installing vinyl pool liner

[zephans]

I just recently installed my first AG 12x24 oval pool and my first vinyl liner. That doesn't make me an expert but I've done some reading and have recent experience .

For Pesticide make sure it is something that will NOT react with vinyl OR lay down some barrier between treated area and liner that won't react with either. (Perhaps sheet of thin or thick plastic?) I've got no clue here beyond the liner instructions warning not to install liner over a chemically treated surface.


As for wrinkle-free liner install, I can confirm the technique of raising the liner during initial filling stage saves TONS of time and produces a virtually wrinkle-free bottom. (I remember spending 30-90min kicking out wrinkles in years past when setting up our doughnut pools directly on dirt.)

For me I lined up liner as described by both you and Matt (except I actually installed the V-Bead to the top edge of pool). Then I used clothespins to suck up another 6" of liner all the way around. Result was just the center isle was touching the ground. Since my pool (and yours) is an oval I needed to attach wall to my side towers to keep the tension from holding the liner from caving the side walls inward.

As you start filling let the water push out the elevated floor just a little. DO NOT LET WATER ADD TOO MUCH TENSION or you will cave in walls or do other bad things. I quickly danced around the pool setting the clothespins down 2", then repeated after a few more minutes of filling until water was near (couple feet from) the coving and I released the last 2" of slack.

RESULT: One wrinkle I easily removed by hand when pool had ~4" water and one minor wrinkle (~18" long) that I decided wasn't worth messing with. The light tension from center of bottom to coving kept center and everywhere else wrinkle-free.

[NWMNMom]

One of the MOST important things Dennis stresses on liner installations is that it MUST be done on a sunny day above around 75F or so. Both are a requirement for proper stretch, so just 75deg F on a cloudy day will not be the same, SUNNY makes that liner warm up an stretch out properly. It makes ALL the difference in the world!! Start early enough in the day so that it is sunny and warm thoughout most of the fill process as the evening and cooler temps will make that liner get more stiff as the temps drop and sun is no longer on it.