Intex on rock?

[jennpleez]

Can an Intex ultra frame be set up on pea gravel? (Like the stuff in the pic I think - rounded, not sharp)

We’re going to be renting and it looks like the only flat place to set up a pool would be the gravel play area.
They’re small round pebble- like rocks. Similar to the pic here if I recall correctly.

Apologies for posting this randomly I couldn’t find the Intex forum - and I searched but didn’t find an answer for the info I was hunting.

If the gravel is a no-no, Is there something I can put on top of the gravel that the pool could sit on?

Thanks! I’m excited about the prospect of having a pool in my backyard again!

 

[lightmaster]

Not sure if it would damage the vinyl liner, but I'd be worried about how annoying it would be to walk on all those rocks when in the water. You could make a bit of a hole in the gravel 2" or so deep and put down some foam, that would make a nice soft surface. Also, you'd definitely want to use something like concrete stepping Stones or something under the feet of the supports, or they'd be liable to sink into that gravel. I made the mistake of not putting anything under the feet of my pool and ended up having to use a carjack to pick each foot up a bit and put down a large brick to keep them from sinking farther in the dirt.

 

[CJadamec]

How deep is the gravel in the play area? Ideally the concrete blocks under the legs should be resting on firm soil so they can't shift.

Under the liner of the pool I would suggest something like a gorilla pad to protect the liner from the gravel over the years. It will be very hard to get foam boards to sit tightly together on top of that gravel. You will end up with gaps between the boards if they shift that can damage the liner.

 

[jennpleez]

Thank you both! I don’t think the gravel is too deep - maybe we could dig down to the ground in that area. I didn’t think about the poles! (It’s been a few years since I had a pool up - it’s coming back to me now. )

 

[richierich]

I had pea gravel all in my back yard. I basically removed as much as I could down to the actual soil. Maybe dug down like 4 inches. I put a tarp on top of the soil . I didn't get every rock out that, as some were like in the soil. I put my intex on top of it with no issues. Just occasionally you could feel some of the rocks through the liner though. Most important thing is remove as much as you can and get the ground level. Dig down to level.

 

[jennpleez]

That’s reassuring to know it can be done. Can’t imagine having that stuff all over in the whole yard. I was picking it out of my shoes even the next day after being out there. haha
Looks like we’ll be doing some digging.

I had pea gravel all in my back yard. I basically removed as much as I could down to the actual soil. Maybe dug down like 4 inches. I put a tarp on top of the soil . I didn't get every rock out that, as some were like in the soil. I put my intex on top of it with no issues. Just occasionally you could feel some of the rocks through the liner though. Most important thing is remove as much as you can and get the ground level. Dig down to level.