Purchased Intex 18' easy-set inflatable... what now?

[bensmail]

Hello,

So I decided on the easy-set 18' pool. I'm hoping to get 3 years out of it and then maybe upgrade to a hard pool if we still want one. I purchased a SWG also and I am planning on getting 1 or 2 of those solar water heating panels 2' x 20' black tubing and putting them on the roof of my house.

My lawn is quite flat but I plan on leveling it out anyway. Is sand good enough or does anyone have a better solution? Then I was planning on putting crushed rock around the pool to keep back the weeds.

Do I need a tarp under the pool? I was looking for a round tarp so I wouldn't have to look at it but not having much luck. I'm not sure if I even need a tarp... or can I get away with something else like thick plastic?

Thanks for any advice

 

[dmanb2b]

I would stay away from the crushed rock idea on a soft sided pool. For a tarp you can just cut it to size or a cheap 18' round winter cover could work well as a tarp too. A 3-4" sand base would be great for fine tuning leveled ground and imo would negate the need for a tarp. My AGP pool liner sits on top of sand w/o any issue, but do check the Intex install instructions and warranty requirements.

Here is a nice little intex thread

useful-links-for-fellow-intex-pool-owners-t29612.html