Can a Vinyl Liner Be Installed Over a Concrete & Fiberglass Pool?

Given enough time, all swimming pools require repair and renovation, including sturdy concrete or fiberglass types. Renovating the basin of a concrete or fiberglass swimming pool can cost a lot. However, installing a vinyl liner in a concrete or fiberglass pool sometimes reduces the time and expense involved in renovation. A bit of work is required, but putting a vinyl liner in a concrete or fiberglass swimming pool is possible.

The process of installing a vinyl liner over the basin surfaces of a concrete or fiberglass swimming pool is known as retrofitting. Retrofitting vinyl liners over concrete or fiberglass pools is done for various reasons but mainly to avoid the high cost of extensive pool renovation. Though estimates vary, costs range from $12,000 to $25,000, as of July 2011, to properly renovate a concrete pool's surfaces. Fiberglass pools are cheaper to renovate but doing so is still an expensive proposition.

Concrete and fiberglass swimming pools present engineering issues when installing vinyl liners in them. For one, concrete and fiberglass swimming pools aren't engineered for vinyl liners and their tracks. Swimming pool vinyl liners are made to fasten along the top edges of pools and "hang" via a track system. Putting a vinyl liner in a concrete or fiberglass swimming pool means you'll also need to install a fastening track system as well.

Vinyl liners in concrete or fiberglass swimming pools have to be custom-made. In addition, vinyl liners for these pools have to be made to account for skimmers, drains and steps. In cases where a vinyl liner's going into a concrete or fiberglass pool, drains, steps, fittings and lights are retrofitted themselves. In other cases of vinyl liners going into concrete or fiberglass pools, existing steps or lights may be covered over or removed altogether.

Before putting a swimming pool vinyl liner over a concrete or fiberglass pool's basin surfaces, ensure nothing will rip the new liner. Also, old concrete swimming pool surfaces can be abrasive and wear away at a vinyl liner. Verify that concrete or fiberglass pool surfaces are smooth before putting a vinyl liner over them. A custom-made vinyl liner to accommodate a concrete or fiberglass swimming pool will cost at least a few thousand dollars.