Before deciding on what to put under your above ground pool, you need to decide on where to put your Intex pool. Popular options are grass, concrete, pavers, gravel, dirt and on decks. Concrete is probably the best option since it is usually 100% level and smooth.
Sand is the recommended base material upon which an aboveground pool should sit. Sand is used under an aboveground pool to protect the pool's vinyl liner from rocks and objects that could tear the liner. Also, sand under an aboveground pool acts as cushioning for its floor, making it more comfortable for feet.
Pool Floor Padding
By far the best material to place under a swimming pool liner is Armor Shield or Gorilla Pad. These materials are breathable allowing moisture to escape and are extremely tough, keeping insects and moles from coming through and piercing the vinyl pool liner.
This article from thePoolFactory.com states that they recommend a 3-inch layer of compacted mason sand (aka pool sand) under your above ground pool. Once you have created a smooth, compacted base layer of find sand there should be no divots or air pockets.
Traditional felt carpet padding is usually frowned upon as a pool padding material, according to the Pool Homeschool blog, but modern closed-cell foam carpet pads can work well.
The use of sand is one of the cheapest ways in which to level the ground without digging, and it is far easier to level the sand than it is to level the ground itself. Sand can be poured on the installation area, spread evenly around the region, and compacted down to create level ground.
The general rule is that there should be a two to three-inch base of sand under an above ground pool. If you know the dimensions of your pool area, then you can easily figure out how much sand you'll need for the base using a sand calculator.
The folks at Intex are fairly clear that you should NOT put sand under your pool. The sand can easily wash away, causing voids under your pool and risking your pool leaning and even collapsing.
For a rectangular pool that's 18 feet long by 9 feet wide, you'd need at least 1 cubic yard of sand for your base.
If cutting costs without cutting corners is on your agenda, do yourself and the planet a favor by padding your pool with newspapers and cardboard. Both materials are readily available -- and free for the asking -- from recycling centers, store refuse containers or your own recycling bins.
The ground must be compact and firm, so the pool should not be set up on mud, sand, or loose soil. To level your inflatable intex pool, you may put blocks on the ground to have a level intex pool. The other options for leveling the pool area are a 2 x 4 with a carpenters level or a water.
Well-known member. Yes, everything you read will tell you to dig down as soil built up can settle and throw your pool out of level. That being said people do it. My pool installer who is highly recommended by the pool store and does tons of installs does it.
Dig away soil instead of building up low patches.
Always dig away slopes and high spots to make them level with lower areas, even if it takes more work. If you fill in a patch with dirt or sand, the weight of the pool and water will compress it and cause problems in the future.
Installing an above-ground pool on a natural grass lawn is not a good idea, particularly if you plan on taking down the pool for part of the year. There are several reasons why natural grass and above-ground pools do not mix well, but one of the most important is that the pool is going to kill the grass.
Unlevel Intex pools may have one part of the pool lower than other parts, and this unevenly distributes pressure on your pool's walls. A part of your pool may have the highest weight due to it being on uneven ground. This will can cause your wall to collapse and leave permanent damage on your Intex pool.
Yes, every above ground pool needs pool cove. Pool cove is simply a berm or wedge that transitions the pool floor to the pool wall.
Mason sand is the perfect size and consistency for leveling pools with no impurities or large sharp edges to damage your pool liner. Mason sand is made up of small granules that is less coarse than other sand and packs well to give a smooth surface for your pool.
Changing the pool filter sand is a bit of a pain, especially in the back region, but a bag of pool filter sand costs around R90 at your local Builders Warehouse, and you should only need two bags for most pool filters.
Carpeting Challenges
Padding is great for carpet, but not so good for pool tables. Padding Is made of foam and is crushed by the weight of your pool table. It takes a few weeks for the padding to crush down to its final thickness under your table, making leveling a challenge.
While commercial pads are available for the bottoms of aboveground pools, some homeowners opt to use Styrofoam sheets. The Styrofoam lowers the cost of protecting the bottom of the pool liner and possibly offers better protection than the pads.
Many wonder though if above ground pools are exclusively used over grass, sand, or soil only and if installing it over concrete is impossible (for fear of it getting punctured). The good news is, yes, you can install your above ground pool on concrete if a sand or soil base is not possible.