Hello to everyone! 
I've had two pools since February/March. One a 13ft 42 inch Bestway Powersteel with a little canopy on half of it (picked it up at walmart for about $300 now they're going for over $1000, crazy!) and a 15 ft 42 inch Summer Waves Active Metal frame pool. My 9 year old chose the blue Summer Waves pool to put up because it's larger and a little deeper. In the past 6 to 7 months I've been collecting pool items, a new 2500 gph intex cartridge filter, filters, pleaco filters, lights, cleaners, (2) 10 ft umbrellas with netting enclosures, an armor shield liner pad protector (which will hang out 3 feet all around the pool because it's an 18 ft size for a pool I ordered and after seeing damaged box sent back), and just a bunch of other random things. Problem is...it's the end of June and still no pool up. The area I was originally told I could set up a pool ended up being too small. The second area is very shady and I would be waiting until my son is 20 to get my step dad or anyone to cut down the two mostly dead pine trees that's blocking the sun. So I finally talked my step dad into allowing me to place the pool in the back yard (which is mostly "his" area...with big garage full of stuff, and 4 storage buildings full of even more stuff. In various spots there are piles of "scrap" metal...big scrap metal and small. None of that is relevant so I'll move on. He moved his old pontoon that was next to his barn for a gazillion years because he didn't want me to kill the "good" part of the lawn. I weed wacked what I could and he put grass/weed killer to get the rest of anything growing up thru the ground and gravel (yes...there's gravel. Most has been washed away or shoved down far in the ground by heavy vehicles, but there's still some there. He has a truck full of mason sand but hasn't had the chance to dump it. That gives me time to go out today and move some of the "scrap" from the area and try to rake and shovel the dead grass/weeds and what gravel I can get out of the area. (sorry this is so wordy and so far pointless). My plan is to clear the spot as much as possible, once the sand it down we'll wet and tamp it and make sure it's level. The ground is pretty level even now. Then I planned on putting down the flimsy intex tarp and placing concrete pavers where the feet will go and then placing the armor shield liner on top. Am I missing anything before putting the pool up? Once the pool is up the filter is going to be a whole new adventure. The Summer Waves came with a 1000 gph skimmer type pump that attaches to the side. I took the motor out (which happened to be the bottom...oops). I put the piece they sent to stop the hole up to service the pool in the bottom along with a seal ring and screwed the bottom ring on. Not sure if that's going to work or not. Plus the hoses didn't fit so I used 1 1/12 to 2 inch couplers and tightened the bigger hose from the intex onto the skimmer body. The other hose that has the eyeball type inlet and a plunger will most likely have to have a larger hole cut for it to bit (yes, I'm scared). I'm just afraid that when all is put up that there will be leaks in the pool! I wish this all could have been started back in April or May. I know it will be next year (and a new pool) for a fence to be put up, but I'll be happy with just the *leak free pool* and pump working at this point. If anyone made it through this rambling, is there any advice? Does the frankenstein pump sound like it will work? (oh yeah, I plan on just using 1 to 2 1inch chlorine tabs in a floater. I had a 10 foot 30 inch deep soft side pool last year and used one 3 inch tab and ended up having WAY too much chlorine in it. Once I got it back to normal I started using pure bleach a little at a time. May end up doing that again. Testing everyday and putting chemicals in accordingly)
Thank you for taking the time to read
I've had two pools since February/March. One a 13ft 42 inch Bestway Powersteel with a little canopy on half of it (picked it up at walmart for about $300 now they're going for over $1000, crazy!) and a 15 ft 42 inch Summer Waves Active Metal frame pool. My 9 year old chose the blue Summer Waves pool to put up because it's larger and a little deeper. In the past 6 to 7 months I've been collecting pool items, a new 2500 gph intex cartridge filter, filters, pleaco filters, lights, cleaners, (2) 10 ft umbrellas with netting enclosures, an armor shield liner pad protector (which will hang out 3 feet all around the pool because it's an 18 ft size for a pool I ordered and after seeing damaged box sent back), and just a bunch of other random things. Problem is...it's the end of June and still no pool up. The area I was originally told I could set up a pool ended up being too small. The second area is very shady and I would be waiting until my son is 20 to get my step dad or anyone to cut down the two mostly dead pine trees that's blocking the sun. So I finally talked my step dad into allowing me to place the pool in the back yard (which is mostly "his" area...with big garage full of stuff, and 4 storage buildings full of even more stuff. In various spots there are piles of "scrap" metal...big scrap metal and small. None of that is relevant so I'll move on. He moved his old pontoon that was next to his barn for a gazillion years because he didn't want me to kill the "good" part of the lawn. I weed wacked what I could and he put grass/weed killer to get the rest of anything growing up thru the ground and gravel (yes...there's gravel. Most has been washed away or shoved down far in the ground by heavy vehicles, but there's still some there. He has a truck full of mason sand but hasn't had the chance to dump it. That gives me time to go out today and move some of the "scrap" from the area and try to rake and shovel the dead grass/weeds and what gravel I can get out of the area. (sorry this is so wordy and so far pointless). My plan is to clear the spot as much as possible, once the sand it down we'll wet and tamp it and make sure it's level. The ground is pretty level even now. Then I planned on putting down the flimsy intex tarp and placing concrete pavers where the feet will go and then placing the armor shield liner on top. Am I missing anything before putting the pool up? Once the pool is up the filter is going to be a whole new adventure. The Summer Waves came with a 1000 gph skimmer type pump that attaches to the side. I took the motor out (which happened to be the bottom...oops). I put the piece they sent to stop the hole up to service the pool in the bottom along with a seal ring and screwed the bottom ring on. Not sure if that's going to work or not. Plus the hoses didn't fit so I used 1 1/12 to 2 inch couplers and tightened the bigger hose from the intex onto the skimmer body. The other hose that has the eyeball type inlet and a plunger will most likely have to have a larger hole cut for it to bit (yes, I'm scared). I'm just afraid that when all is put up that there will be leaks in the pool! I wish this all could have been started back in April or May. I know it will be next year (and a new pool) for a fence to be put up, but I'll be happy with just the *leak free pool* and pump working at this point. If anyone made it through this rambling, is there any advice? Does the frankenstein pump sound like it will work? (oh yeah, I plan on just using 1 to 2 1inch chlorine tabs in a floater. I had a 10 foot 30 inch deep soft side pool last year and used one 3 inch tab and ended up having WAY too much chlorine in it. Once I got it back to normal I started using pure bleach a little at a time. May end up doing that again. Testing everyday and putting chemicals in accordingly)
Thank you for taking the time to read
The only thing I would emphasize as you prep the ground .... LEVEL. Just be sure of that. The tarp(s) may be okay. Some people buy insulation panels as well for added protection, but that's up to you. Just take your time and be safe. It's hot. 
