48” Pool with a 54” Liner

(NC)

We have a 48" pool. If we dig down 6" can we install a 54" liner (j-hook)? Thanks


Hi. That is not something I would do, nor would I recommend anyone try it. You would just be asking for a mess of wrinkles that would be a nightmare to clean over and around.

The pool frame needs to sit on a firm, and level, ledge. The slope of a deep center should start about a foot and a half in from the pool sidewall and not before. This is not even close to the design that a 54" j-hook liner is designed for. The sides need to go down 54", not 48".

The correct way to do a deep center on an above ground pool is to use an expandable liner. Your best results will be with an overlap liner. In fact, there is really never a good reason to use a j-hook liner. At least that is my opinion.

A beaded liner can be used when you know the top ledge is going to be covered by a deck. This is an example of such a pool.

Above Ground Pool, Deck and Awning

That is the only time I would ever use anything besides an overlap liner. They are just so much easier to get the wrinkles out of and to get to fit the pool correctly just about every time. Your plan would work better with a 54" overlap liner but not nearly as well as if you used an expandable liner.