I have a 16’x16’ box leveled out with gravel and sand, over which I have two tarps to prevent erosion, on which I have installed a Simple Set pool. This setup has done really well for me, except that when it rains, water tends to collect on the tarps, and it just looks bad.
I was thinking of getting rubberized playground tiles to install this spring, again to prevent erosion and give a more finished appearance.
Has anyone here done something similar? How did it work out for you?
My backyard is on a hill, so we had to build this box to provide a level surface for the pool. It’s made of 4x4s spiked in with rebar. The front of the box is 5 levels and the back is 3 levels tall. There is about 4 inches of gravel and maybe 4-5 inches of sand as the base, and the tarps also prevent the sand from shifting as well as washing away. The tiles will just give it a finished look, and provide some padding underneath the liner of the pool.
It sounds like a good idea, I’m just looking for an experienced opinion. Thanks.
Applying the tiles on dirt is included in section D of Dinoflex’s installation instructions. They say:
…and I agree that sand moves around too much for this application.
I’d follow their instructions and dig out the sand, replacing it with crushed gravel (also known as road base), compacting it in two inch lifts. This means that a two-inch layer of base is laid down, sprayed with water (until wet but no standing water) and compacted until it won’t crush down any more. Then, another two inches is laid down, etc., etc… I’d watch the retaining wall when using the compactor though, to make sure that the weight of the dirt doesn’t blow out the wall.
Actually, I’d probably remove the gravel as well, though I might fill things back up with a gravel sand mix (it’s not the best of bases but it’s already bought), laying two-inch layers and compacting, then finishing with four inches of road base, filter cloth, then the tiles.
Also, it looks like you will need some sort of protection to keep the tiles from chewing through the pool, whatever the pool manufacturer recommends.