Pool Deck and Liner Installation

How do I install a replacement liner on an 18' x33' pool which is decked on 3 sides?



Hi. My guess is that the deck will have to come apart for you to be able to change your liner. But before we jump to any conclusions let's look at all the possibilities.

If you have a beaded liner the process is simple. This can all be done from inside the pool without having to remove the pool top rails or disturb the deck. Beaded liners hook into a groove that hangs over the wall and into the pool. The groove is in a part called a bead receiver. If you do have to dismantle your deck to remove the top rails, consider ordering bead receivers and a beaded liner, and the deck will never have to come apart again. An example of a beaded liner and a pool deck is on this page.

Above Ground Pool, Deck and Awning

If the deck is against the top rails, but not over them, and you have access to remove them, you are in pretty good shape. Overlap liners can be installed a couple of different ways. They can be stretched in, which requires access around the outside of the pool, or they can be installed from inside the pool. To install the liner from inside the pool you would remove all the top rails, rods and coping. You then get in the pool with the liner and open it up. You will want to make sure it is lined up correctly using the seams in the bottom of the liner as guides. Pull the liner up and over the wall using cloths pins to hold it in place, adjusting as needed until the sides are straight and the bottom fairly smooth. You can then start adding water and smoothing out the bottom. When the water is near the edge you can pull the excess liner over the wall and install the coping and rods.


If the deck is a foot or so below the top rails, the liner can be stretched in. Stretching an overlap liner is my favorite way of installing the overlap type. A good example of stretching a vinyl liner into an above ground pool is shown on this page.

Expandable Liner Installation

If your pool has an overlap liner and a deep end I would definitely want to stretch it into place. This will probably require you to move the deck but that is the only way to deal with deep ends. More overlap liner installation photos are on this page.

Overlap Liners

Here are two examples of overlap liners being installed in pools with decks. The first photo shows a small deck that we could move back and out of the way. The second was a very large deck that had to be removed because the pool had a deep end and the liner had to be stretched in.