As many hobbits do, I feast, I drink, I sleep under the stars. But I can also be handy around the house. This is my little neck of the woods where I post diy projects I'm working on, maybe some outdoors & camping gear reviews. Sometimes how to get your home better prepared for disasters and general around the house fixes. Crafting and Woodworking may also get thrown in there as well. Like the Baggins, I seem to get myself into a little bit of everything.
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!
@@Hobbitbuilds With night temps in the middle of the summer at 46-50°F / 8-10°C, we need all the help we can get to keep the pool warm. Come to Sweden, you will not regret it. We got something for everyone, regardless of what you are interested in. Just remember that a large part of Swedes are a bit reserved and it can be difficult to start a conversation with them, until they start drinking and suddenly becomes super social 😂
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?
Hmm. Crack? So if you are saying that the weight of your foot pushes into the foam a bit that should be minimal issue. If you are saying when you walk it breaks, then that is likely that the ground under the foam is not level enough and it is putting stress enough to shear the foam. The ground has to be close to level. A little "cracking" or sound when you walk should be fine as when water is in the pool, it should evenly distribute the weight and compress the foam equally, if the ground even is close to level.
@@squallrino6387 I'm not sure I can answer that as I'm not familiar with the setup you describe. It sounds like you might have a hard sided above ground pool?
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. 😕
You may not have to if your sand pump is running with good pressure. I just got a sand filter and I ran it the other day without plugging the second intake.
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. 😊
A quick run down is that I place down the pool on top of my taped foam boards. As I add water and weight starts to put pressure on the post I check to make sure they are upright and then I cut a square out of the foam, place a paver or whatever and place the post on top. If you go that route just make sure you don't puncture your liner with your cutting tool.
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.
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’m thinking a sand filter is pricey to set up. That’s why I’ve never gotten one. I just keep using the pump filters like hobbit builds is using. So how much are you all in for a sand filter?
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!
As this fence is not a property boundary fence, it does not fall into any issues here. My fence is simply for pets. No permit is required from county or hoa. But yes people should be aware of their bylaws etc before putting in their pool, but that is not what this video was about.
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
neoprene is a fantastic way to go, although more durable- it offers less of a cushion due to how thin it is. I would think it's quite expensive as well. A neoprene base with foam on top would probably be the "ultimate" in foundations, though.
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.
Thank you for the advice. I used foam puzzle but didn’t have enough. A pack of four was already 50 bucks. I sat and researched not knowing what to do. Hell, summer will be over by the time the pool gets out up. My foundation is solid. Going to level in some areas. My pool is 15 in round, the slab measures like a square 18 ft all around I think. How many pieces of those sheets, and what brands can we use, going to Home Depot. Ugh
The foam boards can get really pricey, really fast. When I first did my pool, it was cheaper. I recently went to price and they have gone up. You can get away with the thinner foam if you have really level and flat ground.
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.
Drywall knives work ok, but I found that the electric knives sold for carving meat work great for foam. So much so that many people who make props and models out of foam use electric carving knives to shape their project. Just don't tell the wife and clean the knife up afterwards... but it goes through foam like butter.
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
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.
Foam used is way too thin, 1.5” or 2” is best as well as using the pink one figuring out your pounds per square inch with the weight of the water of your pool and you’ll find out why real quick. He’s correct don’t use sand as base. Also a locked in foundation base that is anchored down would be better as well. Level and solid like concrete foundation plus anchored down as in using rebar and formwork.
