Installing A Flexible Garden Pool Liner

What’s new in constructing garden pools? For do-it-yourselfers, it’s flexible plastic or butyl-rubber pool liners. By applying a bit of elbow grease, even a beginner can fashion an average-size lined pool in a weekend’s time. (Plantings and borders will take somewhat longer.) Here’s a step-by-step account of the process.

Planning the size and shape. Before ordering the liner, create a design and figure the finished length, width, and depth of your pool. Remember, simple shapes usually look the best. Once you’ve come up with a design you like, add twice the pool’s depth to its width, then tack on an extra two feet; repeat this procedure to find the correct length. In other words:

Liner size = 2d + w + 2 ft. by 2d +1 + 2 ft.

For example, a pool roughly 5 feet wide by 8 feet long by 2 feet deep would require a liner 11 feet by 14 feet or the next larger size available.

What if you want an unusual shape? This is no problem, because the rectangle liner can handle a number of curves and undulations. Also, you can weld two pieces of liner together – or have the manufacturer or supplier do it for you.

Marking the layout. Take a garden hose or a length of rope and trace the intended outline of your pool, allowing about 2 inches extra all around for a layer of sand. Stand back and take a look from all sides – and from above if you have a second-story or veranda view. Once you have the perfect outline, pound in stakes to mark the corners or hold the hose in place while you’re digging.

Making the Excavation. Now it’s calorie-burning time. Dig around the outline first, using a good sharp spade. If you’re cutting into a lawn, peel back and remove the sod and keep it in a shady spot (you may need it for patching around the border.)