Vermiculite bottom on Liner Pool & Liner install - Is this right?

[billielee]

Hi! I'm trying to continue a previous thread from 2019 regarding the smoothness of the vermiculite bottom of a vinyl liner pool.

We hired a company and redid the pool deck last summer and they replaced the old liner that was over 20 years old.

Don't even get me started with the issues and delays with getting the liner from GLI. I've been waiting since October 2022 when they sent me the wrong liner and everything we picked was out of stock without much notice until after we waited 2+weeks each time for it to arrive.

They added vermiculite last week and seeing these other photos in the older posts/forums makes me want to cry after all the delays and time/money spent. I asked why it wasn't smoothed out before they put in the liner but my concerns were dismissed. It will be fine they said.

Now ours looks like someone took a trowel and made rainbow marks with it. Hopefully you can see the pictures well that I included.
Was so excited that the liner was finally going in and now it looks like this and also the vinyl over stairs look terrible. Is this normal?

In the photo the pool is really dirty in this picture as it was just connected and not cleaned yet. And now there's a leak (loses 2 inches of water overnight).
I've been trying to be positive since we started this last July 2022, but feeling really discouraged now and ready to throw in the towel literally...
At least the new pool decking/patio looks nice?

Any insight with would super appreciated.

 

[sktn77a]

I cant see anything in the first picture because of reflections but the second picture (stairs) is not acceptable. They need to fix this.

 

[billielee]

I cant see anything in the first picture because of reflections but the second picture (stairs) is not acceptable. They need to fix this.

Thanks Keith! I was told by the installer that 5 out of 100 liner pools have issues with vinyl over stairs but honestly I don't think this looks right at all.
I'm new to this site and forum but if you click on the photo and look at the bottom of the pool maybe you can see the swirl marks.

 

[FuturePoolOwner]

Thanks Keith! I was told by the installer that 5 out of 100 liner pools have issues with vinyl over stairs but honestly I don't think this looks right at all.
I'm new to this site and forum but if you click on the photo and look at the bottom of the pool maybe you can see the swirl marks.

These are the top of my stairs. The wrinkle is just confined to the top most step.

 

[ajw22]

One wrinkle on the top most step? I would leave well enough alone.

Getting the installer to fix that can create other problems. No easy way to get rid of the wrinkle.