Can bugs cause liner damage?

[prh129]

I'm getting an AG pool installed soon and my installer tells me they have had some issues in nearby areas (Southeastern MA) where bugs have been damaging the liner from underneath. He offers a barrier material that he would put down under the liner to prevent this type of damage for an additional $75. I live in a rural area with a well so I certainly have a lot of bugs and wouldn't want to have to deal with the cost of replacing a liner and paying to have water trucked in again so it seems like a reasonable insurance cost.
Has anyone else heard anything about this?

[CarlD]

I have heard of it--termites and TigerFlex, but I truly do not know if it is an urban legend or not. I've not seen it. Lots of people have liners that last up to 20 years, even here in the NorthEast. On the other hand, some bug-killing chems can be destructive to the liner as well!

[matt4x4]

Yes, termites supposedly chew through liners to get the water during droughts - you'd think they'd evolve and do the simple thing - climb the wall and go over, but unfortunately, they prefer to go in from underneath, break through and die in a scale flood bigger than what Noah experienced. Dumb things.....
If termites are a problem in your area, You can treat for termites around your pool yearly, but I really don't think another layer of foam plastic will stop them if they're willing to eat through vinyl to get at your water.....

[PoolDoc]

I have heard of it--termites and TigerFlex, but I truly do not know if it is an urban legend or not. I've not seen it. Lots of people have liners that last up to 20 years, even here in the NorthEast. On the other hand, some bug-killing chems can be destructive to the liner as well!

It's not a myth.

I have seen the termite and ant holes in both liners and in flex. I even have a piece of flex somewhere with termite grooves and holes. But I can't tell you how to know if you are at risk or not, except to say that I would recommend that you avoid, at any cost, using flex underground: it will spring leaks even without termites, after a few years.

On the other hand, I don't recall any cases of liners being damaged by pesticides.

Ben
PoolDoc

[CarlD]

Well, I DID say I didn't know if it was a myth or not.

I do not know if bug killers damage liners, but most warn about what you spray them on. However, I believe that the termite-icides form a crystaline barrier when injected into the ground (Any Orkin guys or gals here?) and that probably won't damage a liner.

We've had some nasty droughts and floods in NJ--after years of drought that killed our lawns, we had a flood that devastated Millburn and flooded downtown Bound Brook--made TV news here and abroad!

I guess I would never think of burying TigerFlex--if you can bury it, why wouldn't you use regular PVC?

[prh129]

I came across the following information on this:

Life under a pool liner is not a static situation. Indeed, this is a very active and continuing activity. To get a feel for this remember when, probably as children, we have all lifted or pried a rock out of the ground. Do you remember what you saw? The soil was most likely dark and moist and there were, probably, worms and bugs and "things".


Soil scientists report that an average of 14 gallons of water migrate daily to the soil surface of a 1000 square foot area underneath a pool. For example, a 28' round pool is 616 sq. ft. and a 21'X41' oval pool is 756 sq. ft. Years ago, when a slab of concrete was poured directly on the soil, the water condensed under the concrete and kept the basement wet in homes. Builders found that by placing cinders, gravel, or sand beneath the slab was helpful in reducing humidity levels in the basement. Unfortunately, basement air stayed humid because vapor pressure forced air through the concrete. That is why today vapor barriers are universally used under a slab to contain moisture in any form. Is the swimming pool different from a slab of concrete? The constant movement of water upward keeps the soil wet under both more so that the ground nearby.


It has been suggested termites gravitate to the pool site due to the moist soil. This moisture is vital especially during dry spells. Hundreds of the insects constantly probe the soil in search of food. These insects do not hesitate to bore into anything they can sink their teeth into.


Can termites eat through a liner and why would termites want to penetrate the vinyl and plastic sheeting anyway? It is entirely possible because it is well known among soil scientists that termites can bore through neoprene coated utility cables and copper and lead sheets of metal with relative ease and that their teeth are harder than that of most other insects. Termites have an advantage over humans in that they are allotted four more 'sets' of teeth in a lifetime, or as scientists say, a new set with each 'molt'.


Studies have shown that termites can attack underground irrigation pipes of both hard and soft plastic, BUT NOT IF THEY ARE FLAT. For some reason the termites could only gain access to a 'biting edge' in bent of curved surfaces. This explains how the seam in a pool liner could be especially vulnerable. This problem is usually more serious in the middle of the pool area. During most pool installations there can be many variations in how the pool floor ultimately 'sets up'. There can be wrinkles and heel depressions that develop under the heavy load of the water and the perforation of the soil base by earthworms. Variations in the moisture content of the sand base can also cause contours in the bottom of the pool during the set up process.


If any homeowner having a pool installed wants to invest in the precautions necessary, they may contact an exterminator to review the options available as far as treating the soil prior to the pool being installed. The occurrence of this problem in the Pittsburgh region in relation to the amount of pools being installed is relatively infrequent, but it does happen. Termites create the pinholes in the liner that were, as pointed out in the beginning of this segment, attributed to many other reasons.

[JoshU]

Yes termites will eat through your liner. They can also eat through foam between the ground and the liner. Gladon's Perfect Bottom is probably the only thing that I can think of that would probably be strong enough to stop them.