VINYL LINER: The vinyl-liner is the only visible part to the pool owner, but it is not the structure and integrity of the pool. After initial excavation (digging the hole) and manual shaping, wall panels that are purchased directly from a manufacturer are bolted together to form the walls. Then, a pool base (a mixture of cement, other ingredients, and water) is poured to form the floor. This pool base is not concrete. The application is similar, but the end product is softer-more like hard clay.

A track (called coping) is installed to the top of the pool walls to hold a vinyl-liner in place. This vinyl-liner is all that will be seen by the pool owner. The majority of pool professionals work with numerous manufacturers of quality vinyl-liners, each of which offers a number of colors, patterns, and designs. A vinyl-liner will last an average of about 8-10 years. There are numerous examples of vinyl-liners that last 15-18 years, and there are also numerous examples of vinyl-liners lasting 3-5 years; it really depends on your water chemistry and other maintenance procedures.