Hello all you "do- it – yourselfers", I would like to explain to all of you how to patch a pool liner on the seam. Owning a pool can be a great source of entertainment as long as you keep up on the maintenance. Having a pool liner in your pool is important because it protects your pool and also helps to prevent people from scraping their feet or injuring themselves. If you own a pool with a vinyl pool liner that has suddenly sprung a leak there is no need to panic. Thanks to modern pool repair kits there is no need to completely drain your swimming pool to replace a leak in the seam of your pool liner. There is also no need to purchase an entirely new pool liner since most pool patching kits have glue and a vinyl material that can be easily applied under water. Unlike quick fix patches that you might use on things like your car or a pair of pants, a kit for patching a pool liner on the seam will generally last for the entire life of the pool. You can purchase a pool liner patch repair kit at any pool supply store.
The first thing you will need to do is to make sure the entire area around the torn pool liner is scrubbed and completely clean. It is important to remove all algae or dirt so that the patch and the adhesive will have a clean surface to adhere to. After the area is thoroughly clean, push the seam of the pool liner completely flat and check that there are no wrinkles. At this point you should probably put on a pair of disposable latex gloves to protect your hands from the glue that will be applied later.
Using an exact-o knife or scissors carefully cut a rectangular piece of vinyl from the patch material making sure that it is about 4 inches wider and longer than the total size of the rip in the seam of your pool liner. You will want to make sure that the corners are rounded on the vinyl patch you just created because it will conform better to the tear in the pool liner seam. Take a stick or some sort of spreading tool and put the glue all over one side of the vinyl patch. Make sure the glue is both in the middle and around all the edges so that every part of the patch will stick to the pool liner.
Take the side of the patch with the glue on it and center it over the leak in the pool liner. Press down hard and hold for about 60 seconds making sure that the edges of the patch are completely stuck to the pool liner. Smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles underneath the patch and check to see that the patch conforms to the outline of the seam in the pool liner. After you stop holding the patch the surrounding pressure of all the water in the pool will act as an aid for holding the patch in place. It is important to remember not to touch or bump into the patch for a full 24 hours to make sure that it forms a tight and permanent seal.
This is a cheap and easy way for anyone to patch a pool liner on the seam. This method does not take very long and can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. If ever your pool liner springs another leak you can repeat this process as many times as necessary.