Best Above Ground Pool Pads That Will Prolong Your Pool’s Life-Period

Best Above Ground Pool Pads That Will Prolong Your Pool’s Life-Period

A pool floor pad is an important above ground swimming pool equipment that provides a much needed protective layer in between your pool liner and sand base. There are many different ways swimming pool owners can protect their above ground pool and vinyl liners. Protecting your pool liner at the very beginning of installation is one of the wisest ways.

Fresh sand is generally used as the base material for above ground pools because it serves as a barrier to prevent rocks, sticks or other tough materials from puncturing the liner, but there are other options which are far more efficient and durable. Instead of having sand as the base of the pool, you can choose to install a pool liner pad.

Above ground pad provides a layer of soft cushion under your pool liner to prevent dents and reduce the risk of leaks due to tears and punctures. By adding this piece of equipment you can prolong the life period of your pool liner as well as enjoy a longer swim season than the rest. The only downside is that you have to clean and replace the pads at the time of cleaning the pool.

Various Choices For Padding

Concrete Padding

Are you thinking what are the pool line alternatives maybe? A concrete pad base can actually be a very good idea to place your above ground pool on concrete. For a swimming pool as the concrete surface will normally be perfectly flat and level, which means your pool is less likely to shift. However concrete has a rough surface and sooner or later it is going to abrade the pool liner over time.

A padding layer is vital while installing your pool on a concrete pad, but the most usual form of padding is adding a layer of sand. However, it is not suitable as a base layer in this situation. Because over time, Sand would shift and may leak out from under the pool installed on concrete, ruining its capability to offer any kind of cushion. If you have a pool installed on concrete,  you can use other options for padding.

Commercial Padding

There are a number of commercial brands available which manufactures and sales swimming pool padding, which is by far the best option if your pool sits on concrete. Few brands make pads especially for pool floors that are precut to fit basic standard-shape swimming pools. Although these commercial pads may cost you more than the traditional pads used over the years, It provides better durability and it is a lot more long-lasting than other padding techniques.

By adding these pads you will not only be creating a comfortable base for your pool but also prolong the age of your above ground pool and above ground pool liner by at least a few years. The most interesting fact is that these commercial pool padding materials are breathable. I.e It can allow the moisture inside the pool to escape without being caged against the bottom of the pool.

Sand Padding

When it comes to your above ground swimming pool you can not just rule out sand as standard padding material. Traditionally padding for an above ground swimming pool is done by adding a layer of sand spread out on the pool site. This particular technique is very economical, effective, and easy to use as well.

However, you must remove twigs, rocks, and other debris from the pool site before installing your pool otherwise it may result in a tear on your brand new pool liner. You must level the surface before installing your pool as an uneven base may cause unnecessary strain on your pool.

Solid Foam Padding

Solid foam insulation can be a perfect call made while placing your pool on a concrete surface. One of the key advantages of solid foam padding is that the basic material is polystyrene or polyurethane. Hence you can easily cut and shape these pads as you see fit. Moreover, solid foam padding can be installed in any standard-shaped pool in a variety of thicknesses.

Also, solid foam padding will never slide around on concrete when the entire above-ground pool’s water weight is placed upon it. By adding sufficient thick padding you can get the optimum pleasure than any other padding.

Basic Pad Installation Tips

At first, you will have to smooth out the bottom area of the pool as best as you can. You must remove all debris, then use of clean fill to make your pool area a little smoother. After that, you may need to apply weed killer around the pool area so that all the nut grasses are killed off. Nutgrass is one of the common weed plants that grow up through the bottom of a vinyl pool liner.

During the time of installation, you must avoid partial burial of the pool if you can. Users are always advised to raise the bottom of your pool slightly above the surrounding ground. At last, you must clear about 1-foot radius around the pool area for the base padding. You must fill this area with wood chips or fine gravel so that it remains free of weed grasses. For additional protection, install pool cove around the parameter of the inside wall of the pool.

