Using sand to level an area for an Intex Metal Frame 15 x 48 pool

[RedwingT]

Was just looking at the NWS projected temps for the next several months.....you may have more of a season than you think. 20 - 30 deg above normal throughout the midwest through nov.

That is my hope Charles_R98146. I see you have the same type pool. What is the diameter of the pool after setup including leg room needed, do you know off hand? My circle is just short of 16ft, I hope that's gonna be enough room. Still need to get something to put under the legs so they don't completely sink. I have plenty of bricks I could sink into the sand, but IDK if that will totally prevent sink-age. It has to help to some degree I would think. One side has 8'' of sand and I know something has to be done or I will be off level quite a bit when the legs settle in while/after filling. I wish the description would have included how many legs and the distance between them, then I could really be ready when it gets here.

Happy swimming ~;o)

[Charlie_R]

I leveled an area 17' in diameter, with a little digging, and some gravel and sand. I, too have a retaining wall around about 1/2 the circumference. If you haven't already done so, you will need to back up the retaining wall with dirt, like this:



The movement of the pool will "walk" the legs, which will tend to sink in the sand. Placing the legs on the pavers is a good idea, to help spread the load over a larger area.

The distance between the legs, measured at the top of the tees is ~37". Note that once the pool is filled, the legs will want to splay a bit, so you may have to adjust your pavers a bit to keep them from rubbing on the liner:





There are 15 legs.

You can probably see this in at least two of the pics.

Note the white sand under the liner. The sanded area is 16' 6" in diameter, and you can see how much is left showing.

[RedwingT]

Wow, nice Job Charlie! Job well done, looks great!
We didn't think of backing up the retaining wall. We are using garden pavers that are 4" in depth and 11 3/4 in length on the side where the sand is about 8" high. Above ground level. Obviously we needed two layers of pavers to accomplish our goal. We back filled with more sand all along the wall itself thinking that would be enough to hold the sand in place and not have it wash out. This project was much more than I expected that's for sure.

Where the slope was (now dug down almost 8") I am worried that that side of the pool will be pushing up against the side of the hole. I wanted to back fill the slope difference, my helper did not. Before I knew it he had already started digging it out and by then it was just too late to turn back. I am def regretting we didn't level to 17'. This is my first time attempting such a project and I mentioned going the extra ft.. Because I had never done anything like this before I tended to listen to my helper who claims to have done this before. What do I know, ya know? I guess this year will be a learning experience and next year I fix all the mistakes.

I really appreciate you taking the time to measure the legs, taking pictures and telling me about the back fill on the outer side of the wall.
Thank you so much, I am richer in knowledge because of your post and your kindness.

[aylad]

I guess this year will be a learning experience and next year I fix all the mistakes.

And....that's the way it usually goes, at least for the first summer!

Janet