Ideas for saving my cement from my loop lock cover

[SwimmingInWisconsin]

Hello!
We put a Loop Lock cover on our inground pool. A few years back, we had our pool cement refinished with Weathered Terra Cotta Spray Deck overlay with a Knock Down pattern

Basically this is colored cement around the perimeter of the pool (about 18 inches wide). (Prior to having colored cement we had decorative bricks all around the pool perimeter. We had the bricks removed.)

The first winter after we had the cement redone, we put on our Loop Lock, as usual, and in the spring (when we opened the pool) we had marks on the cement from the straps of the cover and the weight of snow, etc. on the cover - making the straps continually rub on the colored cement areas. The contractor came out and took care of the marks. They suggested we put something under the straps to keep the straps from rubbing on the cement.

We bought some of that pipe insulation in 4 foot lengths and cut this into sections. We placed one section under each strap. This worked well- except the insulation pieces elevated the cover just enough so that lots of leaves and debris blew in in autumn and spring. The following years we've done it slightly differently. We put the pieces of pipe insulation under each strap AND we cut a piece of pipe insulation and attach it all around the cover so that takes up the space where the cover was raised off the cement.

The pipe insulation doesn't last but 1 or 2 winters and then it starts to deteriorate and we have to purchase new pieces, recut them, etc.

Does anyone have any unique and creative ideas for keeping the straps from rubbing on the cement while the Loop Lock cover is on the pool?

Thanks.

 

[Yosh]

Similar situation here but with regular concrete deck around pool. I found my cover spring straps digging into decking. What I was thinking of doing this year was to get small strips of 1/8” rubber strips and placing under pool cover straps. This should help prevent the straps putting a groove on my new concrete deck. Also 1/8” gap is minimal and would help with debris making it inside pool. You can also place a water bag near that area so pool cover does not lift with wind and keep it down.

 

[Newdude]

I cover the holes for my ladder with a piece of aluminum flashing and cover that with the wide gorrilla tape. It lasts the winter no problem (with the cover rubbing it) and is still hard to peel off in the spring. I had to buy 100 ft roll for a project that needed 20ft. Each year i cut a new 2ft piece but you could certainly reuse it.

Or you could donate pool noodles cut into 8 inch pieces or however long you need. Buy new ones each year on clearance for $1 and use the old ones for the straps.

 

[frogabog]

I often wonder if the R rating on pipe insulation is any better than pool noodles.

They are thicker though.

Pipe insulation isn't expensive in the first place iirc...

 

[SwimmingInWisconsin]

@Yosh: You mentioned rubber strips. I looked those up in a google search, but wasn't sure what you had in mind.

@Newdude - we've thought about using pool noodles, but haven't seen them for $1 each on clearance/sale. Maybe we should check the dollar store. Wonder what the quality of those would be?

@frogabog - Pipe insulation = $50-60 total every year or two. (Pieces for all around the pool and a 12" approx piece under each strap.) I know that is not too bad, but we would like to get something at a lower cost.

Thanks for all of your ideas. We are still stuck with what to do.

Has anyone used carpet squares or pieces of carpet under their straps?

Our pool guy suggested we get lengths of rubber mat material. He said they sell it by the foot, but we couldn't find that at the hardware store or on line.

 

[Yosh]

@Yosh: You mentioned rubber strips. I looked those up in a google search, but wasn't sure what you had in mind.

@Newdude - we've thought about using pool noodles, but haven't seen them for $1 each on clearance/sale. Maybe we should check the dollar store. Wonder what the quality of those would be?

@frogabog - Pipe insulation = $50-60 total every year or two. (Pieces for all around the pool and a 12" approx piece under each strap.) I know that is not too bad, but we would like to get something at a lower cost.

Thanks for all of your ideas. We are still stuck with what to do.

Has anyone used carpet squares or pieces of carpet under their straps?

Our pool guy suggested we get lengths of rubber mat material. He said they sell it by the foot, but we couldn't find that at the hardware store or on line.

I was thinking something like this.

Rubber-Cal 03_167_W_FR_04 Fine Rib Corrugated Rubber Floor Mats, 1/8" Thick x 3' x 4' Runners, Black: Amazon.com: Gateway

Rubber-Cal 03_167_W_FR_04 Fine Rib Corrugated Rubber Floor Mats, 1/8" Thick x 3' x 4' Runners, Black: Amazon.com: Gateway

www.amazon.com

It would come in a roll and cut maybe 4” strips that would be 12” long or how ever long your straps are and sit on top of it between deck and cover straps. This way it won’t rub on deck.

 

[frogabog]

Dollar Tree pool noodles are smaller than the ones you'd get at Walmart or similar, therefore closer to the size of pipe insulation but still not as thin. I can't really say what the quality is, but probably about the same. They are about 3' long, so your total footage would need to be factored in and they may cost nearly the same as the pipe insulation.

 

[Newdude]

I’ve never noticed much of a difference in pool noodle quality store to store. 5below is another spot that will have them cheap. Sometimes Target. But I wasn’t thinking that it’s September now and all that stuff was already clearanced a while ago. Good news is the stores are all so far ahead of the seasons that they be selling pre-summer stuff in a few weeks.