Sand base vs crushed stone under the liner, next time around

Started by Sam Whitaker · · 2 replies
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#1
Liner's on year six and starting to show its age so I've been reading up before I redo it. Original setup was just sand, tamped down, standard stuff. Seeing more guys online swear by a crushed stone base or that stuff like a paver base product instead, saying it drains better and doesn't get ant hills or washout under the wall. My pool's a 24 ft round resin frame, deck built around it, so ripping it all the way down is a project either way.

Anyone actually redone their base with stone instead of sand, or is that overkill for an above ground. Did the Gorilla Pad thing last time which I think saved me from a couple rock punctures already, wondering if the base underneath matters as much as everyone says or if sand and a good pad is plenty.

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#2
Whoever posted before me about the ant hill thing, that's the real reason guys switch, not really the drainage. Sand is fine for drainage honestly if it's tamped right, but sand is what ants and voles like to tunnel through and that's what causes your wash outs under the wall, not water. Mine's been straight sand for 15 seasons up here in Ohio and I just keep a close eye every spring for any little mounds starting near the wall and stomp em flat before they become a problem. The Gorilla Pad on top matters more than what's under it honestly, that pad is what's stopping the rock punctures, base is just there to be flat and stay flat.
#3
inground guy so cant speak to sand vs stone under a liner myself, but bill, when you say you stomp the ant mounds flat every spring, are you finding them before the wall's already bowed out or has one ever gotten far enough to actually cause a wash out on you