Landscaping around base of Intex Ultra Frame pools

[Samantha Sabrina]

We don't have our pool done yet but I can give you some ideas on how we plan to finish it off.

We are going to use this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...3&langId=-1&keyword=lawn+edging&storeId=10051 to go around the base of the pool, (on the outside of the support legs), and then fill between that and the outside tie walls with decorative stones and place stepping stones all the way around to provide a stable way to walk around the pool for maintenance.

We plan to wiretie the Terrace Board to the support legs, this will prevent any of the stones from coming into contact with the liner.

I am documenting our project here but we are not nearly far enough along to do you much good I am afraid.

 

[twelveone]

We just finished putting a border around our 15' intex pool and I thought I would share some photos. I found a local gravel pit that would allow you to fill your truck up with sand for $25, so that was the option we went with. There was more than enough sand to go around the pool. We bought the concrete border from Lowe's for $1.77 each and then added some stepping stones around the pool to stand on when cleaning the pool. My wife and kids painted the stepping stones to make them more decorative. Here are some photos.

Here is the sand in the back of the truck. The gravel pit loaded it with a front end loader. I was a good bit of work getting out of the truck and around the pool.

We bought these stones from Lowe's for 90 cents each to make a walkway to the pool steps. I found the pool steps on Craig's List for $25. They are designed to go in the pool, but since the pool is so small, they work better for us on the outside.


This is the backside of the pool. This was taken before the stepping stones were added.


Here is an example of one of the stepping stones. There are 7 in total placed around the pool to use while cleaning.


Whenever the kids are going to be going in and out of the pool, I put a kiddie pool at the base of the steps so they can get the grass off their feet before entering the pool.

 

[solodare]

sam,
i almost bought this at walmart, only 20 feet for $20! you just saved me some cash! thanks so much. ill proly but this down some time in the next few days so ill be sure to post a pic for everyone. i think its going to be a good product.

 

[Samantha Sabrina]

@ twelveone; That looks neat, great idea for a simple pool surround!

@solodare: You're most welcome, glad you are gonna be able to save some $$$.

 

[Taterfink]

I just love all the ideas!

I have a city inspector scheduled to come out tomorrow for the final inspection. Turns out that anything over 20" deep has to have a city permit(in my city). Anyway, once that is done, I'll start with the landscaping.

My husband and I have thought to take the advise on here and zip-tie a border to the pool legs to protect that precious liner. Then I'd like to have another border, further out, brick of some kind maybe. In between, I'd like to plant some border grass and maybe some flowers either planted or in planters mixed in among the border grasses. I also think I'd like rocks/pea gravel or some such. It'd be easier to blow the leaves and grass trimmings out of rocks than mulch would be.

Anyway, those are my thoughts and take aways from everyones input. Only time will tell if it actually comes to fruition. Here's hopin'

 

[Civilian]

We put rounded river rocks (from HD) around ours, as we had about 3 inches between the edge of the pool and a cement border I had put in previously. I'll post pics once I kill the grass that has crept in.

 

[Nina Li]

twelveone..awesome! We put some small river pebbles around ours...did the same thing. Filled the back of our truck with stones and just put them down ourselves. Lowes and Home Depot had some good stuff but expensive by the bag. I paid $84..not too bad, right? How did you upload your photos?

 

[twelveone]

twelveone..awesome! We put some small river pebbles around ours...did the same thing. Filled the back of our truck with stones and just put them down ourselves. Lowes and Home Depot had some good stuff but expensive by the bag. I paid $84..not too bad, right? How did you upload your photos?

I am considering putting some river rock on top of the sand. I haven't priced it by the truck load, but, as you mentioned, it can get expensive by the bag. $84 sounds like a good price to me.

I uploaded the pictures to my Flickr account and then embedded them into the post.

 

[Nina Li]

Thanks Twelveone!...was hoping to upload them directly from my phone. It's truly amazing how we enjoy our pools inside and out. And I'm so glad to be able to share my thoughts here as well..On my way to get a Flickr account. ;-)

 

[dboshibby]

Just got done with mine. Still need to add mulch tho. 12' x 36"

 

[mrodgers]

We don't have our pool done yet but I can give you some ideas on how we plan to finish it off.

We are going to use this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...3&langId=-1&keyword=lawn+edging&storeId=10051 to go around the base of the pool, (on the outside of the support legs), and then fill between that and the outside tie walls with decorative stones and place stepping stones all the way around to provide a stable way to walk around the pool for maintenance.

