Removing Pool Top Rail

by Steve
(MI)

The top rail on our 16X28 Dough boy pool needs to be painted and we have an auto repair guy who will to do the painting.

The question would be how much top rail can be removed at one time when the pool is full? Would this be something we should put off until fall when the pool is not full. We don't want the vertical post to shift.

Hi Steve

With a round pool you can usually get away with removing a rail or two if you really needed to. The wall does spread a bit and sometimes it takes several people pulling to get the rail holes lined back up.

With an oval pool I wound not try it. The water pressure acts a little different, especially at the corners, and chances are real good you would never get the holes lined up again.

With a pool half full of water, it's a whole different story. You could remove all the rails at one time and take them in to the paint shop. Putting them back on would not be a problem.

I put a new liner in for a guy that had just got his rails back from a friends auto paint shop. They looked great. He had them sand blasted and then painted and they came out looking better than new.

Removing Caps

by Dave
(Bastrop, Tx USA)

I want to replace a top railing on my 18 year old Doughboy above ground pool. How do I remove the caps between the rails?

Hi Dave

Caps for above ground pools can be attached in a number of different ways. Many have a main screw that goes right down the center into the top cap. Some may have a center screw that holds the inside piece in place and the outside slides over it hiding the screw head. The outside piece is then held in place with screw on the outside of the upright.

Some caps are not held in place with anything, they just snap on and off. Another type of cap will have the outside piece attached to the pool upright and the upper piece fits into it and then snaps over the top rails.

If you are unable to get it off, let me know with a comment entry, and I will work with you to get a photo.

Top Rail Seperating or Shifting

Just had 24 round above ground pool installed a week ago. Top rails appeared to be lined up and fit snugly under caps. Just noticed 1 rail is now separating or shifting from under the cap. Not sure if this is something as simple as a missing screw or a bigger issue of the entire pool shifting. Emailed pictures to installer and left messages. No word back yet. Any thoughts?

Hi It looks like it has missing screws or the screws broke from the top rail. Remove the top cap to see the problem.

Loose Liner at Top of Pool

by Tara
(Grove, OK)

Is there a way to get wrinkles out of a pool liner after it is put up and filled with water? I was hoping we could take off the top rail and straighten the part not in the water so it would look better, but I am afraid the pool is going to fall down if we take off a few sections of the top rail. Is it possible to take off 2 sections and pull the liner straight while the pool is full?

Hi Tara I have done it many times with no problems. The worst that could happen is you would have to drain some water to get it back together but not likely.