Installation- Intex Above Ground

[musikal]

I purchased an Intex above ground pool- I have the 24 x 12 x 52 and want to make I'm doing the installation correctly. We are removing the dirt to level from the lowest point and have removed all the sod, etc.

1. I was planning to use the foam core board under the bottom. Is this correct? Owens Corning FOAMULAR 150 1 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. R-5 Scored Square Edge Rigid Foam Board Insulation Sheathing-20WE - The Home Depot

2. Do I use regular duct tape to tape the seams?

3. If I'm using the foam core board, do I also need sand or other base, or can I just put the foam core board directly on the ground? I'm in the Houston area and we have really heavy clay soil but also tons of rain.

4. Pavers- I purchased the really thick pavers. Do I level these with the ground or leave them an inch above to accommodate the foam core?

5. Tarp- does the tarp go over the ground before the foam core, on top of the foam core, should it cover the pavers or no, what type of tarp?

Thanks so much!

Sarah

 

[JeaniB]

Hi Sarah,..You have come to the right place,. These folks are awesome!
I just recently installed my Intex 32X16X52 pool.
First of all make sure your ground is level. It Must be level. Make sure each paver is level. The foam board that you were using is what I used. I used gorilla tape to tape it together.
The pavers must be at least 12 x 12, 15 x 15 is even better. Five of my 12 x 12 x 1 pavers broke, eventually a leg bent, I had to drain my pool and start over last weekend. The top of the pavers should be even with the bottom of the pool.
I used the pool tarp on the ground, then the foam board, then a gorilla pad, then the pool. Might have been over kill, but the bottom of my pool is smooth and soft.
Best of luck to you! I’m sure others will chime in soon.

 

[Wobblerlorri]

Hi, Sarah, and welcome to TFP!

1. I didn't use the foam board, but I believe that's the right one to use. You may need to do a search of the forum to find other people who used the board to see what the right thickness is.

2. Use a double layer of Gorilla Tape, not duct tape.

3. Again, search for other posts. I personally would put a tarp then a Gorilla pad under the foam.

4. Level them with the LEVEL ground, and with each other.

5. Tarp first, just inside pavers. Then pad, then foam. But check other posts to make sure.

Keep us posted and you know, we love pics of builds on progress!

 

[frogabog]

I think the pavers should be level with the pad. Level with the ground would be too low.

 

[Southern_IN763]

i finished my install and filled the pool last Sunday. I purchased the 3/4 inch 4x8 insulation panels from Lowes (cause i get the veteran discount), but then I went the extra mile and purchased enough of the black Everyday Essentials 1/2" Thick Flooring Puzzle Exercise Mat with High Quality EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles from walmart to cover the top of the panels. I have no plastic between the ground and the panels, but I placed plastic down between the panels and the floor mat and then the pool tarp over the floor mats. It FEELS amazing when in the pool - glad I went the extra mile. I used regular duct tape, but you'll need at least two roles. I only taped one side of the panels. it was REALLY hot out when i did this in the midwest a few weeks back. I bought both 2"x12"x8' treated boards and pavers, but ended up not using the pavers. Due to the size of the pool and the fact that I was leveling the ground and prepping everything myself, it became difficult to judge how consistently level i was in the middle - even after using a mini steer skid and then hand leveling in the middle, there are still a few uneven parts, but that's not really an issue. I used a transit, but that can become exhausting for the middle part. I used sand to even out parts in the middle. i used the boards where the frame would sit and used a transit to make sure they were level. to ensure i was square, i bought bright yellow string and some metal post from lowes and used the 3x4x5 method to square everything up and make my rectangle where the pool would sit. I have pics of everything that I can show.

The liner was the only aspect of the entire setup that I couldn't do alone. It's just too dang heavy and once you have it on the tarp, if you move it, the tarp will move too. When watching videos online, the tarp appears to be folded symmetrically, but mine was not - i placed the large balled up liner from the box in the center (took a dolly to roll it out there), snipped the straps and unrolled it to find that it was in fact not folded symmetrically and was off center. I decided to go ahead and roll it out with out completely unfolding it and then i took some measurements on the liner from end to end and side to side relative to my boards and then rolled it one direction from end to end. I had my neighbor kids (freshman in college) come help me lift and move it back to center and on the end and then unrolled it. we got it even and by some miracle, once it was filled, the braces are almost all perfectly centered on the boards. I didn't fill the pool 100% - above the suction and slightly below the outlet of the pump because I wanted my son to be able to stand in the pool without his head being underwater. so far so good. filling it with the sides all bent in was very nerve racking, but once it gets to be about 80% full, they finally start to push out to be straight. working on platform/deck today! I can post my pics later if you want.

 

[frogabog]

The liner was the only aspect of the entire setup that I couldn't do alone.

In a few short years not only will your son be taller than the pool, but also somewhat handy.

Note, I said "somewhat"... :~}

 

[Southern_IN763]

The setup took waaaay longer than I thought it would, mostly due to the amount of rain we had here - it rained almost everyday and weekend it seemed like for a month. I believe we are at the 4th most rainfall on record. Then the heat was brutal! So, i just decided to take my time and get it right (as possible) and make this year about understanding the setup and what I need to really get things going and have pool ready for memorial day next year. Then i realized that summer isn't even half way over! Kids got in yesterday for the first time and loved it!