I'm using styrofoam (EPS - Expanded Polystyren) under my 13 feet above ground pool. I went with 3 inch/7 cm thick boards, much because I'm located in the northern hemisphere at 60° Latitude in Sweden. The thickness helps me prevent my pool water to cool down from the ground temperature and it's really, really soft and nice to walk on. I've had the foam for 3 years and yes, the surface on the foam is starting to look like the moon with some recesses from walking and jumping feets. It isn't visible when the pool is up and running, but you feel it when you go in the pool. The surface on the foam is still smooth, so there's nothing falling of yet. The visible foam outside the pool is covered and protected with a green, fake grass balcony mat and melts in pretty good with the real grass. The foam I used has the measurement of 47,2x23,6x3 inch / 120x60x7 cm. I used 24 of them for an octagonal shape and in Sweden it had the price of 5,63 USD a piece, 135 USD in total. Worth every penny!

Hey I’m actually currently setting up my pool. I’ve laid my foam down. One thing I noticed is if I walk on it the foam starts to crack. If it’s already cracking with my weight…. Wouldn’t it crack with all of the water in the pool from the weight? Does your foam crack?

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Thanks you helped me so much

HEB, Texas💙💙💙

so does the bottom frame also go on the foam? thats where i get lost. like the long straps for the sides, do they go under the foam as well?

I really want to try this this year. Can someone tell me how many sheets of foam board I would need for an 18' Intex pool? Doing this on my own so I'm a bit stressed trying to figure it all out. I dug up the area myself last year and THOUGHT I did a good job but then could still feel some roots and stones under foot when I was IN the pool. 😕

How about if you have a sand pump would you need to block life that second inlet?

Nice video thank you but what I don't like is how they make a tutorial video then edited it

How long did you leave the sock filter on?

How big is your pool, how many gallons? 20 ' I am wondering how thick of a styrofoam board I will need for a 12' x 24' x 52" or 8,403 gallons . It is an INTEX pool.

I live in Oklahoma, I hear this foam helps keep your pool warmer. But, mine already gets too hot in the summer with just a tarp under it. Do you have issues with it getting too hot with foam?

Can you please do a video showing how the pool sets on the foam board with the cutouts? I I'm getting ready to set up and 18x9 intex pool on a concrete pad and I am trying to figure out how to put some cushion under it. I'm not sure how to do the cutouts with the bracing on the concrete so I was hoping if I could visualize what you did on soil it might help me figure it out. Also, my braces are those U type braces so there's that too. Thank you. 😊

I wish I thought of the foam. Basically everything I saw was "level the dirt. Then add sand". As soon as I get a couple tons of sand in, other ideas I like better show up. This foam. Horse stall mats. Man. Oh well. Ill do this next year if I empty it.

Has anyone done this with a hard side pool? Putting up a 33 foot and I'd like to do this but not sure if it would be to much weight on the foam.

wish we had that in uk our reflectix only has one layer on each side of mylar.

This is exactly how I did mine

for a ultimate pad get a roll of 3d mesh. but a roll off wider reflectix and make an evelope for mesh to sit inside. very light weight and creates a nice airgap

I have used a 2 & 3 way PVC connector! It works great for all angles!

I yelled at the screen I'm sorry 😂 get a sand filter, my guy!

I only have one question..... I see where your pool base goes to and it is a bylaw here that you need 4 feet from any wall, deck, unmovable objects or.... FENCES! You have your pool, "almost", judged up against that chain link fence. Obviously, you did not get a permit for that pool or you would have know that. OR, maybe you don't have that there but for everyone else, they should look into that before you put one up! I used sand on for my base for the slope and haven't lost any of it and it hasn't sunk either. I only suggest, level out a good foot further than the size of the pool... so a foot on all sides... thats 2 feet bigger than the pool... example.. 15 foot pool... level out 17 feet so you have a foot on all sides of the pool!

