Building protection mats are available in different designs and have several advantages as a base for the pool. For this purpose, however, several aspects need to be taken into account.
What are building protection mats?
These special mats are made of rubber with recesses. Due to their structure and material, they are visually reminiscent of doormats. It is precisely these properties that make them ideal as a base for a swimming pool.
Because, among other things, they offer these advantages:
- insulating and insulating effect
- sound absorbing
- Protection against foreign objects such as stones or roots
- Stabilization of loose materials such as sand, crushed stone or gravel
Building protection mats on lawn
Inflatable pools in particular are often placed directly on the lawn. However, this presents a number of risks and disadvantages. These include:
- Rot and mold can develop
- Foreign objects such as stones or roots can damage the bottom of the pool
- Grass is shrinking
- Insects spread
- The lawn is discolored
- uncomfortable walking and sitting in the pool
- Weeds can grow through the mats
It therefore makes sense to remove the sward in any case. Placing the mats on their own is not enough. Although they create a gap between the floor and the pool, the disadvantages mentioned still occur.
Note: Due to the structure of the rubber base and the existing recesses, it is not sufficient without a combination with other materials. Because in this case there would be bumps again.
Building protection mats on concrete
A concrete foundation is a wonderful prerequisite for the underlay of a swimming pool. This applies to both inflatable variants and pools with a frame. However, when it comes to panels, the joints between the individual elements can be problematic. Because they result in various potential disadvantages.
It refers to:
- Break off corners or edges
- penetrating weeds
- Unevenness, for example by lowering the panels
A building protection mat under the pool or under the slabs can have a balancing effect and maintain the flat surface. It also creates an insulating and dampening effect. It is therefore ideal, especially on very hard surfaces.
Nevertheless, the rubber mat should not lie directly under the pool without additional support. Suitable materials are, especially in combination, for example:
- Pond fleece
- sand
- gravel
- gravel
The materials used to cover or fill the recesses increase the insulating effect and can therefore, for example, keep the water warm for longer.
Tip: A combination of sand and a covering pond liner or fleece in a low foundation is best. Panels can also be placed on top. Concreting the foundation provides further stability.
Mats in the foundation
The building protection mats can also be used directly in a foundation. The following steps are required for this:
Mark out
The dimensions of the pool are staked out in order to have an orientation when digging.
Digging
The earth is being excavated. A spade or a mini excavator, which can be borrowed, are suitable for this purpose.
Compress
The subsoil is compacted with a vibrating plate or a flat vibrator. If you don't want to borrow or rent these devices, you can take boards instead and weigh them down in spurts. A spirit level is used to check whether the surface is level
is.foil
Foil or under herb fleece are laid out and cut to size.
mat
The building protection mat is also cut to size and placed in the foundation. If there are several pieces, make sure that the individual elements are not spaced from one another. Otherwise they could shift.
Fill up
As soon as the mats are spread out, crushed stone, gravel and sand are spread. The lighter the basin, the less filler material is required. Even quartz sand is sufficient for paddling pools.
fleece
Just like the foil, the fleece is spread over the filled foundation and protruding edges are cut off.
This is a very simple foundation that can be quickly dismantled.
Tip: If the foundation is a little deeper, the pool is given additional stability. A few centimeters of protrusion are sufficient to adjust the basin. The distance to the edge can be filled with sand, for example.
Building protection mats with cover
A very simple variant of the pad for the pool consists of building protection mats with a cover. It is completely sufficient to apply sand and fleece or foil.
It is important that the recesses in the mats are filled and that a stable cover is chosen. A simple order is:
- Weed prevention film
- Mats
- sand
- Pond liner or fleece
Tip: Again, the lawn should be removed if it exists. Otherwise, mold and rot can occur.
