Another Foam question

[lapplegate]

We are currently setting up our new pool. For the last 5 years we have been yearly setting up 12' - 15' intex ring or metal frame pools. These have been set up directly on the ground. The ground here has many rocks and even buried glass pieces that work their way up causing problems to the pool bottom feel. This year we want to go to a larger metal frame (Coleman 18 x 4) to stay up through the winter and more of a permeant setup. This is including sand filter pump, SWG, deck and other upgrades.

We are starting with the pink foam insulation (3 layers of gorilla tape on seams) and a octagon 2x4 frame to help keep the foam from displacing. This will be followed with a thick tarp to cover the foam and frame.

We have now come to the point of setting up the pool. We would like to set the pool up by putting the legs on wood supports (8" long deck board). Because the deck board is 1" thick and we used 1" thick insulation, we could cut out the foam to put the boards directly on the ground. This would make the insulation flush with the wood support boards.

The only concern is the extra labor to layout the block locations and insert the leg supports as opposed to just setting up either the pool leg or the wood block directly on top the insulation.

We are hoping someone here has experience using the foam and can say whether the foam supports the pool OK or it is worth the extra labor to get the pool weight directly to the ground.

Thanks,

 

[JoeSelf]

I would have the blocks on undisturbed soil.

 

[CJadamec]

I wouldn't put your pool supports on lumber. Pressure treated lumber is very corrosive to steel and aluminum. Use solid concrete blocks under your uprights. The foam does not have the compressive strength to hold the pool legs up. In general when people put down foam it only goes under where the liner sits and doesn't extend out past where the leg supports are.

 

[Supermommys4]

I'm in the same boat persay! But I def agree with CJademec, the supports should be level with the ground, and I'd recommend concrete blocks opposed to wood! I used 4" retaining wall blocks in a full circle to keep my pool site more compact during the off season. Prior to that I used 6x6x2 concrete blocks!

 

[lapplegate]

Thanks. I'll head back to Lowes.

 

[PurduePete97]

I just researched a simular question. What I found was it is OK to bury your concrete support blocks (I used 16x16" pads) flush with your finished grade, and then place pink foam insulation over everything. No cutting involved that way.
People who did this found that after 5+ years the feet from the support poles had barely made an indentation in the pink foam.
Just another potential option for you to consider.
Pete

 

[lapplegate]

I like that idea. Thanks

 

[Supermommys4]

I just researched a simular question. What I found was it is OK to bury your concrete support blocks (I used 16x16" pads) flush with your finished grade, and then place pink foam insulation over everything. No cutting involved that way.
People who did this found that after 5+ years the feet from the support poles had barely made an indentation in the pink foam.
Just another potential option for you to consider.
Pete

Thanks so much for passing this info on!!

 

[Supermommys4]

I like that idea. Thanks

Lapplegate! How's your progress coming along?

 

[lapplegate]

Waiting out the rain everything is tarped for now. We have a 4 day weekend coming up. Hope to get through the pluming portion by then and start fill. Thanks for asking.