New-to-pools Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Hello, I am new to the inground pool game. I am having a new vinyl liner installed because the old one ripped over the winter. I have had four quotes and have finally decided on a pool company. They have given me several brochures from the following companies. PEFORMANCE 20 mil, MERLIN 20 mil, TRIAC 20 mil, McEwen 20 and 27 mil. All of those are being offered with 3 year 100% labor and liner warranty, 20 prorated. I am also being offered a Divincci liner(20 mil I think) with 5 years liner and labor warranty also prorated for 20years. Who makes the best liner. All of these are the same price for the install. I am wondeing if I should go with the Davincci with the longer 5 yr labor/ 100% coverage warranty or the thicker 27 mil liner that I assume will last longer. This is your area of expertise not mine, so I come to you. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ps558 Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Hello, I am new to the inground pool game. I am having a new vinyl liner installed because the old one ripped over the winter. I have had four quotes and have finally decided on a pool company. They have given me several brochures from the following companies. PEFORMANCE 20 mil, MERLIN 20 mil, TRIAC 20 mil, McEwen 20 and 27 mil. All of those are being offered with 3 year 100% labor and liner warranty, 20 prorated. I am also being offered a Divincci liner(20 mil I think) with 5 years liner and labor warranty also prorated for 20years. Who makes the best liner. All of these are the same price for the install. I am wondeing if I should go with the Davincci with the longer 5 yr labor/ 100% coverage warranty or the thicker 27 mil liner that I assume will last longer. This is your area of expertise not mine, so I come to you. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks I know Merlin makes good products and stands behind them. I would read the warranty very closely. Most liner warranty only cover the seams were they are pressed together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kefbum Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Generally the thicker the better, 20 mil is a standard liner and 27 / 28 is an upgrade. I'd double check the fine print in the warranty because no mfg covers labor in their warranty. The labor would be covered by your installer - who may or may not be in business in a few years. Also 99% of mfg warranties only cover seam separation - nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinerMFGr Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 As far as my research goes, 100% of liner manufacturers warranties only cover seam failure and most warranties specifically state the seams must have delaminated (two layers pulled apart as apposed to tearing at the seam). The reason manufacturers don't warranty tearing or pattern fade is because they are way outside of our control and can be caused by countless things none of which we, the manufacturer, can prevent. Also true: no manufacturer, that I know of, specifically states labor credit for defects, but most do offer it to their dealers. Something else that should be considered--If a liner is going to fail due to a manufacturer's defect, it will fail upon installation. So 1, 2 or 3 years at 100% coverage really means nothing. I've been on the manufacturing side of pool liners for over 12 years and have never seen a credit issued for a liner that had been installed for more than a day. New-to, I do recommend going for a thicker wall (thicker floor doesn't mean much). As you have likely found out, most liners fail at or above the waterline. Thicker material will help counter the effects of ice damage, UV damage, etc. You can read all about it on our website. I am not an advocate of thick floor material--it's expensive and counters a lot of the usefulness of thick wall material. New-to, I know I stated it in the private message, but for the sake of the forum, I'll state it again. We (Kayden Manufacturing) make the best liner, but if we didn't exist I would vote for Merlin. Good luck, Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adwh.com Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 new to, after reading the 3 earlier responses, there is little to say other than to emphasize the importance of the liner thickness. All new pools have a 27/28 mil liner installed. Replacement liners are nearly always 20 mil. There are several reasons including a. one person can install a 20 mil liner; b. it will need to be replaced much sooner. c. not all manufactureres still make thicker liners, etc. But, make no mistake, notwithstanding the excuses made by the liner salesman, the heaverier the liner, the greater the longevity. Warrenties: all the previous responses are correct but don't be misled by pro-rated warranties. They are truly more worthless than the paper they're written on. In the pool industry, never buy anything based of the so-called WARRANTY. It may look good, and sound good, but it is no good. The only warranty a pool owner has is the "implied warranty" for one year. This warranty will be upheld by a local District Court, if it is within one year from the date of purchase. Finally, a 27 or 28 mil lineer will last from 10 to 15 years, if it was professionally measured, and installed properly. Compare this to a 20 mil liner that must be replaced within 4 to 7 years. Enjoy your swimming pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinerMFGr Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 new to, after reading the 3 earlier responses, there is little to say other than to emphasize the importance of the liner thickness. All new pools have a 27/28 mil liner installed. Replacement liners are nearly always 20 mil. I've been manufacturing liners for over 12 years--most liners (roughly 75%) are 20 mil period regardless of being new or existing construction. It is very regional though--it may be that in your area that's all they do. Warrenties: all the previous responses are correct but don't be misled by pro-rated warranties. They are truly more worthless than the paper they're written on. In the pool industry, never buy anything based of the so-called WARRANTY. It may look good, and sound good, but it is no good. The only warranty a pool owner has is the "implied warranty" for one year. This warranty will be upheld by a local District Court, if it is within one year from the date of purchase. Unfortunately you are correct--the warranty doesn't mean much, but it does cover manufacturers defects as it is stated in the document. Finally, a 27 or 28 mil lineer will last from 10 to 15 years, if it was professionally measured, and installed properly. Compare this to a 20 mil liner that must be replaced within 4 to 7 years. Enjoy your swimming pool. There are so many factors at play that I couldn't imagine putting that kind of constraint on the longevity of a pool liner. Is the pool subjected to sunlight all day, or is it located in a shady location? Was the winter especially harsh? Chemicals balanced correctly? For instance, my in-laws have had the same liner in their pool for 33 years. It is all 28 mil. Conversely, I was out at a job site last fall. They were replacing a 5 year old all 28 mil liner because the liner stretched too much above the waterline (installation/measuring/manufacturing issue no doubt). All things being equal, a 28 mil liner should last longer, but, in my experience, not twice as long. And also, in my experience, the pool bottom thickness rarely makes a difference in the liners longevity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg340 Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 I will say that LinerMFGr does make a great liner. We have purchased liners from him in the past. He is a good guy who cares about his product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Aicher Posted May 28, 2019 Report Share Posted May 28, 2019 Big fan of Tara's liners here. They're a little more expensive than some of the other options, but the quality can't be beaten. - Bill Aicher, Royal Swimming Pools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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