What if the pool liner seems like it does not fit?
We get it. Vinyl pool liners can be tricky. But trust us, they’re made to be stretched. If the liner that you received measures within 2-3 feet of the size ordered, then you have the correct one.
Swimming pool liners are all made short of a pool’s specific dimensions on purpose and are intended to stretch into place. If you hold a pool liner out like a plastic bag and fill it with water, it has the resiliency to triple in size. Hopefully, this gives you a little more confidence that you won’t overstretch the liner.
If the pool liner doesn’t look the way you want it to:
The second that you do not like the job that you are doing or you’re questioning if the liner will fit, you should turn the water off and adjust the pool liner until you are satisfied. Keep in mind that once the water level rises above the point that has wrinkles or needs adjusting, you’re stuck with those imperfections in the swimming pool liner. There is no fix.
With that in mind, be sure you check the pool very frequently as it fills. You will have to spend a lot of time watching your pool fill, but the quality of the job, including whether or not the pool liner holds water, depends on it.
If you are having problems after trying to install a liner:
99 times out of 100, the swimming pool liner needs to be readjusted or reinstalled. It almost always points to imperfection on the installer’s end. No big deal, but your job is not complete. It is usually much easier and faster to pump the pool out again and readjust by re-stretching than it is to warranty a pool liner, pay for the shipping expense, and wait for it to come.
Re-stretching your liner:
If you find yourself in this predicament, here is the process for stretching and adjusting your liner:
- Pump the water out.
- Place the hose of your shop vac in the skimmer box hole.
- Duct tape the openings of the square as well as the return hole
- Turn the vac on, and watch the liner stretch like magic.
NOTE: Only do this, as well as any water filling, in 80+ degree weather.
Keep in mind…
As a professional, it took me dozens of liner replacements until I had the confidence to stretch a liner without anxiety. You’re not alone. Follow our installation instructions to avoid damaging the liner. You can do it! Good luck!
If you’re still searching for a pool liner, we’ve got plenty of bold liners, liner pads, and other pool accessories in stock.
Hi,
I am in a pickle. I have an 22′ 52″ Intex Ultraframe above ground pool which they no longer manufacture. I need a new liner. I just read your “What if the pool liner doesn’t seem to fit” article and that if you are within 2 or 3 feet, the liner will work. Can I put a 21′ liner inside of my 22 foot liner and just have the excess hang over the side? I would secure the liner once the pool is filled with a strap around the circumference of the pool just to hold the overlapped excess in place assuming there would actually be some excess once the pool is full. I understand that this is not conventional but I would not worry about the fact that I would not be able to exercise the warranty. I accept that. If I can, which of your liners would you recommend I purchase?
Thank You for your help!!!
Hi Duane! I think you misunderstood. If you have a 22′ pool, you can’t use a 21′ liner. Based on your comment, our re-lining kits might work. Our re-lining kits are designed for pop-up style pools without metal walls (also known as tube frame pools). You can shop 22′ Intex re-lining kits here: https://linerworld.com/collections/intex?_=pf&pf_t_pool_install_type=Relining-kit-for-intex&pf_opt_size=22%27&pf_t_pool_shape=Round. Feel free to contact us if you have more questions.
We purchased a 30ft round 54 inch pool they came and installed most of the pool then realized they sent us a 52 inch unibead liner. We called them and they refused to send us the correct liner and told us that 52 inch will fit?They even spoke to the installers because they were very uncomfortable with doing this. I’ve called around to local pool places in CT to purchase a correct size. So here we are filling the pool its 72 degrees and the liner seems very tight I shut the water off at this time and waiting for the temperature to reach 80 degrees today. What should I look for that I need to stop filling before the damage unfixable? So far there’s 6″ in the pool I’m so nervous about this. It seems very unprofessional and I know I should get what I paid for. However no one in this area has a 30ft 54 inch liner available right now.
Hi there. Thanks for reaching out! Did you purchase your liner from LinerWorld? Once we know that, we’ll be able to better assist you!
Hello, We’ve had problems in the past with liners being too tight and pulling our walls in with install, could we order a 16 foot liner and install on our 15 foot pool to avoid this issue?
Hi! Thanks for reaching out. Installing a 16-foot liner in a 15-foot pool isn’t advisable. The liner may not fit snugly around the pool’s edges, leading to gaps and areas where the liner is not properly secured. This can cause the liner to wrinkle, shift, and bunch up over time.
To avoid the problem of the liner being too tight and pulling the walls in, ensure that the pool dimensions are measured accurately before ordering the liner. Double-check the measurements of the pool’s diameter, depth, and wall height. See our measurement guide below.
Make sure you install the liner when the temperature is warm (80+ degrees Fahrenheit) for improved flexibility and ease of installation. Consider contacting a local professional who has experience with pool liner installations.
https://linerworld.com/blogs/resources/how-do-i-measure-my-above-ground-pool-for-a-liner