Best Above Ground Pool Pads : Our Pick

When readers of this site buy through our link, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Therefore this affiliate commission never biased our product recommendation. Our motto is to promote the best products for consumers, through detailed research and market analysis.

This model is available for the oval-shaped pool. It is a very durable, polyester geotextile material padding material which has been used widely for it’s prolonged protection from getting cut or damaged by the ground beneath it. Any serious damage would result in leaking of water from the pool. The materials used in the pad are really tough. This liner life pad is designed to improve swimmer comfort by adding a layer of cushioning.

Pros

  • Pre-cut according to your pool size- Unlike traditional foam paddings you don’t have to worry about cutting the pad according to your pool specifications. These elephant pads come in predefined shapes, so you don’t need to cut them any more
  • Enhanced Durability And Performance – This particular padding material is extremely durable and immune to almost any sharp objects. It performs better than traditional foam paddings as it provides better cushion and more durable performance.

Cons

  • Although It is designed to produce a swimmer-friendly cushion like experience it is comparatively thinner than the gorilla pads, however it does not produce any wrinkles after operation.

What are the customers saying?

Almost all the buyers gave it full marks for its durable operation. Few of the customers were really happy to have found such a durable and soft liner at the same time. However, one of the customers suggested you estimate the size and shape of your pool properly before purchasing one to avoid any silly problems.

This model is also not designed for any specifically shaped pool.You can trim down the excess material to make it fit according to your requirement. It is very durable and it provides a layer of cushioning. You no longer need cutting and taping as with foam pads. You can basically eliminate vinyl liner bottom leaks with Liner Pad.

Pros

  • Enhanced Durability And Performance – This particular padding material is extremely durable and immune to almost any sharp objects. It performs better than traditional foam paddings as it provides better cushion and more durable performance.

Cons

  • Few customers also complained of this product being a little thinner than it had been shown,but it works just fine. After using them a few times you may see wrinkles at the bottom. This particular model does not come precut. You will need to trim it down according to your pool shape. You need to be extra careful while doing so, otherwise the entire padding may get wasted.

What are the customers saying?

Few customers describe that the pad they received was actually thicker than they had expected. A customer said that this pad felt really nice until they filled the pool up and then they couldn’t really even tell it’s under there at all after it flattened out it the bottom of the pool was still hard as a rock. The size was a little big for his pool, it ended up going up each wall all the way around about 8in. But it posed an absolutely a problem.

This model is designed for an oval-shaped pool.It is a very durable non-woven geotextile that has been used for decades in many other non-pool applications. These pads are often laid down before the above ground pool liner is installed to ensure that the liner does not get cut or damaged by the ground beneath it.

Any damage to a pool liner would result in big trouble as pollutants might penetrate the water supplies. Any serious damage would result in leaking of water from the pool. The materials used in the pad are really tough. Ordinary foam type pool padding would never be able to deliver this type of protection.

Pros

  • Enhanced Durability And Performance – This particular padding material is extremely durable and immune to almost any sharp objects. It performs better than traditional foam paddings as it provides better cushion and more durable performance.
  • Pre-cut according to your pool size- Unlike traditional foam paddings you don’t have to worry about cutting the pad according to your pool specifications. These gorilla pads come in predefined shapes, so you don’t need to cut them any more.
  • Built in mold and mildew resistant inhibitors- This model is resistant to any type of mold or mildew .

Cons

  • Though some customers complain this model for it’s old school design,it provides them with the much needed padding they require.

What are the customers saying?

One of the customers described this product as a nice, strong and soft pad. He was glad that he had bought this pad. But he had mistakenly got an oval one when his pool was rectangular in shape, but, that was his mistake! It worked fine, though, because it was a little larger than the pool, so, it worked out fine. The pad really did make it softer than just putting it on the ground. Strong material. Did not tear easily. He would absolutely recommend the product.

