Do I need a ground cloth if I have a Rhino Pad?

[Dynastol]

I bought an Intex Ultra Frame XTR used, and it didn’t come with a ground cloth.
I have a sand base and I’ll put a Rhino pad over it, then the pool.
Do I still need a ground cover? Does it keep the sand from getting washed away?
Or does the Rhino pad pretty much do the same job that a ground cover would do?

 

[kellyfair]

The ground cloth that came with was pretty flimsy. I always used a gorilla pad and a heavy duty tarp. Depends on your area - if you don’t have rocky soil or the kind of persistent grasses and weeds that could grow through your liner, you are probably ok with a thin layer of sand and the pad.

 

[Dynastol]

Thank you!

 

[DeeCe]

Careful with the sand. They tell you not to use it. I got a pool against a little pump house which is 4 inches off the ground leaning backwards 5 U supports snapped in the middle and water pouring over the top all in the pump house, the pool hoses crushed between the supports and the pump house. Sand got undermined. It was a little sunk and they were OK with it. Was fine for a year. Backwashing their pool into a French drain so it pools for 15 min or so. That salt water sat in those small impressions and rusted faster that a metal ladder. The 40,000lbs of weight was too much and they snapped in half, became sinking spikes. Now all that sand is mixed in the soil so it's weak ground. They may have to pour pads for every support. All that work they would be better off pouring a 35 ft sidewalk. They used sand to lazy level. If it rains where you live, it's not if but when or how long till that sand gets undermined and causes chaos. The pump might have burned up as well because of this. The hoses were pinched, pump was grinding away and burning hot when I arrived. The leave basket nearly empty. Ouch