Buying An Above Ground Pool Liner
In recent time the internet has drastically changed the way we shop for everything including above ground pool liners. In years past we went to the corner pool store picked up a liner and went home to install it. Nowadays the pool stores are either gone or have nothing that resembles a pool liner on their shelves. If you’re lucky enough to find one it’s likely not the size you need or it’s a pattern you don’t care for. This is where the internet really shines, thousands of products and rock bottom pricing, right? The answer is yes if you know what your really getting, so before you make your above ground pool liner purchase online there are a few things you need to know first.
All Pool Liners Are Not Created Equal
What I mean here is there are several different grades of pool liner so shopping by price isn’t the best way to go. Going this route can be an expensive lesson to learn for those bargain shoppers out there, buy the wrong liner and you may be doing this twice and that’s never a bargain.
When shopping for pool liners in Florida you may notice that there’s a wide range of prices for what seems to be the same size liner. This is because the thickness, materials and overall build quality can vary greatly. Buy one of those ultra cheap Made In China liners and it can leak right out of the box. Step up to an American made pool liner and you’ll likely get 3-5 years from it here in Florida. For those wanting to do this only once and have a liner that lasts 15-20 years, buy a Doughboy liner. Make no mistake, you will get exactly what you pay for so decide what you really want before ordering. Buying a pool liner online is fine, just know what you are getting.
How Do I Know What I’m Buying
When shopping for your new above ground pool liner it pays to read or listen carefully. Pay attention to what the salesman says about the liner as much as what he doesn’t say. Leaving out the name of the manufacturer, material thickness, warranty info etc are clues they don’t want to know those things.
There has been a tidal wave of Chinese pool liners on the market in recent time and I can tell you first hand these liners are garbage. If a customer calls us to install a pool liner and they already have, we ask where it was purchased from. The reason is many of the bargain priced liner are so thin and poorly constructed that we don’t want to install them. They often leak or tear as a result of poor craftsmanship and not the installation process. To avoid potential conflicts we often pass on doing this type of work.
Where Should I Buy My Pool Liner
There are many places to buy an above ground pool liner but I would recommend you stack the odds in your favor by shopping a reputable pool dealer you can trust. If you can call and speak to a knowledgeable person with pool liner experience then that’s probably a good place to go. If your in Florida and they’re way across the country shop somewhere else. If you can click and buy but can’t speak to anyone, shop somewhere else. If the liner specs are vague shop somewhere else.
Important! Don’t be afraid to spend an extra $50 dollars and buy from a reputable local company, it’s likely a better liner and they’ll be there to help you out if there is a problem. Here’s a link to my recommended local pool liner dealer, this is where I send all of my customers.
