pavers vs. wood under legs

[lizardflats]

I'm getting ready to set up a 16' x 48" Intex UltraSet.

I'm going to get some building rigid foam to put under the liner (as padding from possible rocks plus insulation). The question is whether to use pavers of about the same thickness as the foam or pieces of redwood or pressure-treated wood.

I have to check what thicknesses of foam I can get at the local Home Depot (we're in Northern California, so they often don't have the thick stuff used in more northern climates).

Any pros or cons of about 1" thick pavers verus two redwood fence boards (assuming the same surface area)?

 

[frogabog]

Wood has worked well for us, going on 3 seasons now. A few have split, they need to be replaced.

Oh, I've never taken this pool down either. Thus, a few split. For seasonal use, they'll work just fine.

 

[techguy]

I used concrete under mine. Be sure to get the hard concrete ones and not the concrete like in cinder blocks. The cinder concrete ones break... I know from experience. See if you can find them on craigslist for a "haul them away" free price. You really don't care what they look like... they are going to be covered in grass/mud/dirt and pool.

Wood rots and splits.

 

[frogabog]

Wood for a seasonal pool should be fine. Pressure treated wood even better than cedar fence boards, but the fence boards can also work. I'm just saying, wood is a viable option, especially for pools only up for few months a year.

To replace them, we can lift on the pole just a bit, and another is slid into place (thin works for us in this situation). Only two have split. This is an intex metal frame pool on year three, where it rains 10 months out of the year. It's seriously moist here.

I think the kids would have stubbed some toes if we'd used concrete pavers. I have very little space for a pool, it takes up nearly the whole yard (a garden is 1 foot away as well). Pavers would stick out a lot in this case.

 

[1380ken]

If your ground is packed down enough you don't need anything under the poles for a round Intex pool. I went two years with an Intex 12'-3' pool with nothing under the poles. The poles on the pool do not have that much force on them. It is best to put something under the poles. I have a 15'-4' Intex metal fram pool this year with 7"-7"-1/4" plywood under the poles. You could use thin books under the poles.
The rectangular pools need more support. The round pools are almost free standing.