As a pool owner, you know that the chosen pool liner will affect the appearance of your pool. You ask yourself, “How do I choose the best liner for my pool”. If you are occupied by this question, we are here to solve your problem.
Inground pool liners are essential for your pool as they provide a smooth surface on which the water can lie. Over time, however, the liner will break down. Sunlight’s ultraviolet rays will leave the liner brittle and weak on top of fading its color. Chlorine is another agent that will bleach and weaken your pool liner in time. It’s time for your pool liner replacement.
When choosing a vinyl pool liner, the possibilities are truly endless. From color and pattern to texture and thickness, you have the opportunity to customize your pool liner to your specific tastes.
Nowadays there is a wide range of inground pool liners in the market and it’s getting difficult to make a purchasing decision. But don’t worry! Our guide will specifically be covering what to know when choosing an inground pool liner.
1. The Color
The colour you choose for your pool liner will affect the pool in more ways than just the appearance of your pool and backyard.
Blue is the most popular colour for pools, but it can come in various hues, from light to dark.
Dark colours absorb light and heat, which will help warm up your pool water. Dark liners also hide dirt, stains, and debris. So if you have any hard-to-clean stains, you won’t have to worry about seeing them every time you go swimming.
The only major drawback to a dark liner is the risk of the liner fading and bleaching over time due to the chlorine and the sun’s UV rays.
Light coloured liners reflect sunlight instead of absorbing it, so they are less prone to UV damage, such as fading and bleaching from the sun.
But since light colours will show dirt and debris, you will have to stay on top of your pool cleaning schedule—which isn’t a bad thing.
For the best of both worlds, you might want to opt for a medium-coloured liner that offers a natural aqua appearance.
2. The Pattern
The other essential visual determinant that will likely influence your pool liner replacement is the pattern of the liner. Your choice of pattern will depend on what color you decide to go with. But generally speaking, there is a bevy of options to help you blend your liner’s color and design. Pool liners come with tile border patterns and you can coordinate it with the deck (if you know what it will look like) to make it pop.
However, not all tile border patterns will appease your taste. In such a case, all you need to do is to ask the pool liner installation company in Suffolk County to remove the border pattern for you.
3. The Texture
Texture can be an invaluable option if you decide to go with vinyl over steps! The vinyl is embossed with a texture that feels good under foot and provides grip and additional traction in higher traffic areas of your pool. While most manufacturers have an additional charge for textured vinyl, it is a much safer option in any pool. Some liners even have an all over pool texture to cover the entire liner and not just the steps. Some textures give the feel of gunite, have recessed “grout lines” on tiled patterns, or create the feeling of compressed sand beneath your feet!
4. The Warranty
Almost any pool liner you will buy will come with a warranty. A liner warranty is not standard across the industry. So you will need to determine which one is best for you using ‘mil’ (which is not a standard measuring unit and can be embellished). Read the warranty over carefully for hidden information such as if the warranty will be prorated after a few years of initial use.
5. Thickness
Pool liners come in various thicknesses ranging from 20 to 40 mil (a unit of thickness used in the pool liner industry). One mil is equal to one one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.001 inches. So a 20 mil vinyl pool liner would be 0.020 inches thick.
Sometimes, gauge is used as a unit of thickness instead of mil. But gauge is slightly thinner than mil, so a 20-gauge liner will be slightly thinner than a 20-mil liner.
Also, liners will sometimes have a floor thickness that is thinner than the walls. So there might be two thickness values, such as 28 wall 20 floor, or 28/20.
Thick pool liners are typically more expensive than thin liners since they require more vinyl and time to manufacture, but they also tend to last longer than thin liners. Thick pool liners are more durable and puncture-resistant, so they are less likely to leak.
Installing thicker liners can be more difficult, especially in colder weather, since they are not as elastic (stretchy) as thinner liners, and they can be hard to fit in corners and around steps in pools.
If you have any other questions about pool and spa products please do let us know - we are here to help!