What to use as a base for AGP & Should you use pavers.

[richierich]

Hi All - I have a 2 part question.

Part 1 - Do you recommend using pavers to put the legs on when assembling an above ground pool? Why or why not? And if so what kind of pavers, like how big, LXWXH should they be.

Part 2 - I currently have a base on my pool of that looks almost like gold dirt. It has tiny flakes of what looks like gold flecks and its a really compact material. If I hire an installer they said they will use vermiculite is that ok? One installer said they use sand. I think I read here that sand is a bad idea for a base? Is that correct?

Just an FYI - I live in NY where we get some crazy cold temps and snow in the winter, not sure if that factors into it.

 

[mariane]

When we installed our Doughboy AGP, we followed their instructions and placed cinder block under the pool supports, sand and foam cove and then the foam flooring just under the shallow end. Deep end has sand on top of a solid clay base. We are in Detroit, and have not had any problems for the 8 years its been up.

 

[DarrelB]

When folks mention not to use sand, they mean too much of it. You should try to use no more than 1" of sand, but you can still use some sand.

Some folks use 2' thick blocks, other 4", but they all seem to usually be about 12" x 12" sq.

 

[Noah_Count]

When we installed our 18 foot round metal wall pool we had someone come in and clear the area and level the "Georgia red clay". After that I did the rest myself using a cinder block for every metal post. I dug these in and leveled them and actually rented a surveyor's scope to make sure all the blocks were level with each other. Seemed like overkill to me but that's what the info I found online suggested. We used the foam cove and a combination of sand and a "gorilla pad". If I ever have to replace this liner, I'll probably end up putting the 2 inch foam under the new one because there are some rough spots in the floor of my pool and it's not very soft.