18 X 48 Ultra frame leg support?

[fishwater]

Hi folks, thanks to this site & all the information I decided on installing an Ultra Frame 18' X 48" in the backyard. I removed about 3" of dirt on the high side & leveled with a ten foot 2X6 with a four foot level placed on top in a 20 foot radius. I then used HD landscape fabric & dropped sand which I raked out level. Then I leveled that with the same 2X6 with four foot level, when everything was level I used a compactor to compress the area. On the high side I have 1.5 inches of sand & the low side has 1 inch. What I couldn't do since I didn't have the pool at the time was place pavers, now that I have the pool I have set the top ring up & placed on top of PT decking board that I cut into 8"x8" squares. I realize now I should have possibly dug deeper in the dirt, placed brick pavers & then dumped sand raking & compacting BUT my neighbor only had access to the Bobcat & compactor last weekend before I had the pool.

Now that I have set up the top ring to gauge where to place my wood pavers I am realizing that without the pool being fully set up the legs may move once I fill it & with only an 8"x8" area for the leg I need to be as exact as possible since I know I need to bury the deck board flush in the sand. I see now why a 12"x12" brick paver is preferred but I don't even have enough depth in the sand to place one since they average 2", it would require me moving the sand, lifting the landscape fabric to dig the dirt & re-leveling everything which I'd prefer not to do since I don't have access to the compactor anymore. The pool is only a seasonal pool since I live in NH so it will be set up & taken down every year so I'm pretty confident wood is fine at least for this year? Any suggestions on where to go from here? How to measure & place the pavers? Whether I should use a different paver material? My brain is hurting from all this thinking! Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

[kimkats]

My worries are the same as yours------wood 8x8 too small and wood has quite a big of give in it.

I guess you could set it up and see how it goes. BUT if it is more than 1" out of level do NOT leave it up.

Kim

 

[pooldv]

I think it is worth a try. It is better than some do just placing on the ground. Then if one or two sink or have issues you can just fix those by digging out and setting a paver later.

 

[1380ken]

The whole cement paver thing is way blown out of proportion. My Intex pool had nothing under the legs last year. Only a couple of the pole sunk a little. This year I used 1/2" plywood and cut pieces about 6"-5". They work fine. The legs will only move away from the pool not inward. You should be fine with 8-8.

 

[fishwater]

I decided to go with pavers after all, I found some 1.8" ones. I did twelve of the eighteen today & should finish the rest tomorrow, hopefully they are in the right place!

 

[titleistseemore]

When I did 18'x48" Intex Ultra Frame, I used the pavers. My Build is in my signature with a lot of photos, check it out as you might find something useful. My pavers were 1 1/2" thick, I leveled mine on the dirt but I also used the insulation which was the same thickness as the pavers so there was no issue as far as the pavers being exposed to the liner ... The legs when I filled the pool did not move. I was expecting them to move when I was filling from reading previous post, but they didn't. Before I filled the pool I ensure all legs and top were level, don't know if that had anything to do with it or not but the legs did not move. Good luck with your pool ...

 

[fishwater]

When I did 18'x48" Intex Ultra Frame, I used the pavers. My Build is in my signature with a lot of photos, check it out as you might find something useful. My pavers were 1 1/2" thick, I leveled mine on the dirt but I also used the insulation which was the same thickness as the pavers so there was no issue as far as the pavers being exposed to the liner ... The legs when I filled the pool did not move. I was expecting them to move when I was filling from reading previous post, but they didn't. Before I filled the pool I ensure all legs and top were level, don't know if that had anything to do with it or not but the legs did not move. Good luck with your pool ...

Thank you Tim, I've read your build thread a few times already since I plan on doing the same thing with the return for my little ones.

I set set the pool up & filled it with 5" of water & measured. I am 1" to 1.5 off depending on where I measure. I don't think I need to tear it down do I? Maybe I can just shim the legs on the low side before I fill it? I have to pay for water delivery here since I have a well so it will be a $325 mistake if I have to drain it & take it down after its full. It looks perfect, nothing sank I just graded it 1-1.5" off somehow? I'm going to fill it from the well a little more regardless of what I do to see what happens.