Will Grass Grow Through a Pool Liner? Lawn Pool Issues

Laying a pool liner directly on grass might seem like a good idea since it’s a soft spot. Removing rocks can help, but many types of grass are quite strong and stubborn. Before you set down your pool liner, it’s important to clear the area of all debris, including grass, weeds, and other plants.

Grass will grow through a pool liner, especially if your pool has an acidic pH. A low pH will weaken the liner, letting tough kinds of grass (St. Augustine, nutgrass, Bermuda grass, and a few others) grow through it. Don’t use herbicides like Roundup since they’re too acidic for the pool liner.

Throughout this post, we’ll discuss why the grass might be growing through your pool liner, how you can prevent it from happening, and whether or not weeds will push through the liner, too. We’ll also talk about what happens to your lawn after you remove an above-ground pool and how you can bring it back to life.

Why Is Grass Growing Through My Pool Liner?

Grass is growing through your pool liner either because the liner was weakened by chlorine and a low pH or the grass is a hardened, sprouting type of grass. Bermuda, nutgrass, and St. Augustine grass are all tough enough to poke through a pool liner, so it’s important to lay a pad down.

Contrary to popular belief, grass is quite tough and rigid. If you want to know the best way to prevent it from ruining your liner, check out my guide about why grass can’t grow through landscape fabric. You can use it to remove the grass and prevent it from coming back so it doesn’t ruin the pool liner.

Always patch the liner if the grass is growing through it. Even a tiny hole is enough to drain a lot of water. Once it collects under the pool, it can make mini sinkholes that ruin the soil and pull your swimming pool downward. You might’ve noticed this issue when the bottom of the liner looks lumpy.

How Do I Prevent Nut Grass Under My Pool?

To prevent nutgrass from growing under your pool, follow this easy process:

1. Before laying the liner down, move the lawn as short as possible. If you can, till the grass and toss out as much as you can. Tall grass has sharp blades that can easily cut into a vinyl pool liner.
2. Use a Gorilla Pad to protect the underside of your above ground pool. These pads are specifically made to protect vinyl pool liners from rocks, weeds, grass, and other debris. Choose the right size and lay it down before installing the pool.
3. Home Guides suggests laying a rock path around your pool that stretches up to 36 inches in all directions. Not only will it look great, but it also prevents grass seeds from finding their way under the pool liner. You’ll also notice that water can’t get under the pool, which means grass and other plants can’t grow.
4. Clean your pool cover before removing it to swim. All of the seeds and debris on top of the cover will fall into the pool or around the bottom of liner if you don’t clean it. This common mistake can make it easy for various kinds of grass to grow under the pool.

Will Grass Grow Back Where the Pool Was?

Grass will grow back where the pool was if you add more grass seeds, water the soil, and provide plenty of sunshine. If the pool crushed the grass and it’s brown or non-existent, you might have to till the soil before adding seeds, fertilizer, and water.

Here’s how you can bring the grass back to life:

• Check if the soil is soft or compacted. Soft soil is muhc easier to repair. According to Wright Parts, you only need the primary three components to fix the grass: Water, fertilizer, and grass seed. You might need to go a bit heavy on the reseeding process, though.
• Consider sod or reseeding to bring the lawn back to life. As long as there’s no chlorine or pool chemicals soaked into the soil, it’ll be perfectly fine to use. Scott’s EZ Patch Repair Kit is great for patching any spots that don’t have a lot of grass left after you got rid of the swimming pool.
• Make sure you’re using the right type of grass. There are several grasses used througout the world, all of which have different temperature requirements. Ensure you’re using the right type of grass for your climate.

Can Weeds Grow Under an Above Ground Pool?

Weeds can grow under an above-ground pool if you don’t add a barrier of rocks, bark, or gravel. The seeds will get under the liner and push through it, causing small holes that you might not see until it’s too late. If the water is draining more than a couple of inches per week, check for leaks around the bottom of the liner.

Laying the aforementioned three-foot barrier of river rocks around all edges of your above-ground pool will stop weeds from growing under it. Not only does it prevent the seeds from getting under the liner, but it also stops oxygen, sunlight, and water from assisting in the growing process.

Will Roundup Hurt a Pool Liner?

Roundup will hurt a pool liner because it has a pH as low as 4.0. The swimming pool water should be between 7.2 to 7.8, so anything less than this recommended range can weaken the liner and let weeds, grass, and other plants push through it.

Inyo Pools offers an impressive nutgrass removal trick that involves small scissors, syringes, and a few other tools. In short, ear drops and similar drying drops can help you get rid of the grass without cutting into the liner. Top it off with a vinyl patch, such as the Pool Liner Repair Vinyl Swimming Kit. It has the vinyl patch and glue you need for an easy repair.

Wrapping It Up

Grass can destroy a swimming pool liner, so it’s important to remove it or layer a tarp or pad over the grass before laying a swimming pool on top of it. Keeping your pool’s pH between 7.2 to 7.8 will prevent the liner from weakening and letting debris poke through from under it. Remember to remove grass blades and patch the hole to fix the liner.