Important Features of Pool Liners for Above Ground Swimming Pools

Overview
There are a number of things to think about for your pool liner if you’re getting a new above-ground swimming pool, or if you’ve gotten to the point where your current swimming pool needs a new pool liner.

The things that you’ll want to consider are whether or not you’re going to install it yourself, what features you want it to have, and what accessories you might want to get to extend the life of the pool liner.

Types of Pool Liners
Above ground swimming pool liners are typically made of vinyl. The biggest question to answer is the type of connector the liner has for attaching to the top of the pool, and the features that you want the pool liner to have.

There are four basic types of liners – Overlap, Beaded, Unibead and Expandable. The Overlap liner is so named because the edge of the liner comes up and over the edge of the pool. It then needs to be fastened with a coping strip. These strips may need to be replaced periodically. But this style of liner is less expensive than the beaded or unibead types.

Beaded liners have an attachment at the top of the liner that clicks into place at the top of the pool into the bead receiver. This is a very elegant looking connection, and can be made to look very decorative.

Unibead liners can be used as either a beaded liner or an overlap liner as needed. These liners are also very decorative.

Expandable liners are designed primarily to work in oval pools, and can be used to expand into ‘deep end or areas’ of such pools. Expandable liners usually end up with wrinkles in them when you install them yourself.

Features of Pool Liners
Some of the most important things to think about as you establish your budget for your new pool liner is the list of features that will affect your price:

• The thickness of the vinyl that your liner is made from – 20 or 25 guage
• UV and swimming pool chemical protection – these are usually ‘baked’ in to the vinyl and will determine the overall life time of your liner
• What kind of connector you want your liner to have. This will potentially depend on the type of pool you have.
• What kind of pattern/decoration you want your pool to have.

Make your checklist
Taking a little time to think about what you really want will help to make the right choice about your next pool liner.

photo credit: audreyjm529

The Different Types of Above Ground Swimming Pools

As I was thinking about what kind of an above-ground swimming pool I might want to get, I realized that it might be a good idea to look into the different types of pools that are available on the market currently. And I realized that this might be something that would be interesting to many people. So what kinds of materials are being used? What sizes do they come in? And what price ranges are typical for all of these different types?

One of the first basic differences is the difference between a hard and soft walled pool. Traditionally, above ground pools were made of metal, typically steel. They then have a vinyl pool liner attached to the edge of the walls to retain the water of the pool. These pools are typically cheaper than more recent designs of pool types, such as the soft walled pool. They also usually come in the round or oval shape.

Soft walled pools are pretty interesting. The material used to make them has to be really strong, since the pool liner is also the outer wall. Typically the material used is the same as that found in bullet proof vests. While being more expensive, it definitely makes it a more durable choice over the hard shell pools.

The amount of room you have for a pool will certainly determine what size of pool you purchase. The area where the pool is to be installed needs to be leveled in preparation for placement of the pool. The typical size of pool starts at 12’ round. This is a great size if you have a small level lot. If you have more room, you can start to look at rectangular pools that can go up in size as large as 32 to 40 feet in length.

There is a huge range of price difference for above ground swimming pools. If you look for cheap above ground pools online, you’ll be able to find tons of places with sale prices as low as $800-1200. If you’re looking for something that you could use as a lap pool, you could easily spend up to $8000, including all the swimming pool accessories you might need such as swimming pool chemicals, pool ladders, pool filters and pumps.

The bottom line is to balance the size you want with the space you have and still leave room in your budget for the gear you need to make your above ground swimming pool the private oasis you’re dreaming of.