Installing Intex 12x24 AGP,,,,,questions

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CurtisPDX

CurtisPDX

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Aug 7, 2018
32
Portland OR
My plan for leveling the ground is to buy 4x6x10’s and make a 20x30 frame and fill it with 1/4- gravel. I’ll have the frame level and square and compact the gravel, the ground in the backyard is rock hard so I feel this would be solid enough for the pool weight and a clean look after pool is up. My thinking is it would be easy to build a deck around pool as well. My other question is how far out do the supports come out from the bottom edge of pool so I can make sure to make my gravel “pad” big enough to accommodate with the added width of the supports. Any advice will be appreciated!
 
I found a drawing to answer my second question and will post it up for those who may have the same question as I regarding actual dimensions including supports. The more I look at other pool builds it seems a compact gravel base looks pretty sound?
 
You have to level your ground, not fill to level. You can never compact fill enough to make it not move under the weight of even a small pool, much less what you're planning.

The best thing to do is get a transit or a water level, identify how out of level your site is, and dig down the high spots to meet your lowest measurement. Having done this by hand (well, my husband and grown son did) for a 14' round AGP, I highly recommend hiring someone with a skid steer to do this.

Don't chintz out on this step. It's the very foundation of your pool.
 
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CurtisPDX said:
I found a drawing to answer my second question and will post it up for those who may have the same question as I regarding actual dimensions including supports. The more I look at other pool builds it seems a compact gravel base looks pretty sound?
Click to expand...
You can check out my just completed build, I will leave the link below. I hired a guy to excavate down to solid ground, clay in my case. He also brought in "choke" and compacted it for me. I used a thin layer of sand over that and then half inch rigid insulation for my base. I also used 4 inch pavers for the legs to rest on. The legs will sit at 13'10" and 25'10". I put the top rail together and placed it where I wanted it to lay out the pavers. Spent a good week on ground prep, the pool itself took about an hour with 6 of us. Ground prep is the key, the pool will only be as good as as the base. Good luck, feel free to hot me up with any questions.

New AGP build - Intex 12x24

Spent last week prepping a spot for my first pool. We got an Intex 12x24 on sale over the winter after reading up on them. Hired an excavator to get us down to the solid ground and haul in and compact the choke. Finished up leveling and smoothing out the sand late last night, so no pics of...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
CurtisPDX said:
I found a drawing to answer my second question and will post it up for those who may have the same question as I regarding actual dimensions including supports. The more I look at other pool builds it seems a compact gravel base looks pretty sound?
Click to expand...
Here is the drawing you need. Its easier just using the top rail if you ask me. The water level was also a major help. I made it with about $20 of materials from lowes. We had a transit but the water level was easier to use.
 

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Wobblerlorri said:
You have to level your ground, not fill to level. You can never compact fill enough to make it not move under the weight of even a small pool, much less what you're planning.

The best thing to do is get a transit or a water level, identify how out of level your site is, and dig down the high spots to meet your lowest measurement. Having done this by hand (well, my husband and grown son did) for a 14' round AGP, I highly recommend hiring someone with a skid steer to do this.

Don't chintz out on this step. It's the very foundation of your pool.
Click to expand...

Thanks Lorri, sage advice!

sammckin said:
You can check out my just completed build, I will leave the link below. I hired a guy to excavate down to solid ground, clay in my case. He also brought in "choke" and compacted it for me. I used a thin layer of sand over that and then half inch rigid insulation for my base. I also used 4 inch pavers for the legs to rest on. The legs will sit at 13'10" and 25'10". I put the top rail together and placed it where I wanted it to lay out the pavers. Spent a good week on ground prep, the pool itself took about an hour with 6 of us. Ground prep is the key, the pool will only be as good as as the base. Good luck, feel free to hot me up with any questions.


New AGP build - Intex 12x24

Spent last week prepping a spot for my first pool. We got an Intex 12x24 on sale over the winter after reading up on them. Hired an excavator to get us down to the solid ground and haul in and compact the choke. Finished up leveling and smoothing out the sand late last night, so no pics of...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
Click to expand...

Good info Sam! I am going back to the drawing board after checking your build thread. Afterwords you can be sure get some questions back.
 
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I have an excavator coming out to give me a quote on leveling a spot for the pool, so that will be taken care of. My next question is regarding pavers under the supports. While I realize the pool is heavy, my back yard is hard clay and I wouldn't think pavers would be needed, but? I’m ready to hear I’m wrong again! Will be happy to be right tho!
 
CurtisPDX said:
I have an excavator coming out to give me a quote on leveling a spot for the pool, so that will be taken care of. My next question is regarding pavers under the supports. While I realize the pool is heavy, my back yard is hard clay and I wouldn't think pavers would be needed, but? I’m ready to hear I’m wrong again! Will be happy to be right tho!
Click to expand...
Pavers or the treated wood pieces will do it, you're just spreading the weight out so the legs don't sink right in. My yard is also pretty hard clay but I'm planning on leaving this thing up over the winter so I went all out with the pavers, they were only $1.30 each at Lowe's, we used 30 of them. My guy charged me $1,200 to level, haul out two loads of dirt, and truck in and compact 3 loads of choke. I read somewhere, most likely on tfp, that the actual pool will be about 1/3 of your total cost of the completed, installed pool. For me that figure is holding true, but I'm a first time owner and had to buy test kit, cleaning stuff, etc....
 
sammckin said:
Pavers or the treated wood pieces will do it, you're just spreading the weight out so the legs don't sink right in. My yard is also pretty hard clay but I'm planning on leaving this thing up over the winter so I went all out with the pavers, they were only $1.30 each at Lowe's, we used 30 of them. My guy charged me $1,200 to level, haul out two loads of dirt, and truck in and compact 3 loads of choke. I read somewhere, most likely on tfp, that the actual pool will be about 1/3 of your total cost of the completed, installed pool. For me that figure is holding true, but I'm a first time owner and had to buy test kit, cleaning stuff, etc....
Click to expand...

