Materials

• Installing an overlap pool liner requires a few tools that almost everyone already owns. Check to see what supplies your liner comes with. There should be some kind of clipping mechanism that will hold the liner in over the top of the pool walls. In most cases it will look a little bit like a pipe cut in half. Screws may be included as well. In addition to the liner and the clips, it is also important to have a sharp knife, a swimming suit, and a few friends or family members.
  
  

Process

• There are two ways that a pool liner can be installed. The first way is to lay the entire liner out inside a dry pool and align the seams with the edges of the pool. Drape the liner edges over the sides of the pool. Fill the pool with water and straighten out the wrinkles in the bottom of the liner as you go. The other way to install the liner is to drape the liner over a dry pool. Keep the liner as tight as possible on all sides. The liner should look like a pool cover at this point. Start to add water while the liner is still away from the bottom of the pool. Use several people to hold onto the liner as it slowly gets filled. As the weight of the water drags the pool down, each person should lower her end of the liner into the pool. The wrinkles will still need to be worked out, but using this method should produce a tighter seal. The coping should be attached when the pool is full with both methods. Clip the liner in place and cut away any extra coping with a knife.
  
  

Tips and Tricks

• Allow the pool to sit for 24 hours before cutting any excess liner overlapping the pool edge. Make sure the pool is level before installing the liner. A difference in water level of more than 1 inch can cause wrinkles and liner problems that cannot be fixed. Raise the ground level using dirt. Do not use sand. Sand can shift too easily.