How many use ladder mats?

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As long as you have something under the steps to protect the liner that's all that really matters :)
I have not had any issues with mine coming out from under the ladder but if you do then the bath tub mats with the suction cups are a good idea
 
We did not like the idea of a large mat under the ladder, but were worried about the ladder to liner contact, so we bought one of those foam noodle pool toys and easily worked it over the hard plastic covers on each side of the pool ladder and cut off the excess. We were worried that it might cause the ladder to float but it actually does not and it works great!
 
ShannyShan said:
We did not like the idea of a large mat under the ladder, but were worried about the ladder to liner contact, so we bought one of those foam noodle pool toys and easily worked it over the hard plastic covers on each side of the pool ladder and cut off the excess. We were worried that it might cause the ladder to float but it actually does not and it works great!
Click to expand...
Take the mat&cut it to fit..The problem I see with the noodles they will start breaking off&get in the water.The tub mat's will last for a long time.The set that I cut have been using for about 4 yrs. now.
 
I used rubber bath mats (with suction cups) from Walmart (?? brand Life-Sense or something) under my pool steps (Lumi-O Festiva) last season...my first. They were quite cheap....around $6 each ... 28" x 16" I think; I needed three, two on each side and one at the front. I liked them because the cups were fairly soft and they stayed well put, but as the season progressed I was plagued with green algae growing on the mat surface (none underneath) on the inside of the steps. Ended up having to take them out every day and clean them. Seems the natural rubber they were made of was not up to the pool chlorine; each time I took them out they would leach milky white dissolved rubber and by the end of the season they had all but disintegrated.

Yeah, they were like these (maybe the same under different brand name):

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/elephant-sk ... 3Abath+mat

This year I found some all-vinyl bath mats at Home Depot. A tad larger (30" x 16") but I still needed three. They smell like skunk (seriously) but I'm hoping they will do a better job.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/vinyl-bath-mat/967654
 
WorBry said:
I used rubber bath mats (with suction cups) from Walmart (?? brand Life-Sense or something) under my pool steps (Lumi-O Festiva) last season...my first. They were quite cheap....around $6 each ... 28" x 16" I think; I needed three, two on each side and one at the front. I liked them because the cups were fairly soft and they stayed well put, but as the season progressed I was plagued with green algae growing on the mat surface (none underneath) on the inside of the steps. Ended up having to take them out every day and clean them. Seems the natural rubber they were made of was not up to the pool chlorine; each time I took them out they would leach milky white dissolved rubber and by the end of the season they had all but disintegrated.

Yeah, they were like these (maybe the same under different brand name):

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/elephant-sk ... 3Abath+mat

This year I found some all-vinyl bath mats at Home Depot. A tad larger (30" x 16") but I still needed three. They smell like skunk (seriously) but I'm hoping they will do a better job.
I get the Heavy Duty one's.They are clear&thick.They are the best..I'm on my 3-4 the season now..No problem's.The first yr I tried the cheaper one's.No good..The main thing is you want to use has little if the mat has possible.I cut 2 strip's about 6in. wide & the length if it..Just under both sides of my step's.
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/vinyl-bath-mat/967654
Click to expand...
 
We used a vinyl bath mat with suction cups, but all the dirt would collect under it and it was hard to pull off when it was suctioned down under the ladder. It turned opaque in the water, but did hold up. I'm not going to use it this year. The rover would get stuck on it, I think.
 
I have a mat for under my steps. We figured it was inexpensive enough that if it saves our liner, great! If it's really not helping, it was a small enough cost that I don't care! lol :)
 
MNPoolDreamer said:
We used a vinyl bath mat with suction cups, but all the dirt would collect under it and it was hard to pull off when it was suctioned down under the ladder. It turned opaque in the water, but did hold up. I'm not going to use it this year. The rover would get stuck on it, I think.
Click to expand...

I need to have something under mine. The Lumi-O Festiva steps are really designed for a flat bottom pool and the slope on mine is such that the steps tend to rock back and forth. Shimmying the deck arm supports, to lean the steps forward, helps a bit but not enough. I only put the steps back in, with the new vinyl mats, a few days back, so don't know how easily they'll pull up for cleaning. The natural rubber ones I used last year peeled back fairly easily - like I said, I was removing them every day.

I don't have a robotic cleaner (unless you include me), so snagging is not an issue.

If the vinyl mats don't work out I might try installing (vinyl) rubber suction feet. Some of the newer models come with them; as well as providing support, they are supposed to improve circulation under and around the steps:

http://www.innovaplas.com/accessories/9060/

I don't know if they have a similar thing for ladders. I've seen where some people tie flip-flops under the ladder 'feet':

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread ... #post31304
 

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WorBry said:
I used rubber bath mats (with suction cups) from Walmart (?? brand Life-Sense or something) under my pool steps (Lumi-O Festiva) last season...my first. They were quite cheap....around $6 each ... 28" x 16" I think; I needed three, two on each side and one at the front. I liked them because the cups were fairly soft and they stayed well put, but as the season progressed I was plagued with green algae growing on the mat surface (none underneath) on the inside of the steps. Ended up having to take them out every day and clean them. Seems the natural rubber they were made of was not up to the pool chlorine; each time I took them out they would leach milky white dissolved rubber and by the end of the season they had all but disintegrated.

Yeah, they were like these (maybe the same under different brand name):

http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/elephant-sk ... 3Abath+mat

This year I found some all-vinyl bath mats at Home Depot. A tad larger (30" x 16") but I still needed three. They smell like skunk (seriously) but I'm hoping they will do a better job.

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/vinyl-bath-mat/967654
Click to expand...

How hard is it to get the suctions off the liner? Is there risk of tearing the liner while taking the mat off?
 
I had the same concern..... I bought a couple of $4 bath mats from walmart. I submerged them in the bathtub first and they came right up. Then I tried it in the pool and they came right up also. Didn't hurt the liner at all. They did a very good job. They lasted about 1 season. I did have to remove the mats a couple of times as algae loved to hang out under the mat. No issues at all pulling them up
 
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