Top Rail - 15x30 - Beaded Liner - Question

[whiskaz]

So this may be a really dumb question but is the top rail necessary for the pool I described/pictured? The reason I ask is this- the deck that was built around it (came with our house) was in need of some repairs so we started cranking away on that. Well, they built the deck over the top rail, with the caps in place at each splice. To change the liner (beaded) requires either a lot of time and frustration to work under the top rail or removing the whole deck to remove the rail. Also, during the deck repair, I thought it might be a good idea to do a different design around the edge of the pool. Basically frame it out (as seen in this pic: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/fd/24/8a/fd248a8345c8693ae4ec2b8363665131.jpg). While I was looking at that and trying to figure out what sort of angles I would need to cut my lumber at, I was curious about being able to remove the join caps... and then the top rail itself entirely.

So... is it needed?

When I removed this one... it really doesn't seem like it's holding much in place... http://i.imgur.com/twNbSXZ.jpg

Here's the bottom side of the top rail: http://i.imgur.com/bxh7ODX.jpg

I did some searching beforehand and it sounds like removing the top rails is a bad thing but I didn't know if it was a case by case basis... obviously it probably wouldn't be a good idea with an overlap liner

 

[crokett]

At least with my pool, the top rail keeps the wall from flexing. So yes, you need it. When I built my deck, I did not build it over the top rail so as to avoid the problem you are having. It looks like from the picture you posted you can take a jigsaw and just cut the decking back so it no longer extends over the top rail. It also looks like that decking needs to be replaced anyway. I did my deck similar to the way it is done in that picture you posted.

 

[whiskaz]

Yea, that's what I'm in the middle of replacing. I started with the main section and have it probably 3/4 of the way replaced, as it was in the worst shape. Then I got the bright idea to cover the rail, as in the photo I posted, but make the covers parallel to the current rails so removing them would not require removing every board from the deck. Some of the top rails are in pretty nasty shape too. I did find a thread on here posing the question of replacing the top rails with 2x6s. I suppose that's also an option.

Not entirely sure how to figure out the angle of the miter I'd need to make though. I'm no expert in that area :\

 

[crokett]

I put boards down and adjusted by hand till they followed the line of the pool, then marked them and cut with my circular saw. I figured it was faster than calculating angles, getting them wrong and doing it manually anyway.