CJadamec
TFP Expert
I'm not sure you mentioned it but did you get and overlap liner or a beaded liner. Beaded liners are cut to account for the thickness sand being there. An overlap liner is more forgiving especially since you are planning to make the center of the pool deeper.
Using those mats I would still give them and inch or two of smooth sand to sit on as added cushion for the liner. The sand should help you get a smoother and more consistent look on the floor of the pool. I don't know how big the foam cove is but with sand the coving is banked into the pool wall at a 45 degree angle and the sand reaching 4-5 inches up the wall.
With the foam make sure the top edge is adhered to the wall really well and there are no gaps the liner can squeeze into. It also need to be supported fully at the bottom so the liner doesn't try to pry the foam off the wall.
Time and effort put into making every thing as smooth as possible now will be worth it in the finished product. There is no way to fix it once the pool is full. If you maintain your water like we teach you to here the water is going to be so clear you will be able to see the outline of everything under the liner.
Using those mats I would still give them and inch or two of smooth sand to sit on as added cushion for the liner. The sand should help you get a smoother and more consistent look on the floor of the pool. I don't know how big the foam cove is but with sand the coving is banked into the pool wall at a 45 degree angle and the sand reaching 4-5 inches up the wall.
With the foam make sure the top edge is adhered to the wall really well and there are no gaps the liner can squeeze into. It also need to be supported fully at the bottom so the liner doesn't try to pry the foam off the wall.
Time and effort put into making every thing as smooth as possible now will be worth it in the finished product. There is no way to fix it once the pool is full. If you maintain your water like we teach you to here the water is going to be so clear you will be able to see the outline of everything under the liner.