10 X 30 Easy Set Intex Pool and Leveling

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E

efranklin

Active member
Jul 8, 2016
32
St. Petersburg, FL
Hey everyone. This is my first pool, an Easy Set 10 X 30 Intex Pool. I'm on my third set up so I'm not finding it so easy set. The first time I didn't hede the words about leveling. It was hot and I wanted to get in the pool. :) The second time I used the 2 X 4 level technique. But I might have done that wrong. I had the 2 X 4 staked into the ground in the center area where I expect the center of the pool to be. The center of the board was staked in the ground so half was on one side and half was on the other. I checked to see if it was level at the end of the board, at various points along the outside ring as I swung it around. I've since seen online that some people have one end of the 2 X 4 staked at the center and then take measurements at the various points along the outside ring. I'm not sure if that makes a difference. So I thought I was level but I still ended up with one end about an inch deeper, and the lower end eventually started to get lower.

So I have been digging a little from the higher end and moving dirt around as I get ready for the next fill. Also I have purchased a line level. I used a braided mason line for the measurements and I am using cheap plastic tent stakes since I have those on hand. I am making sure the line is tight. I have told myself to be patient and be absolutely sure everything is level before I fill it again. :)

I took measurements this morning in preparation for the work this weekend. It seems to vary because I have already been working the area. I put the line level at about halfway between the center stake and the point stake to take the measurement. I have 3 inches on the center stake. My point measurements around the circle are: 1-3 1/2, 2-2 1/2, 3-3, 4-3 1/2, 5-3 1/2, 6-3 1/4, 7-2 3/4, 8-2 3/4, and 9-3. (Point 1 is next to Point 9.)

My goal is to get everything to match the center, right? So I want to end up with 3 inches at the center and 3 at each point, right? Are plastic tent stakes okay or do I want to buy those wooden stakes from the hardware store? Does that matter--the tent stakes don't seem to move.

For the 2 X 4 leveling, I have a lawn ornament on a metal bar and that it what I am sticking through the 2 X 4 to center it in the middle. It seems to work but I think I have seen some people who put one end of the 2 X 4 in the center attach it to another piece of wood and stake that piece of wood down in the ground.

I am also thinking about making a little crater in the middle, making it a little bit lower in the center as I saw one person on the Web do, wondering if that would help keep the round pool from becoming an oval...

It sure seems like a lot of work for such a small pool but I'm determined to get it right. I don't want to refill it every two weeks. Would rather spend more time enjoying it.

Thanks for any advice.
 
It's more important to have the outer ring be level than it is to have the middle and the outer ring the same. Some make the middle a bit deeper, I just made the whole thing flat (see my build thread in my sig).

And it's not advisable to dig dirt from the high end and "move it around," which I assume means your moving it too low areas. This can get you into trouble, as that loose soil will compact when the weight of the pool presses on it, as you may have already discovered.

You're on the right path, leveling is very important. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the reassurance. I will check out your thread from your sig.

I have a pile of topsoil leftover from a project so when I started out on this project, I spread some over the grass because I thought it would be a softer bottom. So now I'm raking that off, digging up the grass and so on.

We'll see how the leveling project goes this weekend.

Thanks.
 
I worked leveling the ground for a good part of the weekend. I swung that 2 X 4 around and raked and swung it around some more and raked some more. Yesterday I rented a tamper from Home Depot for a few hours and tamped. We had a mild rain last night. I swung the 2 X 4 around again this morning before work. I tamped with part of the 2 X 4 I had cut off. I sprayed the area down with the hose and left for work.

I came home and I swung the 2 X 4 around checking in several spots with my level. It came out level at each measurement. I got out my line level and started checking. Just as I finished the first half, it started to not be so good. I checked a few more. I am an inch off from the center in some places.

But then I remembered that you said it is more important that the outside points be in line with each other. So I took measurements around the outside. I am even in some spots, about a 1/2 inch off in a couple of spots and 3/4 inch off in one spot.

I'm going to eat dinner, get a fresh piece of string, double-check that my line is tight at each measurement. I think I am okay if I am 1/2 inch off along the outside. But 3/4 or 1 inch are probably a little worrisome with a 10 X 30 pool, right?

And the weather forecast seems to vary from morning to night (swear it said 50 percent chance of rain tonight a few hours ago and now it's 20 percent). I think I should try to wait until a good rain on it before I go for the pool set up? Unless Friday night arrives and it hasn't rained all week? :)

Thanks.
 
