Do You Need a New Swimming Pool Liner? Five Questions to Help You Decide

Wondering if it's time to replace your pool liner? In some cases, you can simply repair blemishes, but there are a number of signs that indicate your pool liner has outlived its lifespan and needs more than a repair. To determine if you need a new liner, work your way through these easy questions:

1. Is the existing liner fading?

Before filling up your pool for the season, look over the liner for discolouration or faded patches. Most contemporary vinyl liners contain chemicals that help them resist fading, but even with these elements, sun exposure can eventually start to wear down old liners.

As the sun fades the liner, its plasticisers start to deteriorate, and it becomes brittle and prone to cracking. Fading on its own doesn't necessarily indicate that you need a new liner, but fading is often a precursor to cracks which can necessitate a liner replacement.

2. Does your liner have cracks?

Like discolouration, cracks don't always mean you need a new liner. However, cracks almost always indicate that the end of your liner's lifespan is nigh, and you may want to start saving for a new liner.

To see if your cracks warrant an immediate liner replacement or if they are still mostly superficial, you need to see if they leak.

3. Do your cracks leak?

If water is leaking out of your liner's cracks, it is definitely time to replace your liner. To tell if your cracks are leaking, grab a wax pencil and draw a line on the liner at the top level of the water. Put on the pool's cover to ensure none of the water evaporates. Wait 24 hours and check the level of the water.

If it is at the same level, you don't have to replace the liner, but if the level has dipped, you need a new liner.

4. Is your liner slipping out of its track?

Around the top edge of every liner, there is a track that holds the liner in place. If your liner has slipped out, you can sometimes slip it back into the track, but if it is impossible to slip back into the track, the liner has likely stretched and needs to be replaced.

When your liner stretches, water slips over its edges and gets in between the liner and the concrete of the pool. This can damage the pool, and ideally, you want to talk with a pool renovation specialist about replacing the liner before the damage spreads.

5. Are there wrinkles around the liner?

Even if your liner isn't loose in its track, look at it to see if you see wrinkles or sagging. Both of these clues indicate that water is being held behind the liner, and they are a sign that the liner needs to be replaced.

For more signs that your pool may need a new liner, contact a pool renovation specialist.