Things You'll Need:
- Cloth Measuring Tape
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Step 1
To accurately measure a round or square swimming pool for a vinyl liner measure the diameter of the pool. Use a 50-foot cloth measuring tape and hold it on the top ledge on one side of the pool. Another party can walk the tape to the exact center of the opposite side, noting where it intersects with the pool wall. The diameter of the pool is the actual pool size, for example if the diameter of the pool is 24-feet, then the pool is a 24-foot round or square pool. Be careful to measure accurately, since this measurement is the entire basis for ordering a particular size vinyl liner.
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Step 2
Apply the same procedure, but in the case of an oval shaped or rectangular shaped pool, two readings are necessary, the length and the width. Take your time and measure accurately making sure that the string line is straight for both readings. Each measurement is independent of the other; therefore, the same string will work for both measurements, provided that it is long enough.
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Step 3
There are two different types of vinyl liners, an overlap liner, which actually overlaps the top of the pool wall. The excess is saved for future use by tucking it under the top ledge of the pool. The other type of vinyl liner is a beaded liner that has a groove, or bead, built onto the top edge of it, which slides into a hanging track, which is 2 inches below the inside of the top wall of the pool. An overlap liner measurement equals the distance from the top of the pool wall to the ground. A beaded liner loses those 2-inches because it is hanging in that track and is exactly 2-inches shorter than the measurement of the pool wall. Since overlap liners have extra material, they are easier and more forgiving to work with, whereas the beaded liner must fit exactly.