Thanks again Sam. I see the 4x8x16” concrete blocks at Lowe’s so will go that route. Dang, this is more work than I planned on, but, it will be worth it.
 
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CurtisPDX said:
My plan for leveling the ground is to buy 4x6x10’s and make a 20x30 frame and fill it with 1/4- gravel. I’ll have the frame level and square and compact the gravel, the ground in the backyard is rock hard so I feel this would be solid enough for the pool weight and a clean look after pool is up. My thinking is it would be easy to build a deck around pool as well. My other question is how far out do the supports come out from the bottom edge of pool so I can make sure to make my gravel “pad” big enough to accommodate with the added width of the supports. Any advice will be appreciated!
Click to expand...
I just finished putting up a 12x24 Intex Ultra XTR next to my existing raised deck. This site was very helpful to me. Some things worked really well for me and some did not. I figured I would share with you my experience. I did level my yard (found a gentlemen on facebook marketplace with a bobcat and transit for $250) and then I tamped the dirt. I used 3/4" foam board under the pool with triple taped seems. I set and leveled 12x12x1.57" thick concrete blocks for the legs using the 13'10" by 25'10" measurements we see here often in the drawings. This measurement did not work well for me. I have read many posts where it worked well for some and others had issues like I did, not sure why.
What would I do different? Well I would only set and level one long side of pavers. I would lay out the others in approximate spaces but not level them. I would then construct the pool making sure the legs were pulled back and liner taught with the legs. I would then place the pavers under the legs dead center and level them. Do Not Assume the legs will move back much when filling the pool, mine did not. When you have a little water in make any necessary adjustments. None of my pavers cracked by the way. Good luck with your pool!
 
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oceanbeachbrian said:
I just finished putting up a 12x24 Intex Ultra XTR next to my existing raised deck. This site was very helpful to me. Some things worked really well for me and some did not. I figured I would share with you my experience. I did level my yard (found a gentlemen on facebook marketplace with a bobcat and transit for $250) and then I tamped the dirt. I used 3/4" foam board under the pool with triple taped seems. I set and leveled 12x12x1.57" thick concrete blocks for the legs using the 13'10" by 25'10" measurements we see here often in the drawings. This measurement did not work well for me. I have read many posts where it worked well for some and others had issues like I did, not sure why.
What would I do different? Well I would only set and level one long side of pavers. I would lay out the others in approximate spaces but not level them. I would then construct the pool making sure the legs were pulled back and liner taught with the legs. I would then place the pavers under the legs dead center and level them. Do Not Assume the legs will move back much when filling the pool, mine did not. When you have a little water in make any necessary adjustments. None of my pavers cracked by the way. Good luck with your pool!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice Brian! Here is one more question. I’m going to go the 4” paver route, should they be at ground level, or would it be better if they were an inch or two above leveled surface for pool?
 
CurtisPDX said:
Thanks for the advice Brian! Here is one more question. I’m going to go the 4” paver route, should they be at ground level, or would it be better if they were an inch or two above leveled surface for pool?
Click to expand...
I had leveled my pavers to the foam insulation board which was 3/4" thick and lying on top of my ground. So my pavers were partially dug into the ground.
 
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CurtisPDX said:
Thanks for the advice Brian! Here is one more question. I’m going to go the 4” paver route, should they be at ground level, or would it be better if they were an inch or two above leveled surface for pool?
Click to expand...
Top of pavers should be level with the finished level of the pool bottom, one big flat surface, pavers included. Another person with the same pool had the pavers higher than the pool bottom and none of the legs hit the pavers.
 
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oceanbeachbrian said:
I just finished putting up a 12x24 Intex Ultra XTR next to my existing raised deck. This site was very helpful to me. Some things worked really well for me and some did not. I figured I would share with you my experience. I did level my yard (found a gentlemen on facebook marketplace with a bobcat and transit for $250) and then I tamped the dirt. I used 3/4" foam board under the pool with triple taped seems. I set and leveled 12x12x1.57" thick concrete blocks for the legs using the 13'10" by 25'10" measurements we see here often in the drawings. This measurement did not work well for me. I have read many posts where it worked well for some and others had issues like I did, not sure why.
What would I do different? Well I would only set and level one long side of pavers. I would lay out the others in approximate spaces but not level them. I would then construct the pool making sure the legs were pulled back and liner taught with the legs. I would then place the pavers under the legs dead center and level them. Do Not Assume the legs will move back much when filling the pool, mine did not. When you have a little water in make any necessary adjustments. None of my pavers cracked by the way. Good luck with your pool!
Click to expand...
$250??? I feel like I've been robbed lol.
 
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