Tank Liner Installation

Planning Choices

Before installing your new tank liner, it's important to spend the time necessary to prepare the existing tank to receive the tank liner. This is one of the most critical steps to insure your liner survives for a long and useful lifespan. Failing to properly prepare the tank can cause premature liner failure and void your liner warranty.

The types of tanks or cisterns that can be lined are masonry, metal, or wood.

Select Style: Overlap or Beaded Style?

Overlap

Overlap liners are designed to "overlap" the top perimeter of the tank. This type of liner works well on tanks that have thin walls (metal or wood) and a Non-Removable roof on them. They are made taller than the tank and fold over the top perimeter of the tank. Fastening can be accomplished by a strap system with a ratchet or other means.

Beaded

Beaded liners are made to hang in a specially made track (which we can provide with the liner). The bead is manufactured onto the top perimeter of the liner. This type is typically used on tanks with "trap-doors" in the roof or in cases where the liner must be mounted into a vertical inside wall of the tank. If mounting to a concrete, brick, or block wall the track would be first mounted on a wooden perimeter board which would attach to the side wall a few inches under the edge of the ceiling of the tank. To insert the liner into the tank, it would be rolled up like a "tortilla" or a roll of carpet and lowered through the hole. The liner is unfolded, the bead is inserted into the track and gravity holds the liner in the track.

Inlets and outlets

Pre-Install Preparation

Walls

Tank preparation is an important part of a successful liner installation. The sides and bottom of the tank need to be free from anything that may puncture a hole in a liner. When a liner is installed in a tank and filled with water, it is forced against the floor and walls of the tank with a considerable amount of pressure. If the tank was not prepared properly, a leak can occur and the purpose of the liner would be defeated.

Here's an easy way to check the sides of a tank to see if anything protrudes into the tank that may pierce the liner. You'll need a heavy glove to protect your hand and a terry-cloth dish towel. With the glove on, rub the towel on the walls of the tank in a circular motion. If the towel snags, grind or sand off the snag and try the test again. In many cases, there will be no further wall preparation needed.

If your walls are exceptionally bad and grinding or sanding is not enough to make the walls relatively snag free, then the use of wall foam should be considered. It's 1/4" thick by about 43" to 46" wide and comes in rolls typically measuring 60' or 120' long. It is usually available at your local pool supply or at discount online outlets. We do not sell the foam.

If you will be using wall foam AND a beaded system, this would be a good time to install the track. The wall foam can be sandwiched between the track system and the wall to hold it in place.

Floors

To save time and assure a clean floor for the liner to contact, we always suggest the use of 2" of filtered sand as a base for the liner. It should be the last thing that is applied prior to hanging the liner. This not only eliminates problems from the floor, it covers up any residue left from the wall preparation.

Installing the Liner

Beaded Liners

Beaded liners are installed by inserting the bead on the liner into the track system. If a liner is a bit too small to fit into the track, you can use a hair dryer to expand it temporarily until the desired distance is achieved. Wave the hair dryer over the area to be expanded using broad strokes similar to how one would spray paint an automobile with a spray gun. Attach the liner in the and as it cools, it will lock into place.

Wall fittings and witches hats should be added after the liner is fully inserted into the tank and any stretching of the liner from the floor upward has been accomplished. This may mean a few inches of water would be placed into the liner to complete the stretch.

Overlap Liners

Overlap liners can be dropped into the tank and fastened in place after the excess wall height has been pulled upward. A little vertical stretch (1 or 2 inches overall) is not a problem.