How to Install an Overlap Liner

Overlap pool liners are very easy to install and can be slightly adjusted as the pool is filling with water, making it the perfect choice for a DIY project.

How to Install an Overlap Liner

Overlap Liner Installation Instructions

An overlap liner is installed by overlapping it over the pool wall and placing coping strips over the liner and the wall to hold it in place. If you are replacing an old liner, remove the top track stabilizers prior to overlapping the liner on the wall. If this is a new install, you would put the top track stabilizers on after the liner is over the wall.

Starting at the liner wall seam on the curved side of the pool, hang the liner over the wall making sure that the seam is straight up and down, perpendicular to the floor. This will assure you that the liner begins going over the wall straight.

As you put the liner over the wall you can secure it by using the plastic coping strips (coping strips can be spaced out a few inches from each other) to keep the liner in place. There should be NO AIR SPACE between the liner and the base that it’s resting on, especially at the cove area (where the pool wall and the angled sand base meet). If you installed the foam pool cove on top of the 3″ sand base and noticed there is still air behind the liner it is recommended to add additional fine mason sand to help reduce the stress and tension on the vinyl liner and the pool wall.

Overlap Liner Installation Using Coping Strips

Overlap Liner Installation Using Coping Strips

If you end up with excess liner material, continue around the pool, pulling excess liner evenly, and distribute over the pool wall until the excess is gone.

Start filling the pool with only a few inches of water. As the pool fills, work out all the wrinkles and smooth the liner to the wall. Remove the plastic coping strips around the top edge of the wall one piece at a time and adjust the liner if necessary. Keep smoothing out the wrinkles.

Overlap Liner Installation Video

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not trim off the excess liner. (If the liner ever needs to be removed, trimming the liner will make re-installation very difficult.) Instead, roll up any excess liner and tape it in place near the top of the pool wall.

Pool Cove (Foam)

Pool Cove is foam that easily peels and sticks to the inside base of the pool wall. The foam pool cove is 3-3/4 inches high and must be installed on top of 3 inches of sand. This will give you a total height of about 7 inches, the recommended height to support the liner and eliminate stress at the seam of the pool liner.

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