Above Ground Swimming Pool Liner Beads

‘Bead’ is an alternative way to attach the liner to the pool or pool coping versus ‘Overlap’, where excess material is provided to drape the liner itself over the wall of the pool.  There are various types of bead, each designed by different manufacturers, over the years, to address specific issues, design methods or marketing features.

Above ground Bead Terminology

Bead is typically referred to in two-parts like the sides of a coin, the bead-‘head’ and the bead-‘tail’, as illustrated below.

Pool Fits Bead Terms

Above Ground Liner Beads are broken down into two categories as follows:

  • Standard Aboveground Liner Beads (Standard A/G Bead)
  • Specialty Aboveground Liner Beads (Specialty A/G Bead)
    • Specialty Beads have been developed over the years for to meet a variety of needs, design criteria or marketing requirements. In some cases, specific specialty beads are required in other cases, the specialty beads have been created to meet multiple attachment methods and reduce stock keeping units for liner manufacturers.   

Standard Bead

Used for pools with standard liner bead coping track it slips easily into standard liner coping track around the top of your pool wall.  Pool Fits recommends the use of EZ Bead / Multi-Bead for Standard Bead applications

Pool Fits Standard Above Ground Bead

J-Hook or J-Bead or U-Bead

Used for installation in pools without standard liner bead coping track.  J-Hook slips easily over the pool wall, along the top edge, much like an ‘overlap’ liner but with no need for adjustment of the excess liner ‘over-hang’ during installation.  Pool Fits recommends replacing J-Bead or U-Bead liners with EZ Bead / Multi-Bead liners.

Pool Fits Above Ground J Hook Bead

Uni-Bead

Uni-Bead was designed to accommodate both ‘Standard Bead’ and ‘J-Bead’ applications.   Uni-Bead can be used ‘as is’ in the J-Bead aboveground liner applications.  It can also be ‘field modified’ to accommodate Standard Bead aboveground liner applications by removing the top J-Bead portion of the bead head entirely before installation.  This is done by ‘tearing’ the bead along a score mark or continuous perforation in the bead to remove the J-Bead portion of the bead head to leaving only the standard bead portion of the bead head and making the liner ready for installation in that application.

Note:  Pool Fits recommends replacing Uni-Bead liners with EZ Bead / Multi-Bead liners which will fit both applications! 

Above Ground Uni-Bead

EZ Bead / Multi-Bead

EZ Bead/ Multi-Bead was also designed to accommodate both ‘Standard Bead’ and ‘J-Bead’ applications.   EZ Bead can be used ‘as is’ in both J-Bead above ground liner application and in a Standard Bead aboveground liner application and requires no ‘field modification’ in either application.  You either insert the very top portion of the bead head into the standard liner coping track around the top perimeter of the pool in standard bead applications or slip the entire bead  over the pool wall, along the top edge, much like an ‘overlap’ liner but with no need for adjustment of the excess liner ‘over-hang’ during installation.

Pool Fits Above Ground EZ Bead

Duo-Bead

Is no-longer commercially available, but it may be the type of bead that you have on your existing above ground vinyl pool liner and is shown hear to assist in identifying what type of bead you require for your replacement aboveground liner.  Duo-Bead is the predecessor to EZ Bead and was designed to accommodate both ‘Standard Bead’ and ‘J-Bead’ applications by ‘folding’ or ‘unfolding’ the liner bead head.   

Above Ground Duo Bead

Wilkes ® Bead

Wilkes ® style bead is similar to J-Bead in concept, but much smaller and was designed specifically to install with / slip onto liner bead coping track of Wilkes ® brand rectangular above ground / on ground pool.

Wilkes Pool Liner Bead - Onground and Semi-Inground

Esther Williams ® Bead

Esther Williams ® style bead, also referred to as ‘Tab Bead’ or ‘E/W Bead’ is similar to standard bead in concept, but with a slightly thicker bead head and unique rounded top to the bead head.  Esther Williams ® bead was designed specifically to install into the liner bead coping track of an Esther Williams ® and/or Johnny Weismeuller ® brand aboveground / onground pool, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Esther Williams ® bead is inserted ‘vertically’ into the Esther Williams ® liner bead coping track, where typically most standard bead applications are inserted ‘horizontally’ into the liner bead coping track.    

 

Esther Williams Bead - Above Ground

Kayak ® Style Bead

Kayak ® style bead is virtually identical to standard liner bead but with a slightly thicker width in the head of the bead.  Kayak® style bead was designed to install into the liner bead coping track of Kayak ® brand rectangular aboveground / onground pool.

Kayak Onground Pool Liner Bead Profile and Isometric View