Reusing A Pool Liner

by Evelyn
(Tillsonburg Ontario Canada)

We just recently took down a 27' round above ground pool and we are being told that we can not reuse the liner.

There are no holes in it and it was and is in perfect condition. My question is: Can we still use the same liner??



Hi Evelyn. If the liner is over two years old I would not even attempt it. They shrink, the loose their elasticity and the bottoms become brittle. If the liner is fairly new, you can give it a shot. A new one is always recommended because you will get a much better job out of it, but not always necessary.

With a used liner in usable condition you need to first build the pool. Once the wall is up and the base set you can unroll the liner and start spreading it out. You will first want to install the skimmer and return so that the openings line up and are set. This must be done first or they will never liner up.

You then need to go directly across from the skimmer and pull the liner over the wall and cloths pin it in place. With the liner under the skimmer just barely touching the top of the cove you work your way over to the other side, smoothing the liner as you go. Across from the skimmer the liner should be just off the cove with enough left over to hang over the wall. If this is the case the liner should be big enough to re-install. You would then drop the liner at the point across from the skimmer. You go back to the skimmer area and start pulling the liner over the wall, working in either direction.

A used liner usually means a few wrinkles on the side wall. It may also mean many wrinkles on the bottom of the pool, depending on how pliable the liner is, and how hot of a day you have to do your install. The hotter the better when it comes to used vinyl.

If you are installing the liner over a sand base you can count on a lot more foot prints than if you were installing a new liner, that just comes with the territory. As cheap as online liners are most of the time it just makes sense to order a new one and start fresh.