Do You Need a Pool Ladder Mat? The Surprising Answer

Pools are wet, that is one of their main characteristics. And I’m pretty sure you know how slippery they could get.

If there is any tool or material that will make the ladder on your pool safer then you should go for it.

Hence, it is not a matter of needing it or not needing it. I am sure a lot of people survive without a pool ladder mat but as I said, if you can do anything to be just a little bit safer, why not do it?

I guess what I am trying to say is that you may not ‘need’ a pool ladder mat but you should get one just to feel a little bit safer around the pool.   

How To Protect The Pool Liner From The Pool Ladder?

Pool liners are great protectors of the pool floors against pool ladder abrasion. Pool liners can be placed under the ladder at the bottom of the pool or the top of the ladder on top of the pool.

However, with time, the pool liners start to wear off because naturally pool liners are made of thin material. Making them more prone to wear and tear.

So, how can we protect our pool liners from pool ladders? Continue reading as we explore this together.

Fortunately for pool liners, there are pool liner guards that can protect the pool liner from the friction of the ladder or just general wear and tear making it much more durable.

The pool liner guard is placed on top of the pool liner, in between the pool ladder and the liner. Pool liner guards protect against wear and tear, chafing, and short life shelf.                

The bases of the ladder can also be padded with soft thick paddings or foams to protect the pool liner from the ladder.

This protection is more situated around the section where the padded ladder is in contact with the pool liner.

These are not the only two ways to protect your pool ladder against chafing or wear and tear. To protect your pool liner, you can do any of the following;

1. Using a Winter Cover

This is most useful in regions that are prone to heavy winter seasons. Long exposure to snow can make the pool liner erode and fade quicker

2. Quickly Detect and Fix Any Leaks

This quick-fix method only applies to the pool liner on top of the pool not the one under the pool at the bottom of the ladder.

The pool liner at the bottom of the stairs should pretty much be made to withstand water

3. Add Chemicals Responsibly

Some pool owners could get very chemically happy when it comes to adding chemicals to their pools. When adding chemicals to your pool you need to be sure that the chemical is added in rations and very small quantities.

Make certain that the chemical mixes up well with the water so that a part of the pool is not overly concentrated because these chemicals can end up destroying your pool liner.

4. Maintain a Clean Pool Environment

Sharp items around your pool can cause damage to the pool liner on top of the pool and at the bottom of the pool.

Sticks, twigs, scratchy pets, or stones around the pool. Always clean the environment around your pool and the pool water.    

Related: Best Ladders for 30-Inch Pools

Pool Ladder Mat Ideas

I have seen quite a few pool ladder mats and they are almost always the same basic design.

They are cut into a rectangular shape to fit and extend from beneath the bottom of the ladder. These do the job but they are not necessarily remarkable.

You can be different and make your pool ladder mat stand out from the popular basics.

I have seen some pool mats that were thrown over the entire ladder steps and fitted underneath the bases of the ladder to smoothen out any wear and tear between the floor and the ladder.

This type of mat offers extra security because they offer a more frictional grip and this drastically reduces slippage and falls. This pool ladder mat idea is definitely a safer option to go for.

There are some pool mats with suction cups for that extra security and some people use thick foams to protect against slippage and falls. Some other mat ideas are;

1. Interlocking tiles floor mat
2. Gorilla grip rubber floor pool mats
3. Anti-slip mats

No matter the type of pool mat you eventually decide to go with, always make sure to go for one that has some form of lasting friction that can prevent slippage and falls.

Read More: Do You Need A Ladder For A 30-Inch Pool

Do You Need a Pad Under Your Pool Ladder?

Yes. You do need some form of padding under the ladder of your pool. Please, keep in mind that some people do not do this and their pools are still functional.

However, as I said before, if there is something you can do, even the littlest thing, to make your pool experience safer and more enjoyable, please do it.

And adding paddings to the bottom of your pool’s ladder will ensure more safety.

Installing paddings to the base of your ladder prevents some form of friction between the floor and the base of the ladder.

Some paddings also make the ladder more stable and firmer to the ground. Paddings can be added to the base at the top of the ladder and the base at the bottom of the ladder in the pool.

A pad can either be a mat like we’ve talked about already in the article or it can be applying direct paddings to the bases of the ladder directly.

You can put a pool ladder liner under a pool ladder, you can put a pool mat under a pool ladder, you can put a foam padding under a pool ladder.

Also, a pool liner guard or a protector can be placed under a pool ladder.

Once again, yes, a pool pad is quite necessary for added safety around the pool.                 

Conclusion

In conclusion, I am going to repeat what I said at the beginning of this article, paddings or pool mats may not be on your top list of priority, because, after all, people do survive without them. However, they should be important if you care about safety.

After going through all this, yes, you do need a pool ladder mat. They are important and serve as precautions against slippage and falls and they also protect the pool ladder.