We currently have an Intex Ultraframe 16x32. We just got an 18X34 Doughboy and are about to change over. My questions are about how to put the dense foam sheets from H.D. down. Should i run the peices up to the floor rails, or under them? Seems like under them would be best--that way it wouldn't effect the floor height an inch for the liner.The doughboy liners are for 52 or 54 inch pools, and we have the 52. Most of what I've read seems that people are building rails and walls and running foam boards up to it instead of under. I'm a bit afraid I'll end up with wrinkles if I add the 1 inch foam sheets (we are going to reuse from under the Intex if still in good shape). Any ideas or alternate opinions would be appreciated, as long as you agree with me--or don't.
Need advice putting 4x8 foam sheets under Doughboy pool.
- Thread starter sca10
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I ran the foam board right up to the bottom rails and then used the foam cove (required). I wish I put more sand below the foam boards to smooth out the ground and bring up the boards a little. I had difficulty doing the shop vac to get rid of all of the wrinkles...but have a nice smooth, uniform bottom, can see/feel a couple seems but nothing like our friends pools with sand bottoms (lumpy). I think most installs call for an inch or two of sand below liner so running under the rails would negate that height and stretch the liner too much. But then again, I don't have a doughboy, just the run of the mill Morada.
Good luck with the install
Good luck with the install
I put the crappy blue tarp that came with the intex on top of the foam boards. I plan on using billboard tarp on top of the foam this time. Hope that is not a conflict of rubbing against the liner. I think it will be great. I have some really big peices of billboard I bought from a guy on Craigslist. Should be a good cover for the foam. It's really heavy stuff. I'm just hoping i don't get wrinkles in it as I drag the liner around for install?
I don't know what billboard tarp is, but as long as you are using a heavy gauge liner (25 gauge) you can get away with a lot----tough liner. IMHO I would recommend liner to foam contact. No need for a layer between provided you tape the seams really well. Wrinkles are tough when doing foam floor as opposed to sand (at least in my install). Maybe one of the pool veterans can chime in, I am only in year 2 of pool ownership---and owe a lot for the knowledge & wisdom
obtained from this website.
obtained from this website.
The billboard tarp is actual billboard material--very heavy vinyl of some sort. The big billboards along highways/roads. The companies that install them also remove the old ones and sell them. They work great for tarps--very heavy mil, probably more than the pool liner. My billboard is from the final 4 in Dallas. Really heavy to work with, but they are great to cover hay bales, trailers, pool bottoms, whatever. It seemed that using it to cover the foam and tape would eliminate the possibility of feeling the seams or getting gaps?
That's cool, I didn't know they sold those when they were done using them. Good to know I am not sure if it is ok to have foam/tarp/liner. I know for temp pools it is fine, just not sure about a permanent install. Moisture may get trapped between. That being said, it sounds like it will definitely help with the seams.
I am not sure if it is ok to have foam/tarp/liner. I know for temp pools it is fine, just not sure about a permanent install. Moisture may get trapped between. That being said, it sounds like it will definitely help with the seams.Not sure it will trap any more moisture than the liner itself would. The intex pool actually came with a liner to put under the pool--of course that was supposed to go over sand and we used the foam. That crappy liner would also probably breath, although I don't know how much breathing happens under a pool? I'm more interested in where to stop the dense foam. I guess I will build the bottom rail first and run the foam up to it instead of running it under the edge.
Also, keep in mind Intex pools are designed to come down at the end of a season...doughboys are not. I don't think the foam should go under the uprights or bottom rails. You want all that stuff in good solid contact with virgin earth.
I'm new to pools but I have used Lomart similar to Doughboy. I was having a hard time getting the bottom rail to stay in a perfect circle so I was afraid to cut the expensive foam ( I think I could have filled in gaps if I measured and cut wrong with sand though) . I chose to run the 1/2" foam under the bottom rail. It covered the patio blocks I set for the verticals. It made it had to make the bottom rail stay in a perfect circle and stay on the right patio blocks. 2 verticals were at the very edge of the block so I had to dig under the foam and add poured cement to sister to the other patio block. In hind site I would put a solid ring of patio blocks alll the way around so the verticals would hit the blocks easily. The foam feels great. Some people thought placing the vertical over the foam on the patio block might shift. I think because the foam is 1/2 " it's pretty thin and the verticals are not sinking into the foam.
My bottom plates are 10 yrs old so I don't know if new Doughboys have plates that don't shift around. The extra moving though made adjusting the circle a bit easy.
My bottom plates are 10 yrs old so I don't know if new Doughboys have plates that don't shift around. The extra moving though made adjusting the circle a bit easy.