Could someone post pics of the wood used in place of pavers for the Intex (or similar) oval pool set up?

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Lah5

Lah5

Member
May 9, 2020
15
Pittsburgh, Pa
Back in the day, we used pavers with our 15 x 42 round Intex Ultra Frame, but we have an Intex Prism oval 16.5 x 9 x 48 and I'm reading here about issues re: pavers and the oval pools, but for the life of me, I can't picture what we need in my head. After the 15 x 42 round Intex Ultra Frame, I installed our 18 x 52 AG (with help, of course), but we left that pool (oh, how I cried!) when we moved across the country a few years back, so I know a little, but most definitely not enough. I've got two autistic pool fiends who've been out of school since March, so with all that stress and now, with their summer services and camps cancelled, I'm super anxious about getting this set up right, as it will definitely get more use than the intex paddlers we've had since our move. Frame pools make me nervous anyway, as they seem more finicky, with more variables, so I need to be able to show my husband and my oldest *exactly* what we need--I've always been the shopper and the builder, but my hands are pretty shot these days. Leveling will be daunting as heck, but I hope that renting a level will mitigate some of that. I plan to use foam board under the pool, as it worked well for the 18 foot AGP. Anyway, if anybody would be kind enough to post pics of the wood they used with their ovals, along with the specifics of the kind of wood, etc., I'd really appreciate it. Like I said, I'm having a tough time visualizing what we need. Thanks!
 
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Not sure why you are thinking you HAVE to use wood..................I always say to NOT use wood as it rots over time then you have a problem on your poor hands. I say get BIG steppers made of concrete so the legs have room to move as the pool fills up and the people play in the pool.
 
When I used wood, I had a 10 foot 2x10 that I cut up into pieces to go under each foot. For your pool, I'd go get pressure treated 2x10 or 2x12 (however long you want) and then cut it if you have a saw (if not, get the store to cut it up for you) I'd cut it so that the pieces were a few inches wider than the U supports, so they would be completely on the wood. Good luck

edit : something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Severe-Wea...1-25-in-x-8-ft-2-Prime-Treated-Lumber/4745819
 
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kimkats said:
Not sure why you are thinking you HAVE to use wood..................I always say to NOT use wood as it rots over time then you have a problem on your poor hands. I say get BIG steppers made of concrete so the legs have room to move as the pool fills up and the people play in the pool.
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Right? Pavers were my first thought, too, as I've used them before, but only with round pools that don't have braces. I'm reading about problems specific to the oval pools with the pavers cracking under the side braces, and the instructions also indicate that we should go with pressure treated wood because it allows for more flexibility under the braces. Thanks!
 
scout123 said:
When I used wood, I had a 10 foot 2x10 that I cut up into pieces to go under each foot. For your pool, I'd go get pressure treated 2x10 or 2x12 (however long you want) and then cut it if you have a saw (if not, get the store to cut it up for you) I'd cut it so that the pieces were a few inches wider than the U supports, so they would be completely on the wood. Good luck

edit : something like this https://www.lowes.com/pd/Severe-Wea...1-25-in-x-8-ft-2-Prime-Treated-Lumber/4745819
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link/visual!
 
kimkats said:
Not sure why you are thinking you HAVE to use wood..................I always say to NOT use wood as it rots over time then you have a problem on your poor hands. I say get BIG steppers made of concrete so the legs have room to move as the pool fills up and the people play in the pool.
Click to expand...
Its only for the oval/rectangular intex style pools because standard pavers are not wide and long enough to fully support the legs. Any overhang will colapse and bend around the paver. The legs also tend to slide off the paver when filling the pool. With pressure treated wood you can cut it wide and long enough to allow the legs to be fully supported and not slide off as the pool fills. Intex required pressure treated wood for support under the legs in their installation manual. If you use double pavers side by side you have to be sure they are dead level with each other.
 
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So if the instructions indicate 15 x 15 x 1.2(?) inch pressure treated wood, that's not lumber, that's pressure treated plywood, right? Because the instructions also say that the wood grain needs to be perpendicular to the support legs and I don't know how to do that with 2 x 10 or 2/x 12 cut at 15 inch intervals. Also, I'm not sure where the 1.2 inch measurement is coming from and I'm wondering if they mean 1/2 inch, which would make sense re: plywood, but not lumber. I am really lost figuring out this wood thing. Here's the pressure treated plywood that seems to fit the bill, but I'm not sure. What do you think? https://www.lowes.com/pd/Severe-Wea...lywood-Sheathing-Application-as-2-x-4/4486692
 

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I have the same dilemma. We're putting up an oval pool and the instructions said to use wood under the u supports. I had bought some pavers, but realized I'd have to have 3 of them under each support because they're so wide.

The link you posted says that plywood is not for contact with the ground. So, I think you'd need something else.
 
southernblessings said:
I have the same dilemma. We're putting up an oval pool and the instructions said to use wood under the u supports. I had bought some pavers, but realized I'd have to have 3 of them under each support because they're so wide.

The link you posted says that plywood is not for contact with the ground. So, I think you'd need something else.
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Yeah, I realized that after I posted the link. Fortunately I found the right ones at Home Depot. *Whew*
 
Pressure treated wood should out last the pool as long as it is not sitting directly on the ground. What we are planning on doing is putting 12x12 paver blocks down and then laying 2x12 over then and creating a wood rectangle frame (our pool is 9x18) then tying the pieces together with deck strapping. The idea is much like the sill plate and the foundation of your house.
 
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Man, I have to say that this is the most precarious pool set up I've ever had. Just...wow. It is filling and as far as I can tell, everything looks good re: leveled base (definitely the *most* level pool we've ever had, that's for sure!), but these movable joints scare the chlorine out of me! Oh, and the seams seem high to me, but maybe that's okay, too. I've had four round metal frames and a steel walled AG in the last ten years, and this oval pool is a completely different species! OMG.
 
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@Lah5 Ours is an oval too, but our first pool that doesn't blow up, lol. We wanted a round, but couldn't find any anywhere. I'm scared of leveling everything, but glad to hear you got it done. Do you have any pictures of your set up?

Hopefully y'all will get a lot of enjoyment out your pool.
 
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