New AGP build, base questions.

[BobRad]

Hi all I finally managed to buy an above ground pool and have been waiting since last year for it. (2020)
Funny thing we had a family meeting the year before and decided if we thought it was good idea the next year we would go ahead with it. Then Covid happened that spring and by the time we went ahead everything was sold out.
Any how we are good to go now.

I got in my garage a 13 X 20 buttress free oval AGP 54". The wall is made out of ALUMINUM and most of the components are Resin including top and bottom tracks. The side supports and pressure plates are galvanised steel with the side supports having resin covers to match the rest of the pool. The liner appears to be a J hook design to go right over the track from what I have researched online.
I plan on using 12x12x2 patio stones for each support and heavier ones for the buttresses.

I will be using crushed limestone for the perimeter and base as stone dust is unheard of in my area. I'm also leaning towards putting down the hard Styrofoam boards on the base below the liner to give it that clean look with pre made cove as well.
I figure why bother with 2 different substrates (sand and limestone) if I put down the styrofoam.

How important is base height in relation to bottom track?
If I use the Styrofoam its looking like my base will be an inch higher than the bottom track.
The premade cove that came in my package has the corner notched out allowing room for the bottom track but if I use the Styrofoam the cove will be above the track leaving a small gap in the bottom corner.
*Would that be any cause for concern?

What about the liner, might there be too much slack on the liner if my base is an inch or so higher? (I have the J hook liner)

Also, what is the general consensus here regarding the Styrofoam ? Do I use EPS or XPS ? I read here that it needs to support a little less than 2lbs per square inch based on 4ft of water which most of them do.


I'm in the Toronto Area (Canada) and our swimming weather doesn't get good here until mid-May or Jun. I plan on installing mid to late April or early May depending on weather and am just doing my homework prior to starting any work.

Any advice would be welcome and helpful.

 

[hwy17]

I did this with 1" R-Tech polystyrene foam boards. It is softer than the polyiso most people use but I am happy with it, it does get a little lumpy, both from taking on any lumps below it (I placed it on poorly packed bare dirt) and because heels will put minor impressions in it. That doesn't bother me, but would bother many.

Tips I have would be that I recommend 3M Construction Seaming Tape, the wide roll. It is thin so leaves very thin lines at the edges (which basically will be perceptible through the liner no matter what), and the adhesive is thin and sticky rather than thick and gooey like gorilla or duck tape so I believe it is less prone to sliding. I wish I had taped where the foam boards meet the foam coving, and especially the seams where foam coving pieces butt together - I have had some bulging those areas as the foam coving compresses under pressure and one patched leak so far in one of those bulging areas (my liner is the thinnest they make though).

Also this is obvious but worth stressing, all areas where the foam boards butt together on the floor must be cut very straight and butt tightly. Ideally you would use only factory cut edges in this areas although that will increase your wasted material. As I was nearly passing out from heat stroke on my foam board laying day I got a bit lax and there are some small gaps in those areas that the liner is now bulging downwards through, with basically just the liner and the tape below it holding up against the pressure. I might double layer tape those seams if I ever do it again.

I used an overlap liner so the 1" higher floor was no problem. I imagine with a beaded liner it could leave a bit of extra material but probably manageable with how they're designed to stretch into place a bit. Can't say.

 

[BobRad]

I did this with 1" R-Tech polystyrene foam boards. It is softer than the polyiso most people use but I am happy with it, it does get a little lumpy, both from taking on any lumps below it (I placed it on poorly packed bare dirt) and because heels will put minor impressions in it. That doesn't bother me, but would bother many.

Tips I have would be that I recommend 3M Construction Seaming Tape, the wide roll. It is thin so leaves very thin lines at the edges (which basically will be perceptible through the liner no matter what), and the adhesive is thin and sticky rather than thick and gooey like gorilla or duck tape so I believe it is less prone to sliding. I wish I had taped where the foam boards meet the foam coving, and especially the seams where foam coving pieces butt together - I have had some bulging those areas as the foam coving compresses under pressure and one patched leak so far in one of those bulging areas (my liner is the thinnest they make though).

Also this is obvious but worth stressing, all areas where the foam boards butt together on the floor must be cut very straight and butt tightly. Ideally you would use only factory cut edges in this areas although that will increase your wasted material. As I was nearly passing out from heat stroke on my foam board laying day I got a bit lax and there are some small gaps in those areas that the liner is now bulging downwards through, with basically just the liner and the tape below it holding up against the pressure. I might double layer tape those seams if I ever do it again.

I used an overlap liner so the 1" higher floor was no problem. I imagine with a beaded liner it could leave a bit of extra material but probably manageable with how they're designed to stretch into place a bit. Can't say.

Thank you for the valuable information.. That's what I was looking for.

Turns out I have a Multi Bead liner, from Findlay Vinyl. It appears as though it just hooks onto the pool wall. I don't see any seem to cut down so that it snaps into a track, nor did I find any pool wall track to hang the liner from. The design is Cayman.

 

[ashtonfitzgerald]

I like the Cayman design. I used 1" white styrofoam boards (with one side coated in mylar) under our soon to be gone Intex pool. They were the cheapest option and actually did a really nice job. Because my butting and taping wasn't perfect there are some small lines on the bottom of the pool where dirt will collect, but it's not noticeable when the pool is clean. 24" of water was no problem, and many heavy jumpers didn't leave any foot prints of divots at all. With the new pool I plan to go the same route again, but with more attention spent on the taping. I can't say how the extra 1" will affect the liner.