Vinyl Liner Installation Not Flush In Corners

[oldermom]

Hello! We just had our inground vinyl liner replaced. The other one was nearly ten year old and tore badly at the corners. We went back to the manufacturer who thought our tears were a result of improper measuring in the corners.They said this after we sent them a picture. Our corners are not square but are diagonals. Another local company came and did the measuring and just installed a new liner(from the original manufacturer) this week knowing about the corner problem. I just noticed that on all the corners the liner is away from the wall about 3 inches above the water level and about an inch below. The last liner seemed flush with the wall and I am afraid we are going to have even more problems with this one. I just talked to the installer on the phone and he said we have tricky corners and that you can expect that. He said he would come and look at it but I get the feeling he is going to say it is okay. Seems like it would be very easy for the liner to tear with no support behind it.

The liner has just been in for three days and was installed in cloudy 60 degree weather. Will it stretch out next summer. Does it sound like we are likely to have problems. Any suggestions on how to resolve this. We spent about $2700 for this new liner. I don't want to have to replace it soon. Am I being unreasonable? Thanks for your help.

[PoolSpaGuy30]

post some good pics and I'll be able to tell you if your going to have problems due to improper measuring...I have measured and installed over 300 liners

[Beelzy]

It may be fine, for a while.....but those corners will eventually pull out. Nobody in my neck can measure for a liner, and I

see this all the time.

[oldermom]

It may be fine, for a while.....but those corners will eventually pull out. Nobody in my neck can measure for a liner, and I

see this all the time.

Thanks for your help. I have not figured out how to post pictures yet but will work on it. I'm not sure you can tell much from the corner picture. When we lowered the water below the return line to close the pool I could not push the liner back in the corner enough to touch the side of the pool. We were closing at night and the light shows much more. There are some wrinkles. Will post that. Also in one section there were what looked like tiny bubbles (like pin holes) in approximately 5 inch strips. Maybe about 4 or 5 areas. When I brushed over them with the pool brush more bubbles came to the surface. Not sure what that means. Anyone experience this. It was just in one section of the pool. Thanks again.

[LinerMFGr]

Hi OlderMom,

Let me try to shed some light on your situation. First off, bulging corners are common. They aren't desirable, and will probably reduce the life of the liner to some degree, but common none the less.

There are a few factors that lead to bulging corners. One is measuring of the length and width and the type and size of the corners. Those measurements are very simple to take and even a novice can do it. I doubt your bulging corners are a result of improper measuring. It is more likely that it was caused by the design and assembly practice of the liner manufacturer.

Many installers prefer a tight fitting liner. A tight fitting liner won't last as long but it is a lot easier to install, so most manufacturers design them that way.

There are some advanced installation techniques that help reduce the bulging, but, after all your fittings are cut in, it is impossible to implement. I have never heard of a manufacturer or installer replacing a liner due to bulging corners, so you are probably stuck with what you have.

Make sure to choose a different manufacturer for your next liner. Ask for a manufacturer that cuts a full fitting liner. It isn't a sure-thing, but you have a better chance of bulgeless corners under these conditions.

Don't forget--pools are supposed to be relaxing.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Triciaf]

We just installed a pool. We did rectangle 16x36 with 16 feet stairs (all the way across). First time in the pool Today the steps feel spongy like bleachers at a game.  Is this normal.  They did pour concrete and back fill but maybe not enough?