Help with 27' Pool

[Pantseatflyer]

Just put in a Saltwater 8000 27' pool from Pool Factory.

Laser transit leveled with pavers

1/2" sand, followed by 1/2" of antifatgue mat, then followed by armor pad followed by foam cove.

The J bead liner fit super tight on a warm day. I tried using a small shop vac and it seemed not to work very well. It still was slightly ballooning along where the cove would be.

I started filling and kicking out the wrinkles. After about six inches of water was in the pool, all the wrinkles were completely gone from the bottom and the sides. The liner started moving in toward the walls

We then noticed that the top rails at the uprights were not setting flush. The instructions did not tell us that the top rails should be centered between the uprights in order for them to sit flush... UGH!

We just finished up, but now where the ladder was, there some buckling in the pool wall. I tried to get in the pool and pop them out which I was partially successful.

After the sun went down, I turned off the water.

My question is should I restart the water in the morning hoping that the ballooning liner will pop out the bulge or should I drain and start again?

 

[Teald024]

The bulge you are referring to is from the buckled wall? Do you have a picture?
Is the buckle from leaning the ladder against the wall? Or from someone stepping on the top rail / the liner too tight?

What would draining and starting again do for you?

 

[Pantseatflyer]

The bulge you are referring to is from the buckled wall? Do you have a picture?
Is the buckle from leaning the ladder against the wall? Or from someone stepping on the top rail / the liner too tight?

What would draining and starting again do for you?

Here are some pics. I'm wondering if I continue to fill if the dents will pop out? The liner was super tight, but seemed to hang properly.

 

[Teald024]

I think that dent will pop out unless the buckle was due to the tight liner pulling it down.
Did the wall buckle because the ladder was resting on the top rail, did someone stand on the top rail, or do you think it is from the tight liner?

 

[Pantseatflyer]

I don't think it was from the ladder or anyone stood on the rail. The ladder has a ton of clearance. The liner was super tight. It's a J hook. It seemed as though one wall hung better against the wall than the side with the skimmer. That side, there was about a foot of play before it touched the wall. My cheap Harbor Freight shop vac did nothing, but as water filled, the liner started to approach the sides. There is about 6 inches in the pool now. While the pool was filling we did go around and adjust the top rails so that they were centered in the uprights.

 

[Pantseatflyer]

I spoke to the Pool Factory this morning and they told me that they think I don't have enough base material and/or enough cove. I have about an inch or so of sand as well as the 1/2" of antifatigue foam mats taped together as well as the Armour pad. He's telling me to add another couple inches of sand to the base. I'm extremely frustrated as I spent over $300 on antifatigue mats that I will basically have to pull up and hopefully retape as they are taped with Gorilla tape.

There's about 6 inches of water in there now and the dent in one section. I'm contemplating just letting it fill and see if the dent pops back out or should I drain and start over.

 

[Pantseatflyer]

I ended up speaking to the Pool Factory again and I mentioned when I installed the liner, we did not do the 12, 3, 6 and 9 method. We just started on one side and worked our way around. We did notice that the liner was further away on one side of the pool vs. the other side when were started filling. He said that the liner should not be more than 3 inches from the cove otherwise I need more base.

 

[Teald024]

I would tend to agree that you need some more base under the liner. I had thought of that first, but I wanted to check if the dent was from some other reason. I know it's not the answer you want to hear, but in the long run it is the best way forward.