For those needing a liner changed in your above-ground pool in the Orlando area, this article will answer questions about what it takes, how long, and how much?
There are a lot of above-ground swimming pools in Orlando and surrounding areas. Although a decent quality above-ground pool will last between ten and twenty years, the liners they come with don’t last as long.
Replacing an above-ground pool liner in Orlando usually takes less than a day to do. The pool has to be bone dry and the replacement liner delivered before starting the job. After completion, the average pool fills in about 24 hours.
WHEN DOES AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL LINER NEED REPLACING?
Here in the Orlando area, the elements are harsh with summers lasting a very long time. This will take some life away from pool liners.
Most decent quality liners will last between 5-8 years, but not always.
1 Liner is getting old
If your liner has gotten more than a couple of leaks in it over a short period of time AND the liner is four years old or older, then it may be getting brittle and little micro-cracks are causing leaks.
If you can find these leaks, patching them is easy. But since the liner is old, it will continue to get more leaks. Usually, after three separate leak fixes, the pool owner decides it’s time to replace the liner.
2 When you can’t find the leak
It’s not easy to find a leak in an above-ground pool. Many times leaks never get found and the pool owner has no choice but to replace the entire liner to solve the problem.
3 The liner is stained or bleached out
As mentioned earlier, the Orlando sun is brutal and long-lasting during the summer. Direct sunlight can cause a liner to fade from the nice dark pattern it started with to an off-white color.
Also, some liners are stained from neglected pool water and look permanently bad at the waterline.
4 The liner blew out
Sometimes when a liner gets old, it will blow out usually at the bottom of the wall somewhere. This will result in the pool emptying very quickly and flooding out the yard. Yikes!
5 Something or someone damaged the pool
Trees fall on pools and kids bring sharp things in pools. This can often cause the need for a new liner.
COST TO HAVE A LINER CHANGED IN THE ORLANDO AREA
Here is my price sheet for changing a liner in Orlando.
NOTE: Areas further away like Titusville, Port St John, Cocoa, Poinciana, and some areas of Lake county may have a travel charge.
BEST TIME TO CHANGE AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL LINER IN ORLANDO
In Orlando, you can change the liner in a pool almost year round. Most will want to change their pool liner during the summer months because that is when they use the pool most.
Sometimes you can’t get your liner changed during the summer though.
Being an above-ground pool installer in Orlando for 37 years, I can tell you that there are a lot of above-ground pools here, but not a lot of installers.
During a typical summer install season, I get too busy with doing full pool installs. For this reason, I don’t have time to change liners and can only offer to do liner change jobs during the off-season.
Some will be forced to wait a couple of months or longer to have me change their pool liner.
If you live in areas like Orlando, Clermont, Altomonte Springs, Winter Park, Lake Mary, Kissimmee, St Cloud, and surrounding towns, you may consider planning on your liner change between October and February.
Sometimes the season starts late or ends early, so if you need a liner change for your above-ground pool, you can contact me to ask about my schedule.
WHEN YOU SHOULD NOT CHANGE A POOL LINER IN ORLANDO
Here in Orlando, we don’t get much of a winter. But sometimes we will get a day or two that goes below 50°F as a daytime high.
In my opinion, you shouldn’t change a liner in weather below 60°F. I have successfully installed pool liners below 60° but there was full sun (not a single cloud in the sky) and I have a lot of experience.
Also, some areas in and around Orlando can have wet ground during the rainy season. Areas like Oviedo, parts of Kissimmee, Geneva, and parts of east Orlando have very wet areas that can stay too wet to successfully change a liner.
It may be hard to tell if your yard is too wet to install a liner in your pool. Sometimes the pool has to be drained and the old liner removed before you know it can’t be done.
With that, you usually have no choice but to wait until the earth dries up. This sometimes takes a month or two depending on when the dry season starts.
WHAT IS INCLUDED WITH A LINER CHANGEOUT
Here is my liner change page to tell you what to expect.
POOL DECKS CAN GET IN THE WAY OF LINER CHANGES
Orlando and the surrounding towns have a lot of pools with wood decks attached to them.
Many decks are built high to the pool and can get in the way of taking the top of the pool apart while performing a liner changeout.
If your pool has a deck high and next to the pool, it can cost you more to change the liner as some of the wood will have to be removed OR the installer will have to crawl under the deck to get to the screws.
Pool guys like myself don’t like crawling under decks. If I have to crawl under a deck, I will charge more to do the liner change. Many times, the pool owner will crawl under their deck and take the necessary screws off before I get there.
I always have the pool owner send me pics of the pool and the deck so I can determine if I can do the job without having to deal with the deck much.
POOLS WITH DEEP ENDS OR DEEP CENTERS WILL COST MORE FOR A LINER CHANGEOUT
It’s nice to have an above-ground pool with a deep center. They are more work to change the liner in though, so it can cost $100 or more additional depending on the size of the pool and how deep the bottom is.
TREES TOO CLOSE TO THE POOL CAN CAUSE EXCESSIVE ROOTS UNDER THE LINER
It can be nice to have trees close to an above ground pool. But their roots can grow under the pool.
This usually isn’t a big deal but will make the liner change job tougher.
IF YOUR POOL IS SEMI-INGROUND, THEN DRAIN THE POOL AND CHANGE THE LINER QUICKLY
Orlando and most of the towns around it have sand-based earth. This can mean that the ground is made of mainly loose-type sand.
Burying an above-ground pool partially in the ground is very popular here. Usually, it’s not an issue, but sometimes a pool will cave in some when emptied.
Metal-walled above-ground pools should never be completely drained. When changing the liner though, you have no choice. To help prevent a minor or major cave-in, you should drain the pool and very quickly change the liner and refill.
You don’t want to keep a semi-inground pool drained too long without refilling.
Areas that are “hilly” can have a lot of slope in backyards. Places like Clermont, Oakland, and Mount Dora can have many pools that had to be installed somewhat in the ground on one side.
If your pool was installed in the ground on one side, then it’s not as crucial, but you’ll not want to keep your pool empty for too long either.
CHOOSE A GOOD QUALITY REPLACEMENT LINER
Above-ground pools in Orlando and surrounding areas need a good liner in order to withstand the harsh summers.
I recommend a heavy gauge, fully printed, unibead/j-hook type liner made only in the US or Canada.
NOTE: Chinese-made pool liners cost less but only last 1-3 years. Not worth it.
OVERLAP-TYPE LINERS MAY NEED REPLACEMENT COPING STRIPS
If you are replacing your liner with an overlap type, then you may need to purchase a part called “coping strips”. Sometimes I will have coping strips on my truck and won’t charge to use them, but not always.
NOTE: You can avoid needing coping strips by buying a unibead/j-hook type liner instead of a 1980s style overlap.