Completely new to the pool world, bought a 32'x16'x52" ultra frame XTR. We've almost got the ground completely leveled checking everything with a Transit. Need advice on what to do under the pool for a smooth base for the liner. We have rocky soil and were thinking about doing a base of Mason sand under the liner only. But I've seen posts where using sand for a smooth base has voided Intex warranty, the pool has sunk, the sand gets washed away etc. Is using sand a bad idea? Should we be using a foam(no idea which one) underneath instead? If so what kind of foam? Anything else needed besides the ground tarp sent with the pool from Intex? Also for pavers for legs, what thickness is needed? (We got some that are 12x12 and 1.5" thick, is that okay?) We have worked ourselves silly doing this all by hand over the last two weeks and don't want to ruin all of the hard work by messing it up now.
Best Way to set up large Intex Ultra XTR
- Thread starter Poolnewbie144
- Start date
I‘ll let someone else chime in regarding the legs. For your rocky base, probably a good idea to go with foam. It will give you more protection from any rocks that surface. I would also use a tarp, but the Intex tarp is Crud. I bought a heavy duty tarp to use under mine, on top of the Intex tarp. I also used a Gorilla pad, not foam, but I don’t have rocky soil.
i did use a layer of sand under the tarps, but only about an inch thick, just to smooth things out, not to fill in.
i did use a layer of sand under the tarps, but only about an inch thick, just to smooth things out, not to fill in.
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
- Pool Size
- 4024
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
Don't use the 1 1/2 inch pavers, they'll snap in two when your pool is full. Use 4" concrete blocks under the legs, like these
Or use 2x6 or 2x12 ground contact pressure treated wood.
4 in. x 8 in. x 16 in. Solid Concrete Block 30168621 - The Home Depot
The 16 in. x 8 in. x 4 in Concrete Block 33 lb. is manufactured to ASTM C 90 specifications and used in foundations and above-grade masonry walls. This heavy weight solid block is uniformly square and
www.homedepot.com
The installation manual calls for pressure treated wood. The full width of the legs have to be supported or you run the risk of them collapsing around the concrete block, like this:
intex ultra frame u-shaped support legs buckled!
or this
Bent Intex Ultraframe leg
intex ultra frame u-shaped support legs buckled!
or this
Bent Intex Ultraframe leg
I can't find any pavers that are 4" thick that are the size needed. (12x12 or 15x15). Should I get two of these and just put them together?Don't use the 1 1/2 inch pavers, they'll snap in two when your pool is full. Use 4" concrete blocks under the legs, like these
Or use 2x6 or 2x12 ground contact pressure treated wood.4 in. x 8 in. x 16 in. Solid Concrete Block 30168621 - The Home Depot
The 16 in. x 8 in. x 4 in Concrete Block 33 lb. is manufactured to ASTM C 90 specifications and used in foundations and above-grade masonry walls. This heavy weight solid block is uniformly square andwww.homedepot.com
Wobblerlorri
Bronze Supporter
- Apr 16, 2019
- 2,010
- Pool Size
- 4024
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Liquid Chlorine
No, just use one and center your brace on it. Or get 2x12 or 2x16 ground contact PT lumber and cut square blocks out of that. As @zea3 said above, the instructions specify the PT lumber in the first place.
Will treated wood that is 12"x16"x2" work? That is all I can find locally. I know the instructions say 15"x15" but I can't find any treated wood in dimensions close to that in any of the stores I went to this morning.
I have the same pool. Spend the money for foam under the liner & wood under the legs. I used pressure treated 2x12’s. This pool is a beast to get put up, you don’t want to risk anything going wrong. We love pics!
Well settled on the 12"x16"x2" pressure treated wood. And consensus on whether we need two placed next to each other or just one per leg?
Also, husband said we were almost level (we aren't close) and now have to hire a company. They want to use a bucket machine and then a grader with a level? Is that okay? (I've seen talk of bobcats but not graders.) I'm so ready to just be done with this pool and wait till next summer. (We live in Colorado where the winter is super cold so sounds like we won't even have it up long before needing to take it all down for winter.)
Also, husband said we were almost level (we aren't close) and now have to hire a company. They want to use a bucket machine and then a grader with a level? Is that okay? (I've seen talk of bobcats but not graders.) I'm so ready to just be done with this pool and wait till next summer. (We live in Colorado where the winter is super cold so sounds like we won't even have it up long before needing to take it all down for winter.)
The wood needs to be wide enough to support the full width of the leg. A couple of inches wider would be best.
On our last setup steps (took forever to get some one to level the rest of the area.) Should the wood be level with the ground or level with the foam? (We got the 1 inch pink foam boards)
I did wood more or less level with foam on my round.
Given the retangular Intex pools spell out wood under the supports and don't say to make the wood flush with the ground I'd personally just cut the foam out where the wood needs to go and put the wood directly on the ground without making it flush.
Given the retangular Intex pools spell out wood under the supports and don't say to make the wood flush with the ground I'd personally just cut the foam out where the wood needs to go and put the wood directly on the ground without making it flush.
Is that because the foam will compact under the weight of the pool? The ground is level we were just using the foam for the smoothness under pool, but husband has it in his head that the wood needs to be level with the foam to be level.
As long as the wood is level from leg to leg and the wood is not higher than the foam you are good either way.
Finally got it up and legs are doing well now that we drained it. Trying to set up the filter and having issues. Trying to do the backwash for setup but it only runs great for like 60 seconds, pressure green, output good. Then it starts making noises and gets air in the basket and we have to stop it get the air out and try again. We've taken it apart and retightened all of the stuff like the directions say, but it still does this.Do we need to add anything extra to stop this air from getting in? (We followed the directions but obviously air is getting in somewhere. )
Attachments
Thank you all for all the help getting the pool set up BTW, that was way harder than the directions and videos made it seem.