This model is designed for a round shaped pool. It is a very durable, tear-guard weave padding material which has been used widely for it’s prolonged protection from getting cut or damaged by the ground beneath it.

Any serious damage would result in leaking of water from the pool. The materials used in the pad are really tough. Elephant pad is for undergrowth protection, not for cushioning although you might not tell the difference after getting into the pool.

Pros

  • Enhanced Durability And Performance – This particular padding material is extremely durable and immune to almost any sharp objects. It performs better than traditional foam paddings as it provides better cushion and more durable performance.
  • Pre-cut according to your pool size- Unlike traditional foam paddings you don’t have to worry about cutting the pad according to your pool specifications. These elephant pads come in predefined shapes, so you don’t need to cut them any more.
  • Built in mold and mildew resistant inhibitors- This model is resistant to any type of mold or mildew .

Cons

  • It is often critiqued for it’s thinner construction although it doesn’t affect the quality of padding. After using them for a couple of weeks it may produce wrinkles which are not very pleasant look at. Combining all it’s catches the price may seem a little over than it should be.

What are the customers saying?

One of the customers had recently replaced the liner in their above ground 24′ round pool and decided to look for something that would be a little softer on their feet when they found this product on Amazon. They were so glad that they had invested in this pad. There were absolutely no sharp spots and this blanket like “pad” was super soft under their feet without being squishy or weird. They highly recommended this product to others.

This model is not designed for any specifically shaped pool.You can trim down the excess material to make it fit according to your requirement. It is a very durable, strong earthy woven padding material which has been used widely for it’s prolonged protection from getting cut or damaged by the ground beneath it.

Any serious damage would result in leaking of water from the pool. The materials used in the pad are really tough. Elephant pad is for undergrowth protection, not for cushioning although you might not tell the difference after getting into the pool. The materials used in the pad are really tough. Ordinary foam type pool padding would never be able to deliver this type of protection.

Pros

  • Enhanced Durability And Performance – This particular padding material is extremely durable and immune to almost any sharp objects. It performs better than traditional foam paddings as it provides better cushion and more durable performance.
  • Built in mold and mildew resistant inhibitors- This model is resistant to any type of mold or mildew .

Cons

  • This particular model does not come precut. You will need to trim it down according to your pool shape. You need to be extra careful while doing so, otherwise the entire padding may get wasted.

What are the customers saying?

One of the happy buyers of the product said that this worked great. He also said it was a little tough to get all the wrinkles out of, but once they did it was perfect. They installed their own above ground pool and wanted to make sure they didn’t have to worry about rocks pushing up through the sand and liner. It had only been a few months, but so far so good. It was not very thick, but it was very strong.

When readers of this site buy through our link, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Therefore this affiliate commission never biased our product recommendation. Our motto is to promote the best products for consumers, through detailed research and market analysis.

Comparison Table Best Above Ground Pool Pads

Product NamePool ShapeMaterialSize (feet)Features and ProsCons
Liner Life GP1833OV Liner Pad, WhiteOvalPolyester GeotextileCustomPre-cut according to your pool size - Enhanced Durability And PerformanceComparatively thinner than gorilla pads
Blue Wave 16-Feet x 32-Feet Oval Liner PadOvalN/ACustomEnhanced Durability And Performance - Customizable sizeSome customers found it thinner than expected, may require trimming
Blue Wave Gorilla Floor PaddingOvalNon-woven GeotextileCustomEnhanced Durability And Performance - Built-in mold and mildew resistanceSome customers find the design old-school, comes in predefined shapes
24 ft Round Pool Liner Pad, Elephant GuardRoundTear-Guard Weave24Enhanced Durability And Performance - Pre-cut according to your pool sizeThinner construction, may produce wrinkles after use, price concerns
Rhino Pad 18-Foot Round Pool Liner PadRound/OvalStrong Earthy WovenCustomEnhanced Durability And Performance - Built-in mold and mildew resistanceRequires trimming to fit pool shape, careful trimming needed

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