Armor Sheild Liner Pad

by T
(Maryland)

Our installer says we will have wrinkles and footprints if we use the liner pad. We're paying a lot money for a professional A/G pool installer company to install a new 24' A/G pool and that is what they are saying - wrinkles & footprints! Why do they even sell pool liner pads if installers have such a hard time installing? Does anyone have 1st hand experience with this issue? I already purchased the Armor Shield liner pad and the 15 day return window will expire before the A/G pool installer company will be here on the 6/21. Should I just return it now and just stay with the fine grade mason sand as the base? I'd love to know everyone's thoughts on this! Thank you, T

Hi T

I tell my customers the same exact thing. I do, however, like using the pads under the sand as a barrier against grass, weeds, rocks and even gophers. If you feel the extra protection might be needed suggest this to the installers and go ahead and use it.

The sand is never fully compacted until the pool is full of water. Our method of installing liners involves me smoothing the sand and getting out of the pool. The liner is installed from outside the pool, so the pool is full before anyone gets in. This is a difficult process when trying to use a liner pad.

Some companies install their liners from inside the pool which requires a lot of sand watering and packing. After an hour or more of hand packing the installer will then wear foam pads on their feet. At that point a pad could be installed with fairly decent results. The sand will still get a little messed up and some pads just do not smooth out as well as I would like, this does cause wrinkling under the liner.

There have been many times, when changing a pool liner, we have installed a pad over the well packed sand. If you don't use the pad this time you might save it for the first time you need a new liner. Hopefully that will be years down the road, but something to consider.