Anyway I can get by with 1/2" polystyrene insulation board + tarp as base

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h0va4life

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Jul 23, 2020
30
Atlanta, GA
Anybody get by on a 1/2" polystyrene board + tarp?

I grabbed a new 12x24 for a great price and I will feel weird if I spent nearly the same on the base. I've read many forums, so I plan to level the ground and use pavers on feet and etc.... As with prices of most things you know material cost has gone up. I know having a pool is not a necessity and plan to spend some money.

The board will be $0.32/sqft while those mats at harbor freight are $0.63/sqft. I plan to install directly on the ground no sand/rock layer.
 
I believe any foam boards are fine and will serve the purpose. Hang tight for confirmation.

Make sure when buying 'pavers' they are the 4 inch thick ones. Many buy the 2 inch stepping stones that are really inch and a half and are prone to cracking.
 
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Newdude said:
I believe any foam boards are fine and will serve the purpose. Hang tight for confirmation.

Make sure when buying 'pavers' they are the 4 inch thick ones. Many buy the 2 inch stepping stones that are really inch and a half and are prone to cracking.
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Thank you! I am just slightly afraid of the styrofoam/polystyrene breaking if enough pressure is applied and maybe board was covering a divot in the ground. I am probably overthinking this. At least for the 1/2"... I know folks have purchased the 2" but that is also a different material - and yeah Im not paying $600 for a base lol.
 
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Best construction practices don't account for 'temporary' style intex pools. You can spend far more building an Intex than you purchased it for.

On a strict budget, I'd use sand instead of foam. If I was building a traditional style above ground pool, expected to last a decade or two, then it would make more sense to spend more on prep.
 
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h0va4life said:
Thank you! I am just slightly afraid of the styrofoam/polystyrene breaking if enough pressure is applied and maybe board was covering a divot in the ground. I am probably overthinking this. At least for the 1/2"... I know folks have purchased the 2" but that is also a different material - and yeah Im not paying $600 for a base lol.
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The foam sheets up here are ~$23 each at 1.5” thick (Home depot). Seems like you’d be into it for $207 if my math is right? Maybe prices down there are crazier?
 
Newdude said:
Best construction practices don't account for 'temporary' style intex pools. You can spend far more building an Intex than you purchased it for.

On a strict budget, I'd use sand instead of foam. If I was building a traditional style above ground pool, expected to last a decade or two, then it would make more sense to spend more on prep.
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Unfortunately I don't have a truck - the local dirt will deliver for $180 order. Then I still have to move the sand to the spot.

I plan to keep the pool up until it breaks.
 

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h0va4life said:
Thank you! I am just slightly afraid of the styrofoam/polystyrene breaking if enough pressure is applied and maybe board was covering a divot in the ground. I am probably overthinking this. At least for the 1/2"... I know folks have purchased the 2" but that is also a different material - and yeah Im not paying $600 for a base lol.
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Im assuming this is an intex pool?
There should be no divots- the ground should be completely flat & level which usually involves quite a bit of site prep. Always dig down, never build up.
You can just use a tarp if you wish under the pool. Anything you put under the pool will get compressed & the true state of the ground below will come to light as once full the pool will weigh almost 72,000 lbs. so you must do the prep work. Whatever you put is for comfort & a weed barrier, not to level the pool.
Under the legs for those style pools it is recommended that you use pressure treated boards rated for ground contact instead of pavers. Even very thick pavers have been known to crack knocking things out of level & requiring a full drain to remedy.
The board’s tops should be level with the hard leveled virgin ground.
 
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Are you planning to use a swg?
Either way, be careful when assembling the poles/frame & if any parts get nicked spray them with rustoleum immediately to prevent rust from forming. The intex pools of today are not the quality they used to be. The old ones lasted forever even though they are all designed to be temporary/seasonal.
 
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I'm pretty sure I put 3/4" underneath my Intex, and it's doing the trick. I felt 1/2" was a bit on the wimpy side - but like you, was afraid to shell out too much for the thicker stuff. Leveling is key - spend as much time as you can leveling underneath, and having solid support for the legs. I didn't put a real sand 'base' down, but do believe I used just a few bags of sand to do the very final leveling and fill in any divots. I tried to tape seams between the boards with wide tape - but there's still always dirt collecting in the pool right where the foam board seems are. Oh well, no big deal. The foam feels nice underfoot, does have some very shallow heel divots in it, no big deal.
 
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PieterS said:
I'm pretty sure I put 3/4" underneath my Intex, and it's doing the trick. I felt 1/2" was a bit on the wimpy side - but like you, was afraid to shell out too much for the thicker stuff. Leveling is key - spend as much time as you can leveling underneath, and having solid support for the legs. I didn't put a real sand 'base' down, but do believe I used just a few bags of sand to do the very final leveling and fill in any divots. I tried to tape seams between the boards with wide tape - but there's still always dirt collecting in the pool right where the foam board seems are. Oh well, no big deal. The foam feels nice underfoot, does have some very shallow heel divots in it, no big deal.
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Thank you for sharing!
 
Mdragger88 said:
Are you planning to use a swg?
Either way, be careful when assembling the poles/frame & if any parts get nicked spray them with rustoleum immediately to prevent rust from forming. The intex pools of today are not the quality they used to be. The old ones lasted forever even though they are all designed to be temporary/seasonal.
Click to expand...
Oh - the stuff listed in my signature I won't be using for this pool - I think the pump burned out from leaving it outside. I will try to take a look at it before calling it a dud. Thanks for the protection tips.
 
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