Dinner is a good thing. Had dinner and got a fresh piece of string. New string seems to make a difference. For the measurements around the outside of the ring, I get about even or 1/4 inch difference. One time maybe 1/2 inch. And I'm using wooden stakes today instead of the tent stakes from the other day. The distance between the two stakes along the outside ranged from about 44 inches to 53 inches. Put the line level in the middle.

Measured one point from center of pool to the outside of the pool and got a difference of about 1 1/2 inches. The center was about 8 3/4 inches and the outside was about 7 1/4 inches. That's okay though because that means the center of the pool will be a little deeper. (I cut my 2 X 4 to 8 1/2 feet so the small end sticking out on the one side made an indented circle in the center as I swung the 2 x 4 around.)

So I'm good right? I will take another measurement in the morning in daylight. Will water it down every morning and then fill it up on Friday night.

Sure hope it works this time!

By the way, as I worked this weekend, I kept thinking of the maintenance of baseball fields and the movie Field of Dreams. If you build it right, you will get to swim. :)

Thanks for your help.
 
Efranklin, sounds like you're close. Having your center be slightly deeper than the frame won't be a big deal, IMO. If your liner is only resting on the ground or maybe on a tarp, you may notice slight unevenness underfoot, but it probably won't be a big deal.

Generally, if your variation in frame level is less than an inch, it's acceptable. If you dug down to undisturbed soil (didn't add more than a minimal coating for final smoothing), you shouldn't have issues with sinking supports, if you provide them an appropriate base to rest on.

Sounds like you're doing well, and swimming is in your near future!
 
Thanks. This is one of those round Easy Set pools with the ring on top, not a frame pool. I think I may not have had as much trouble if I started out with a frame pool. I'm hoping to upgrade to a frame pool next year. I'm considering this my learning pool.

I got some free carpet squares off Craigslist a few days ago so I'm thinking about putting those on the ground, then the tarp and then the pool. I've read about other people doing that.

I have commitments each night until Friday night anyways so more time for the ground to get more firm. Looking forward to a nice end of the week by filling this up again and hopefully it will all be even this time.

Thanks again.
 
Ahh, gotcha. I started with one of those pools too.

If the overall area is flat and solid, you should be in good shape.

As far as the carpet squares go, I'd be prepared for a wet, rotting mess that may smell bad after a few weeks.
 
911medic said:
Ahh, gotcha. I started with one of those pools too.

If the overall area is flat and solid, you should be in good shape.

As far as the carpet squares go, I'd be prepared for a wet, rotting mess that may smell bad after a few weeks.
Click to expand...

I have read that some people have a smelly experience with carpet. I've also read posts from some people who had a positive experiences with it. If worse comes to worse, I can drain the pool, again, and remove them. It's about $10 to fill the small pool. Although I don't want to do that, I'm growing quite experienced at it. :)

Got a good hard rain this afternoon so I imagine that will help build even harder ground as the sun bakes it tomorrow.

Thanks again for your help.

Carolyn
 
Carolyn,

Search the forums here for "water level". You can easily make one with a couple of wooden yard sticks and a length of clear plastic hose, and it will be much more accurate for leveling your ground than a 2x4 and a bubble level.

Better yet, I found it for you: I need advice on leveling my ground.
 

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jeffchap said:
Carolyn,

Search the forums here for "water level". You can easily make one with a couple of wooden yard sticks and a length of clear plastic hose, and it will be much more accurate for leveling your ground than a 2x4 and a bubble level.

Better yet, I found it for you: I need advice on leveling my ground.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much. I read through the entire thread and watched the videos. I will give that a try. Won't hurt to have three ways of checking for levelness.
 
I made a water level. It is easier to read with food coloring but I didn't want to spend the money on it since I only needed a few drops. So I decided to be creative. I tried adding some Gatorade to the water level but it was the green kind. While it worked, it diluted quickly. On the way home from running errands since it was hot, I bought a Slurpee, cherry-flavored. I added two strawfuls of that to the water level and that was the ticket. I could read red well from 10 feet away. :)

I took many measurements with the water level, at three different times. I was at most a half inch off in some places. The water level was the most fun to use and the easiest. The 2 X 4 method is good because it helps you level the dirt so I will use both in the future.

I filled the pool part-way last night and finished this morning. I think I am good but since I've done this a few times now, I'm holding my breath. But this time I put in the most effort and between using the 2 X 4 level, the line level and the water level, let's hope I got it right this time.

Thanks everyone for your help.
 
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