Vinyl Install - Use Foam Backing or Not?

[REFlad]

I will be installing a liner soon, and the kit I bought came with a roll of foam and some adhesive. I have since talked to a few pool pros in the area, and they never use the foam between the wall and the vinyl.

My question is:
What are the pros and cons of using the foam wall backing?

Any help making this decision is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Casey]

I like the feel the foam gives to the walls instead of feeling a hard surface.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Most pros don't use it because the owners don't insist and it takes time to install and time is money.

 

[jay_k]

I like the feel of foam and have it on my pool. We've actually foamed the shallow end floor for a few customers and always foam vinyl covered stairs. Foam is also great after making wall repairs to hide seams and pop rivet heads that have been taped over.

I leave it up to the customer and charge extra for it unless it's part of a wall repair or stair covering.

 

[LinerMfgr]

Wall Foam
pros:

• Gives a nice feel[/*:m:19roo9dp]
• smooths out rough areas[/*:m:19roo9dp]
• hides panel joints[/*:m:19roo9dp]

Cons:

• If you have a high water table, and your liner floats, this stuff will detach from the wall and make a big mess behind your liner[/*:m:19roo9dp]
• When the liner gets old and brittle, the foam provides a way to poke your finger through the liner, because of the 'give' behind it.[/*:m:19roo9dp]

It seems like most dealers that I deal with prefer foam because of the feel it gives to the pool, but the liner will probably last longer without the foam.

Good luck and enjoy your new pool!

 

[waste]

We always install 1/8" wall foam on our pools. It's a nicer feel and a good cushion .

However, there are times it comes back to bite us! (the pools that it becomes a problem with are ones that are located in a high water area - the foam will float and untuck the liner in high water areas).

 

[duraleigh]

I put 1/4" foam behind mine and like it. As the depth increase, it gets progresively flatter against the wall. I would suspect it is less than 1/16 at the five foot level.

I liked the smooth bed it gives the liner since my concrete walls were not finished as well as I should have done.