I need help! Above ground pool

bozopool

New member
May 19, 2025
4
Canada
Pool Size
10000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Good afternoon everyone,

I would greatly appreciate your input and help.

We recent built an above ground pool 21ft round, steel walled.
The pool is built on compacted stone dust ~3-4" and is level or very close to.

We initially used sand as a base and filled it with a foot of water. There are foot prints all over it and my wife hates how it looks.

We picked up 1inch foam boards (pink ones - the "good ones" in terms of R value) And I ordered a foam cove.

Question is.
One I drain and remove the water.
Should I remove the sand completely before installing the foam pad? Or can I try and compact the sand and level it out a bit and put the foam on top?
What about the cove? Can I go onto of a sand base?

I want it stong and avoid additional work. Removing the sand will take a long time.
 
Also followup question... we won't be able to do this until next week. Is it safe to keep the pool only filled a foot for a week? It's suppose to be cloudy and fairly cool all week long. 60s F highs
 
I started building an AGP.
We put a 3inch packed gravel base in - stone dust.

We added 2 inches of sand but it left foot prints.

We are looking at swapping to foam insulation for the base... question is can I pack the sand and put the foam on top... or should I remove the sand fully?
 
Hi and welcome to TFP. Seems as if your pool has not been so Trouble Free yet :(

Let's see what we can do about getting it fixed up just right for your wife to be happy.

Yes you can level the sand and put the foam on top of it. You should be the foam cove on top of the foam board.

I would take some good rope and stakes to tie your walls up from the outside to keep the walls stable. I would leave the water in it for now. Don't take it out until right before you start the work to finish it up.