After 17 years with a above ground pool I have started having issues with moles recently. I think I have the mole issue under control but after a puncture last fall I will be installing a new liner soon. This time I will be installing the cove foam and have been thinking about installing a Gorilla pad or armor pad on the sand first. Any added protection under the liner is what I want. I have seen a lot of reviews but wondering if anyone has real world experience with these liner protection pads?
Using Liner Armor
- Thread starter swoodard
- Start date
Several people have used the "house foam" under their pool bottoms. It is thick enough that even the biggest, baddest mole should not be able to get through it! Between that and the foam coves you should be safe for a good long while.
When you tape it together triple tape it to make sure the liner cannot get into the cracks.
Kim
When you tape it together triple tape it to make sure the liner cannot get into the cracks.
Kim
- May 23, 2015
- 24,465
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I know nada about AGPs but if you do find a foam that you like, see if you can find out what it’s compression creep value is. Compression creep is the loss in thickness over time when a foam or polymer is loaded for long periods of time. Your 24’ round pool will have about 120,000 pounds of water in it over a roughly 65,000 square inch surface area. So your bottom foam will roughly see about 2 psi of constant downward pressure. Compression creep is usually listed as % change in thickness at a given constant pressure.
My point in all this is you want to use a rigid foam that isn’t going to go as flat as paper after having water added to the pool.
My point in all this is you want to use a rigid foam that isn’t going to go as flat as paper after having water added to the pool.
We have the Armor Pad under our pool and have had no problems. I got it strictly for stopping nut grass, but I can see using it for varmints as well.
It and Gorilla Pad are both thin membranes so they don't add any cushion to the bottom, but by the same token you don't leave depressions in the bottom either.
It and Gorilla Pad are both thin membranes so they don't add any cushion to the bottom, but by the same token you don't leave depressions in the bottom either.
I have 3/4" polystyrene insulation sheets and a gorilla pad under my pool. Do as advised and triple tape the joints in the insulation. The weight of the water will try to separate the insulation sheets. (ask me how I know. ). I topped the insulation with the gorilla pad in an effort to keep my pool liner out of the grooves where the insulation sheets separated. Didn't really work for that. Bummer. Anyway, the polystyrene sheets didn't compress down. Regular sheet insulation will. Just for reference, I have a 26' intex. Almost 15000 gal.
I learned all about this on TFP. Love this place !
I used a Gorilla pad, then 1" EPS foam sheets between that and the liner. Works fine so far.