Well, I live in Michigan and years ago I had a doughboy pool which is a metal sided above ground pool and we had a sand bottom, but we also fed over the sand and foam the walls before putting the liner on. That helps on keeping your pool warmer also although, 85% of your heat, you lose through the top of the water! So having dark blue or black bubbled, solar covers is vital because it sucks the heat. The dark sucks the heat into the cover. Keep the pool water warm. You can also purchase about any type of pool or metal frame. I don’t know about the Intex type pool it has to be a really sturdy unless you’re gonna build something around it. Sand and it worked perfectly and it stayed level. That’s the key you have to tamp your ground area after you apply the sand, wet and temp. As long as your pool ground is level within 1 inch or half inch you’re fine. Mine was perfectly level. I would suggest getting a doughboy or metal framed pool that will last for years and buying the bricks that you set it on to level it, I had some of these Intex type pools with little metal poles and all and they just don’t farewell in Michigan. There’s not a lot to take care of for winterizing chemicals. You drop the water below the intake and winterize your pump and lines unless they sit in a heated garage which mine did. I’m looking into buying another pool and a heater cause I’m gonna heat it to have a longer swimming season other than just about 2 1/2 months here in Michigan and that’s if you heat it with solar or something otherwise it’s just not warm enough to really swim in a pool because you are Overnight temperatures don’t ever stay consistently in the 70s or above. They’re normally in the 50s and 60s 60s in Midsummer in Michigan that can cool a pool down really quickly if it’s not foam or heated with some type of dark bubble pool covers that whole suck in the heat and hold it in. Another reason I trolls a metal sided pool was because I didn’t like the fact of wasting all that water of dumping out that water and then refilling it every year when water is so scarce in other areas, even Michigan is becoming drier! I do consider rain barrels for water, which could be put into a pool and filtered through a good sand filter. ❤ very good video very good ideas

So you have to have 2 inlets to use this? Did I understand that right?

Now I seen Rubber~Cal 50A Neoprene Sheet 3/16 in. Thick x 4 width x36

Yep. I do it the same way. Works like a charm.

I found that running the skimmer along the pool pole and using two zip ties It eliminates having to adjust daily because of the plastic clips being so horrible on the top of the pool. Saves me a lot of headaches everyday. It no longer moves at all and sits perfectly level in the pool at all times.

How many foam boards will I need for 24 around pool

Awesome

And mine will be going on patio slab

Now, other than the foam board featured. Can we use other brands

Any tricks for taking the existing outlet apart?

I used bubble wrap. Suck it

Why put sand at all ? I’m confused on whether to buy some at all

So the foaming is more expensive than the pool itself ?

I have that shirt. I wear it on days that I would like to be complimented by a stranger. 😁

Thanks so much for this! Do you still put a tarp between the foam and the pool? Or do you just set the pool right on the foam?

Very very helpful. Thank you :)

Fantastic setup! My only thing I didn't know is how hard it is to cut the foam, I couldn't fit what I thought were my last two pieces in small suv so I cut them pretty jagged in the parking - lot and when I got home it was ruined bc it didn't site flush with the non cut ones.

How did you cut the foam? What do you do with it when you take the pool down it's so big?

This is great but I'm pretty sure anyone that takes their pool down yearly is a psychopath

Now tiktok influencer is trying to take credit.

I just took a large tea container/jug less than a gallon. Filled it with pillow stuffing. Then i cut a hole in the cap. Screwed the cap back on. Than i put holes in the bottom of the container pushed the hose through the cap and filled my pool

How many inches thick for foam board? Did I miss it?

Can you please post the link for the foam board so i get the correct one

What is with all of the other pvc attached to the pool?

Making me hungry for some paprika-beans!

Underrated series! Let's goooo!

Definitely an underated video! Boosting!

My 9 by 18 intex is on its last leg. My pool came with this skimmer. It works well enough. BUT the curved part will break with normal pool use from the kids. I’m on my 3rd skimmer support.

Best step by step setup I have found!