GL International 33 ft Round Armor Shield Floor Pad, 70-0033RD-BLK-160

Armor Shield is a floor pad for a 33 foot round above ground pool. It sits between the vinyl liner and the sand or soil base, and it is made from a polypropylene geotextile blend rather than the foam padding pools were traditionally built on.

What it protects against

Most liner failures on an above ground pool start underneath. Stones work their way up, roots push through, sharp grass stems and stray glass sit waiting under thin vinyl. A geotextile layer resists cutting and puncturing in a way foam does not, which is the whole point of it.

Two more reasons to use one

It slows convective heat loss through the floor, so the pool holds its warmth a little better, and it makes the floor more comfortable to stand on. It goes down during the build, over the prepared base and under the liner, so it is far easier to fit now than to retrofit later.