported by the wall/ floor :-D
) for any pool guy who tries to BS a customer like that (I think Dave summed it up well with "He's blowing smoke")I want to make sure that you get something in writing wherein they admit the improper installation and to pay for the water and start up chems (Dee, another member here, could tell you the importance of having something in writing!)
Until the new and improved liner is installed, be VERY! careful with the areas that are not touching the wall or floor!!! - the liner is under tremendous pressure and will rip/ tear with the slightest provocation: this is to say, don't let anyone walk on those areas, be very gentle with the pool brush or vacuum and keep an eye on your water level - it's a new liner but if something hits any part of those areas 'just right' you could easily end up with a leak
Have a great summer and enjoy the pool, just be aware that the liner is fragile where it's not being supported by the wall/ floor :-D