Can You Put a Paddling Pool on the Grass?

Can You Put a Paddling Pool on the Grass?

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If you’re looking at buying a paddling pool and are wondering about where you can put it you may be asking yourself can you put a paddling pool on the grass?

You can put a paddling pool on the grass and it is one of the most popular locations to put an inflatable pool when in use.

There are lots and lots of advantages of putting a paddling pool on the grass. However, you must also be aware of the disadvantages that arise from locating a pool on the grass.

Advantages of a Paddling Pool on the Grass?

There are three main advantages why you might want to put your paddling pool on the grass.

  1. Grass is Safer for Children
  2. Grass is Safer for the Pool
  3. Grass Drains Well

1) Grass is Safer for Children

The reason that grass is such a popular location for paddling pools is that grass is so much safer for children.

Water and children create a whole lot of fun but add a patio or deck and you could find yourself with a very slippery surface. The great thing about grass is that no matter how wet it gets, the grass won’t get slippery.

Grass is also much, much soft than a patio which means that a fall or bump on grass is somewhat less painful and also less damaging than a fall on a hard surface.
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2) Grass is Safer for the Pool

As well as grass being safer for children it’s also much safer for the pool itself.

Paddling pools are generally made from PVC which although tough it easily pierced by stones and gravel. A paddling pool on a patio can easily get debris trapped underneath which can cause damage to the underside of the pool or air chambers.

A good quality lawn is usually softer and much safer for the pool in the long run.

3) Grass Drains Well

Grass drains much better than a patio or decking and makes draining your pool much easier.

So long as the pool is not highly chlorinated you can simply release the drainage plug and a good quality lawn will drain really quickly and easily. Unlike a patio, you don’t have to worry about a large volume of water washing away joints.

Also unlike artificial grass, you don’t have to worry about a large volume of water washing out the sand that supports the grass base.

Disadvantages of a Paddling Pool on the Grass?

To go along with all the advantages there are a number of disadvantages of putting a paddling pool on the grass.

  1. Grass can be Uneven
  2. Grass Makes Paddling Pools Dirty
  3. Grass Under the Pool can Become Damaged
  4. Water from the Pool can Damage the Grass

1) Grass can be Uneven

Not all lawns are level!

The great benefit of a patio or artificial grass is that you generally build or fit them to be level. Most lawns sit where they lay and unless you or a previous owner has gone to the extent of leveling the ground, you’ll find that they are uneven.

2) Grass Makes Paddling Pools Dirty

The most annoying thing about having a paddling pool on the grass is that wet feet tend to drag every loose blade of grass, bit of mud, or leaf in with them.

Paddling pool water seems to get really dirty and requires more time to clean than the majority of other surfaces we know. To make life easier make sure you buy a good quality pool cleaning kit. A good cleaning kit will include brushes and most importantly a leaf skimmer.

Leaf skimmers can quickly and easily help you remove blades of grass and of course leaves that may end up in the pool. The quicker you remove items the less dirty your water will be.

3) Grass Under the Pool can Become Damaged

One of the major problems with putting a paddling pool on grass is that your grass can quickly become damaged.

The grass underneath a paddling pool will become to die within 48 hours due to the lack of sunlight, water, and oxygen.

Grass needs oxygen, sunlight, and water to survive, and as soon as you stop any of these, damage or death will soon occur to your grass.

We’ve written a full article explaining what happens to the grass, how you can avoid damaging it, and how to repair and recover dying grass in our Will a Paddling Pool Ruin the Grass? article.

4) Water from the Pool can Damage the Grass

If you just have good old pool water in your paddling pool then no, pool water will not damage the grass. If however, you have chlorine or water treatment in your pool then this could cause issues.

To find out more about how pool water can damage your lawn and plants, take a look at our Does Chlorine Kill Grass and Plants? article.

Where Else Can I Put a Paddling Pool?

If you decide not to use your patio you may be wondering where else you could put a paddling pool in your garden.

There are many options that you can consider including your patio, deck, lawn, artificial grass and even a concrete base, but before you chose take a look at the following articles.

Can You Put a Paddling Pool on Artificial Grass?, Can You Put a Paddling Pool on a Patio? and Can You Put a Paddling Pool on Decking?.

Conclusion – Can you put a paddling pool on the grass?

Yes, you can put a paddling pool on the grass and it’s one of the most popular locations due to it being much more child-friendly than a hard patio or deck.

Just be aware of the disadvantages including a dirtier pool and damage that can be done to your lawn as a result of the pool and the water.