Ants and/or termites

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numberonenole

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Mar 18, 2009
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Woods of North Florida
We fought several tiny holes in the bottom corner of the liner last year. Patched and patched. It seems we have more as we are losing water in that same area (ground wet). Pool installer said it was probably ants or termites. The house next door to us had termites, and we did have the area around the pool sprayed for ants during the time the problems first started.

At what point do you stop fighting and just start over with a new liner and better bottom/cove protection? It will be at least 2 1/2 months before it is warm enough for me to try and patch anything. Pool installer quoted price of $450 to install new liner (plus the price of the liner). The pool is only 3 years old. Does that price sound right? Thanks in advance for all the advice!
 
$450 bucks to install?? Am I missing something??

For $450 bucks he shows up to a drained pool - rips out the old liner (assuming he even does that) and simply puts up the new liner? When I installed my liner, from start to finish it took maybe a couple hours but I was a complete noob.
Maybe I'm missing something but $450 bucks seems ridiculous, I certainly wouldn't pay that kind of money, I'd do it myself. Just my 2 cents.
 
Unless he's gonna do a lot of ground work and has to remove a deck I'll have to agree with Cramar, that's a lot of money for replacement. However, every location is different and what may be outrageous for us may be normal for you.
 
Strange. I don't know about ants but I just don't see termites boring through a plastic liner. I wouldn't think that they would have any interest in that at all.
 
Well, the Department of Agriculture guy said it was possible and advised me to place a physical barrier betrween the liner and the ground. Which one do you think would be the best protection? Would I need to get a foam cove as well?

By the way, thankfully we have a termite bond on our house because we just discovered the little beasts have come up a crack in our foundation on were chewing on our baseboards. Hollowed one right out. Crack in foundation is probably due to the sinkhole issue we are having. We have had 10 concrete truck loads of concrete pumped under our house to fill the voids and are now getting to the cosmetic repair stage. It will be interesting to see what the concrete foundation looks like once the carpet and tile is pulled off. The house is only 4 1/2 years old. The hits just keep coming.
 
If it is termites or ants, I would think you would want to put down some termitacide or similar pesticide to make sure the critters didn't make the new liner part of their diet and/or home. I don't know how effective, but Lowes and Home Depot have products on the shelves here. I think I would have a pro inject the area under the pool and beyond, assuming it is safe for the liner and humans.

For what it is worth, I'm from SW GA, not far from the 'Ole's and have heard stories about termites eating pressure treated lumber, plastic and rubber, but I never saw it. If there is a little moisture, they seem to go into overdrive and eat anything around.
 
Concerning termites eating pool liner. We built our first pool on top of a termite colony without knowing it. Who would ever think that termites love styrofoam and vinyl? We had to replace liner after treating the soil. They will keep eating.
 

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Concrete can and will crack.
Here is an excerpt from the page I linked above:
Aggregate barriers, sometimes called basaltic or sand barriers, are comprised of soil particles that are too heavy or large for termites to move and yet small enough so that spaces between aggregates are too small to pass through. Termites move soil by using their mouth rather than by digging with their legs or bodies, and aggregate in the 1 to 3-mm range is too large for them to manage. A Basaltic Termite Barrier (BTB) consists of basalt aggregate in the #4 to #16 square mesh opening range (4.75mm to 1.18mm). Aggregate barriers are placed between soil and vulnerable components of a house, such as the slab or foundation.
Click to expand...

I was intrigued by the part stating "Termites move soil by using their mouth rather than by digging with their legs or bodies, and aggregate in the 1 to 3-mm range is too large for them to manage." I hadn't been aware of that. I would recommend applying a termiticide, such as Termidor SC and a layer of aggregate, then sand.
 
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/termidor-sc-p-184.html In my opinion that is the best stuff out there. Injecting the ground is the way to go. Read the label before you use it. It is expensive but well worth it. Solve the problem before you add a new liner. What exactly is a termite bond? If it is a contract with a pest control company have them come back out and honor the guarantee.
 
"Termite bonds act as a contract between a homeowner and termite company, ensuring that inspectors will visit and inspect the structure according to a specified time agreement, usually annually. Most pest control companies will also repair and treat homes with bond contracts at no additional charge. The cost of purchasing termite bonds is variable and related to the cost of treating a home infested with termites.

Termite bonds are also frequently referred to as termite insurance. Most homeowner insurance policies do not cover termite damage and prevention can be the most effective method of termite control. Those living in high-risk states or in particularly moist, humid environments can benefit greatly from investing in termite bonds."

We have a termite bond on the house, but not the pool. They are not very close to each other.
 
They typically do not worry about termites in the nearby soil, since they will be everywhere. They forage constantly and randomly, searching for sources of cellulose, much like ants looking for food, so you can't really keep them out of the outdoors, nor would we want to, as we rely on them for decomposition and eco-cycling. Homeowners and pest-control agents just look to keep them out of the house, and that requires a barrier protection of some kind.

If you wish to keep them out of your pool area, you'll have to make another barrier for it, whether physical, chemical, or some combination.
 
I just finished my new agp!!! I picked up a 30' x 30' piece of used goodyear epdm rubber roofing membrane and placed it under the liner of my new pool. This should repel just about anything from penetrating. The best part of this is that it was free!! This is the same membrane used for pond liners.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 
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