We plan to wiretie the Terrace Board to the support legs, this will prevent any of the stones from coming into contact with the liner.

I am documenting our project here but we are not nearly far enough along to do you much good I am afraid.

This is exactly what I told the wife we need to do around our pool to mulch or stone around it and keep it from the liner. Same deal, was going to zip tie it to the poles.

Don't want to to a whole lot the entire way around though because next year I'd like to build a deck around half of it covering the 18 feet between the house and the pool.

 

[Samantha Sabrina]

Hey Mike,

Sounds like you have a good plan.

We are also going to build a deck around ours, but we also know it will take some time to get the deck built & we didn't want the whole thing to look "unfinished" while we wait so this was the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way we could find to make it look better while we wait for the deck to go up.

 

[Nina Li]

Well...compared to what I've seen here...I have a long way to go!


IMAG0638 by puying_7, on Flickr



IMAG0632 by puying_7, on Flickr

 

[Taterfink]

Nini Li,
I love your landscaping. It looks so neat and clean.

I'm still staring at tarps and dirt and another storm is blowing in so there's some water and mud mixed in. Yay . . .

 

[Nina Li]

Thank you! It's still an ongoing process right now...I wanted to spray the edge with a little bleach and water and make it white again (but it's been raining for DAYS here in Florida, tropical storm Debbie ). Pool is overflowing! yipes.

 

[Taterfink]

I'm feeling you about the storm. I'm in Jacksonville. We were going thru Beryl and then we had another tropical depression (to tell the truth, I was a little depressed too ) while I was trying to set our pool up. We had water everywhere and I was out in the middle of the storm hooking up the backwash hose so I could drain some of the water before it overflowed and stirred THAT water into the muddy mix. I was panicking and my husband didn't seem to understand why it scared me so. I was envisioning the pool slowly sinking into the quagmire .

We haven't had too much from Debbie yet, tho we expect a bunch. The weather report just flashed across the tv screen. Wow, you ARE getting dumped on . Bless your heart! I'm hoping and praying you come thru it unscathed.

 

[Nina Li]

Oh..what a nightmare Taterfink! They say the storm might not continue north..might head out west..maybe to Louisianna (uh oh)..anyway..here's some pics I took just now..lol..I'm soaked!

IMAG0662 by puying_7, on Flickr


IMAG0660 by puying_7, on Flickr



IMAG0664.jpg by puying_7, on Flickr

 

[Nina Li]

Now they're saying the panhandle is getting it next...Stay safe...pool is holding up so far..just VERY full. Plants and landscaping are ok..they seem happy..lol...guess I'll finish the landscaping stuff for next weekend maybe. :blah:

 

[markatrhm]

RE: Tying black vinyl edging around pool, zip tied to posts. It is a great idea, especially if you bury the bottom edge in the ground. It really helps to prevent wash out from under your pool edge (a big source of leaks and tears). To prevent standing water on the inside I drilled numerous holes (3/8") at various heights all around the edge BEFORE I installed. The holes allow water to drain but not fast enough to cause wash out.

RE: Sand in pool border. I did this with my first pool and will never do it again. We did all of the right things to prevent it from getting in the pool (big clean walkway to pool, stepping stones around edge every 18", etc. However, no matter what we did it some eventually ended up on the bottom of our pool. Any size river stone (rounded edges), rubber mulch (only smells if very recently made and goes away after a few days in the sun) work great. Both are heavy enough not to blow or catch on the bottoms of feet and are tolerant of the water and splashes (or waves during very high wind). I like small to medium dark river stone because it looks nice, I prefer a more natural look, it doesn't fade, it heavy enough to not wash away in torrential rains and it lasts forever.

RE: Mosquito problems near pool. Buy a bottle of liquid dish soap (not automatic dishwasher type) and squirt it around the area where you have a problem or are trying to prevent one. The soap will dry out when it is dry but when the area puddles the soap increases the surface tension of the water surface so that the misquitoes can't breed. If you ever get a complete wash out just give the area another squirt. I keep the bottle with my pool chems and just give the area a squirt every couple of weeks or so. This also works great inside tire swings, on the ground near outside faucets, etc.

 

[Taterfink]

markatrhm,
wonderful ideas! I had not thought of drilling holes in the border to provide controlled drainage! I'll be doing this. If the ground EVER dries up from the storm that just hovered and dumped on us for the past week. And the dish soap thing! AMAZING! I'll be doing that too. I'll also be passing that lil tid bit on to everyone I know!
Thank you,