ideas for cheap leveling fill for under a pool?

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Carson Dyle

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2012
8,174
524
126
If you want to create a permanent level spot, nothing wrong with using dirt. Compact it, then put a layer of sand on top. If the platform will be temporary, use just sand.
 

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
10,757
3
81
Make sure it is legal for you to have it. You may have to empty it every time you are done with it to keep from being liable if a kid falls into it.
 

TwiceOver

Lifer
Dec 20, 2002
13,544
44
91
Since you are just going to kill a huge round spot of grass, why not just dig up what area you need level? Mark off the area, measure for level, take from high spot, put in low spot.
 

wabbitslayer

Senior member
Dec 2, 2012
533
1
76
1. those Intex pools are not very good...and their filter systems SUCK. Way under-powered and under-sized for the volume of water they have to handle.

slight disagreement with you...the pools themselves are great...but the filters you buy with the pools aren't large enough by any means. So if somebody gets one they should plan on spending that much more on another, better filter.

Also....if you haven't set one of these up before, you have no idea just how serious they are when they say LEVEL. I set up a 15x36" about a month or so ago, we can only fill it up about 30" deep b/c it isn't perfectly level. And that is with about 4 tons of sand spread out underneath it.
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,606
166
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
slight disagreement with you...the pools themselves are great...but the filters you buy with the pools aren't large enough by any means. So if somebody gets one they should plan on spending that much more on another, better filter.

Also....if you haven't set one of these up before, you have no idea just how serious they are when they say LEVEL. I set up a 15x36" about a month or so ago, we can only fill it up about 30" deep b/c it isn't perfectly level. And that is with about 4 tons of sand spread out underneath it.
Did you think that the surface of water would follow the gradual 6" slope?
 

LookBehindYou

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2010
2,412
1
81
If you are buying sand to level the ground, you are doing it wrong and it is UNSAFE!!. Dig out the high spot, don't fill the low spots. The sand should ONLY be used to smooth out the bottom so nothing pokes the liner, also you can use the foam insulation boards if you'd like. If you need tips on other things to do when setting it up, making the ground level, etc., check out troublefreepool.com The forum there has a section for above ground pools.

Again, it is extremely important that you level the ground the right way. I believe within 1" is the only acceptable allowance. You really don't want to be the guy that has a few small kids in his pool only to see it collapse and have 10000 gallons of water with some kids come flowing to your house or fence or whatever else is near. Even if you compact the dirt a lot, it'll still settle and cause an issue. The only time I've seen or heard of people adding is usually a really small amount of crusher rock to fix a very small area, and that is still debatable.
 

slag

Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
10,473
81
101
If you are buying sand to level the ground, you are doing it wrong and it is UNSAFE!!. Dig out the high spot, don't fill the low spots. The sand should ONLY be used to smooth out the bottom so nothing pokes the liner, also you can use the foam insulation boards if you'd like. If you need tips on other things to do when setting it up, making the ground level, etc., check out troublefreepool.com The forum there has a section for above ground pools.

Again, it is extremely important that you level the ground the right way. I believe within 1" is the only acceptable allowance. You really don't want to be the guy that has a few small kids in his pool only to see it collapse and have 10000 gallons of water with some kids come flowing to your house or fence or whatever else is near. Even if you compact the dirt a lot, it'll still settle and cause an issue. The only time I've seen or heard of people adding is usually a really small amount of crusher rock to fix a very small area, and that is still debatable.

Not always feasible. Our back yard slopes. We dug down to bedrock and couldn't go any lower and it still wasn't level We lined the low lying areas with pavers (about 8 of them, and filled in around with sand. We then laid heavy duty 8mil? thick plastic on top of that and filled the pool. It worked well.
 

cabri

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2012
3,616
1
81
If you are buying sand to level the ground, you are doing it wrong and it is UNSAFE!!. Dig out the high spot, don't fill the low spots. The sand should ONLY be used to smooth out the bottom so nothing pokes the liner, also you can use the foam insulation boards if you'd like. If you need tips on other things to do when setting it up, making the ground level, etc., check out troublefreepool.com The forum there has a section for above ground pools.

Again, it is extremely important that you level the ground the right way. I believe within 1" is the only acceptable allowance. You really don't want to be the guy that has a few small kids in his pool only to see it collapse and have 10000 gallons of water with some kids come flowing to your house or fence or whatever else is near. Even if you compact the dirt a lot, it'll still settle and cause an issue. The only time I've seen or heard of people adding is usually a really small amount of crusher rock to fix a very small area, and that is still debatable.

Not always feasible. Our back yard slopes. We dug down to bedrock and couldn't go any lower and it still wasn't level We lined the low lying areas with pavers (about 8 of them, and filled in around with sand. We then laid heavy duty 8mil? thick plastic on top of that and filled the pool. It worked well.

I suspect that he was implying that you should not use the sand to try to bring up to level; only for smoothing. Sand can compact and move; leaving you with the same situation as before, but this time you have the water load to remove before you can adjust.
 

slag

Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
10,473
81
101
I suspect that he was implying that you should not use the sand to try to bring up to level; only for smoothing. Sand can compact and move; leaving you with the same situation as before, but this time you have the water load to remove before you can adjust.

Well yeah, that's pretty obvious by just looking at sand. That's why you have to have a barrier to hold the sand in.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,305
10,804
136
When I installed my 15 foot above-ground about 10 years ago I leveled it to within approx 1 inch and made a base of vermiculite concrete... super strong and still has some give to it. It was a ton of work though.

I've had to replace the liner a couple times but the structure is still going strong ... of course the pool itself was made by Cornelius not Intex which may have a lot to do with that.
 
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