One last question before we sit down with the pool company today. Is there a recommended thickness in liners?
Liners
- Thread starter MGood
- Start date
There are several threads here on the site that talk about it. Use the search box for vinyl liner thickness. I read through some of them and the consensus is that 27/28 mil can have advantages but 20 mil is usually sufficient, is easier to install properly and will last as long as a thicker liner. Check out some of those threads for your own conclusion.
Lots of opinions about proper liner thickness, so I will just point out a few facts, and let you draw your own conclusions.
The thicker the liner, the more challenging the install. Liners are designed to stretch during the installation process. The thicker the material, the harder it is to get to stretch exactly right. The most obvious example is in the corner, where the side walls come down into the floor. Theoretically the liner will fit exactly into the 90 degree corner, but more likely it will be slightly rounded. The thicker the material, the more challenging it will be to get into the 90 degree corner.
Assuming that you do not tear your liner somehow by an accident, then this will describe the life of your liner. The pattern will gradually fade out to white over time, and most liners tend to rip as they get old right along the edge of the water, parallel to the direction of the water. The UV light will attack that spot the harshest. So a thicker liner will help prevent the UV light from degrading the liner to the point where it will rip. However, the liner will NOT prevent the color from fading, that is just going to happen. So the thicker your liner, the more likely that you will be in a situation in 7-10 years, where you liner has faded to almost white, but the liner will not have failed. So you will be stuck with a decision, keep the ugly white liner that is fine, or replace a liner that has not yet failed.
Now here is my opinion. I would not pay for the upgrade to the thicker liner. If you get it comes for free, great, if not, live with the 20mil. I would also pick a liner with more color. Starting with a pale blue liner will lead to it fading to white a bit faster. Start with a darker color blue, it will fade to lighter blue, and then to white.
One tip, ask the pool company for you to be able to bring the vinyl swatch book home with you for a day or two. Make sure you get vinyl samples, not paper. Then take the liners, and find someone with a pool somewhere. Drop the swatch book into the pool, and actually look at the liners under water. You will not evaluate how your liner looks without water on it, so why pick out the liner in a dry situation.
Let me know if you have any other questions about the vinyl pool build. Just went through it last year and spent way too much time over thinking every single decision.
The thicker the liner, the more challenging the install. Liners are designed to stretch during the installation process. The thicker the material, the harder it is to get to stretch exactly right. The most obvious example is in the corner, where the side walls come down into the floor. Theoretically the liner will fit exactly into the 90 degree corner, but more likely it will be slightly rounded. The thicker the material, the more challenging it will be to get into the 90 degree corner.
Assuming that you do not tear your liner somehow by an accident, then this will describe the life of your liner. The pattern will gradually fade out to white over time, and most liners tend to rip as they get old right along the edge of the water, parallel to the direction of the water. The UV light will attack that spot the harshest. So a thicker liner will help prevent the UV light from degrading the liner to the point where it will rip. However, the liner will NOT prevent the color from fading, that is just going to happen. So the thicker your liner, the more likely that you will be in a situation in 7-10 years, where you liner has faded to almost white, but the liner will not have failed. So you will be stuck with a decision, keep the ugly white liner that is fine, or replace a liner that has not yet failed.
Now here is my opinion. I would not pay for the upgrade to the thicker liner. If you get it comes for free, great, if not, live with the 20mil. I would also pick a liner with more color. Starting with a pale blue liner will lead to it fading to white a bit faster. Start with a darker color blue, it will fade to lighter blue, and then to white.
One tip, ask the pool company for you to be able to bring the vinyl swatch book home with you for a day or two. Make sure you get vinyl samples, not paper. Then take the liners, and find someone with a pool somewhere. Drop the swatch book into the pool, and actually look at the liners under water. You will not evaluate how your liner looks without water on it, so why pick out the liner in a dry situation.
Let me know if you have any other questions about the vinyl pool build. Just went through it last year and spent way too much time over thinking every single decision.
Mood probably too late to be entering the party but don't do a 90 degree corner, go with at least a two foot radius corner.
