Bead tips
When dealing with bead issues, particularly during cool weather, a hair dryer should never be used to soften the bead and wall section. Boiling water is recommended instead.
Hot water will simply soften the liner without creating any deterioration of the material itself and/or the print integrity, while at the same time allowing the bead to be easily snapped into the track. By using a hair dryer, builders run the risk of burning through the vinyl, if not attended to properly.
One tip for keeping hot water readily available on the job site is to utilize a single-burner camping stove. After boiling the water in a pot or teakettle, it is simply poured directly onto the liner.
Once the liner is positioned in the pool, carefully examine the installation to ensure the wall is aligned with the floor by looking for diagonal wrinkles. If diagonal wrinkles appear in the wall, it indicates that the bead is slightly ahead of the floor portion of the liner directly below. The liner should be adjusted prior to completing the installation.
Setting the vacuums
Once the liner is properly in place, vacuums should be set up as close as possible to any speciality feature areas in the pool, e.g., step sections, sun ledges, cuddle coves, etc. If the pool includes several of these features, it is a good idea to utilize more than one vacuum to remove any wrinkles and help set the liner in place. Most installers will agree it is best to remove all wrinkles before filling the pool with water.
“We use at least four vacuums on every job,” says Corallo. “Our customers are familiar with gunite pools and I need to guarantee their vinyl-lined pool will look just like a gunite pool when I’m done.
“Spending a little more money on good vacuums will make a world of difference. Having five or six vacuums on the liner while we are kicking into place is the norm, with the extra vacuums on the specialty features.”
Corallo says they regularly build ledges that are typically 1.5 m (5 ft) deep and anywhere from 3 to 4.2 m (10 to 14ft) wide, and since they are so close to the surface of the water, it is important they are wrinkle free and set properly to prevent them from floating.
It is also important to make sure the electrical supply to the vacuums is sufficient to prevent interruptions in electricity while the pool is being filled with water. This is especially important if the pool is slowly being filled using a garden hose. It should be noted, however, most liner vacuums used today draw very few amps.
Wrinkle-free finish
Next, whenever possible, vacuums should be positioned so they are located centrally, whether they are fed through the mouth of the skimmer, down behind the liner, and/or directly down the wall, behind the bead section.
Duct tape can be used to form a seal when sliding the vacuum’s hose directly between the pool wall and the liner. When doing this, make sure the hose is approximately 152 to 203 mm (6 to 8 in.) up the wall from the base of the vertical wall portion of the pool. Once the liner is vacuumed into position, it should be wrinkle-free.
If wrinkles are still present, the builder should enter the pool (if possible), first removing work boots or sneakers, or placing cardboard or some other means to protect the liner print from being scuffed, and adjust the liner where necessary.
