How to base the pool / whirlpool?

Anyone who has had a garden pool knows how inconvenient even the smallest stones under the bottom are full. This is not only inconvenient for users - every bulge is a potential abrasion point because it is exposed to more frequent and stronger friction. This can only be prevented in one way - by insulating the bottom of the pool from the ground with another layer of material. Which product should you choose to make the solution as effective and versatile as possible? We'll try to help you with the guide below.

1. Pool mat

It's part of most free swimming pools available on the market, it's a piece of coarse, slightly stiff sail. It works perfectly on a previously prepared surface, is light, easy to clean and does not take up much space during winter storage. In addition, it is extremely cheap - depending on its size, its price ranges from a few to several tens of €. The mats are available in sizes adapted to the size of the garden pools, usually in a rectangular or square shape. In principle, they should protrude at least a dozen centimeters from the bottom of the pool, as their role is not only to protect against abrasion but also to prevent contamination of the pool walls, even during the rain. However, for some reasons, it is sometimes better to keep even more space - a wider pad prevents more dirt from entering the foot tank and makes it easier to mow the lawn around the pool.

Tarpaulin pads are the most popular and cheapest solution, but not without disadvantages. In the first place, the tarpaulins are thin compared to other pads. On land that is difficult to dig up with residual gravel, they can only partially fulfill their role - they will protect the pool basin, but they will not guarantee the comfort of the pool users, because the stones will still feel the bottom. In addition, if the sail is much larger than the pool on it, it will be blown up.

2. Foam mats

Slightly more popular solutions, due to the higher price, are soft PVC foam pads for swimming pools. This material is completely safe and extremely durable and at the same time very plastic. "Foams" are also extremely versatile - thanks to their square shape, they can be arranged in any shape, any size, suitable for any garden pool. Their soft, rough structure is very comfortable for bare feet, so they are ideal for creating a path leading to our pool or even to the ground under the playground. As for entertainment - foam can also be used to build soft and flexible spatial structures - blocks and polygons, which can become a great and easy-to-assemble "house", which also diversifies outdoor activities for children.

Foams are sold in packs of eight pieces and their price varies from a few units to tens of € per pack, depending on the shares in force. However, it is an investment worth recommending, precisely because of the versatility with which foam pads can be used. They do not deform and are resistant to weather conditions. The water that remains on their surface does not soak up and then evaporates. When folding the pool for the winter, the wetsuits can be easily removed and stacked - they do not take up much space due to their low thickness.

3. Polystyrene

Cheap, easily accessible and ... disposable. Anyone who has ever used polystyrene as a substrate for a swimming pool knows that dirty polystyrene can be discarded after just one season, crushed in tons of water. On the other hand - for a really low price, you can replace it with fresh polystyrene next season, right off the shelf.

Unfortunately, such a solution has a number of disadvantages and inconveniences. First of all, it is a polystyrene construction that gets used to be easily crushed and spread throughout the garden. Many wind-blown polystyrene crumbs land on the water surface and then clog the filter pump, causing all the equipment to burn out. Creating a base from polystyrene boards also requires additional gluing. Not every binder can withstand the weight of the filled pool, so it is necessary to prepare for the polystyrene to crumble in the joints - there will be noticeable deformations, which can subsequently lead to abrasion and leakage of the pool. Another disadvantage of polystyrene is that in pools with a volume of several or even tens of thousands of liters of water it deforms, which is difficult to control - the filled pool is practically impossible to move or lift, so if there is a failure in the mat it can not be repaired without emptying the pool. In addition, polystyrene is not an ecological solution, so we do not recommend it.

4. Hard substrate

Paving blocks, terrace and paving slabs, euro pallets - it would seem that with large pools weighing up to twenty tons after filling, such a solution will be much better than flexible materials. Nothing could be more bad! The laws of physics, ruthlessly deforming soft pool bonds, also work against a hard substrate, typically characterized by much higher porosity, and in the case of wood - protruding chips.

From placing the pool on a paving stone or on a wooden surface itself