With the exception of overlap liners, all above ground pool liners come with some sort of connector known as a liner bead. Liner beads are reinforced strips of stiff vinyl that are attached to the top of the pool liner, which connect the liner to the top of your swimming pool wall. The most common bead types are the Standard Bead and the J-Hook. But have you ever heard of a Unibead liner? Our video explains the benefits of the Unibead liner below.
The Unibead is one of a few “dual purpose” pool liner bead types. These liner beads can function as either a Standard Bead or a J-Hook liner. This option is very attractive, as it makes a liner more versatile, providing more options in finding the perfect pool liner. If you find a liner pattern you love, there is a better chance that it will work for your pool whether you use a Standard Bead liner or a J-Hook. Other dual purpose bead types include DuoBead and EZ-Bead. As with any beaded liner, it’s important to know the size of your pool in order to get the right liner. You will want to know the length and width of your pool, as well as the wall height before ordering a Unibead liner.
A Unibead liner can be hung like a J-Hook liner right out of the package. Make sure your pool wall is free of any coping and bead receiver, as the hook will simply hang over the top of your pool wall. Install the liner as you normally would.
In order to use the Standard Bead portion of the Unibead liner, you must trim the J-Hook portion off entirely. Unibead liners are equipped with a slight groove at the base of the J-Hook and the top of the Standard Bead. Using a sharp razor knife, you can cut along the groove to remove the J-Hook portion. Remember to always practice safety when using knives! Once the J-Hook portion has been removed from your Unibead liner, it can be discarded. The liner can be installed as a Standard Bead liner. Remember that your pool must be equipped with a bead receiver track in order to hold a Standard Bead. Simply insert the trimmed Unibead into the bead receiver’s track to install.
It’s important to install a beaded liner in sections to ensure a proper installation. If you look at your pool as the face of a clock, with the starting point being 12 o’clock, install the liner from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock, then from 6 o’clock to 9 o’clock. Go back and install from 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock, then from 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock. Installing in sections will keep the liner installation even.
