An easy-set pool is your best option for some summertime fun.
However, if the ground isn’t level, then the water level of your pool will be uneven.
Furthermore, your pool might get leaked. Therefore, it’s necessary to level the ground.
How to level the ground of an easy set pool properly?
First, choose and prepare the location. Next, drill your 2×4 wooden arm and pin it to the center of that location. Place the level on top of the arm. Then, spin the arm and adjust the ground according to the center bubble of the level. After leveling the ground, you have to water and tamper it down. Lastly, place solid foams on the leveled ground.
In this article, we’ve broken down the steps along with some tips and products for your better understanding. So, if you’ve got some time, check out our article.
Now let’s not waste time and jump into the details!
Necessary Tools to Level the Ground for an Easy Set Pool
Using tools is important to fix anything or do any work. From fixing an electric heater blowing cold air to leveling your pool, you’ll need some specific tools to get the job done.
So, let’s say you’ve bought a 14ft x 42in Intex easy set pool. You’ll want to level the ground you’ll place the pool. For that, the tools you’ll need are:
- A shovel
- A drill
- A rake
- A garage broom
- A 4-foot bubble level
- 10 feet long 2×4 wooden arm
- A long spike or tent stake
- A hammer
- A tamper
- Solid foams
7 Easy Steps to Level the Ground for Your Easy Set Pool
Easy-set pools are always set up above ground. Therefore, you’ll have an uneven pool if you don’t level the ground beforehand, just like when you have to determine the angle for your garage floor slope to avoid drainage issues.
That’s why we’re giving so much priority on leveling the ground. Now, if you’re ready, let’s get to work-
Step 1: Select the location
You need to select the location according to the size of your pool. We recommend using mason sand as the base. Don’t set your pool up directly on the grass. If you do that, the grass beneath will die and your pool will be uneven. It’s better to choose the flattest area as it’ll be easier to level.
Also, remember that you need to keep the location close to your water source but not the sewage lines.
Step 2: Prepare the Ground
Now that you’ve selected the location, you must start prepping it. First, mark the edges of the chosen area if you’re forced to set the pool up on the grass. No worries! All you need to do is remove the grass with a shovel.
After removing all the grass, discard them, and make a 2-inch sand base. However, be careful while making the sand base because we don’t want any rocks or pebbles on the chosen ground. So, use a rake and a garage broom to remove and clear the ground.
Step 3: Drill the 2×4 Arm and Pin It to the Ground
Now it’s time to drill the 2×4 arm at the front. An important thing to remember is that you must choose the arm length according to your pool size.
A pool, 14 feet in diameter, needs an 8-10 feet arm as its length. Why? Well, there’s no actual formula to this.
So, use this tip as a rule of thumb!
As we’ll be placing the arm in the middle of the ground. Hence, we’ll need the arm to be close to or half the size of the pool’s diameter. That way, it’ll be easier to spin the arm and level the ground.
If you’ve got your 10 feet long 2×4, start drilling it. You need to go down about 2 feet of the arm and drill a hole. Then grab your hammer and pin the arm with a tent stake/long spike. The arm needs to be pinned to the center of the ground in a way that we can spin it.
Step 4: Place the Bubble Level on the Arm, Spin and Check It
After pinning the arm, place the 4 feet level on it. You can use tape to tie the level to the arm. Remember to place it in the middle of the arm. Then, start spinning the arm slowly. While spinning, you need to check the center bubble of the level.
If the bubble is in the middle of the two lines that means the ground is even.
Now, if you see the bubble shifting to the right side of the lines then the arm will tilt downward right-to-left. And if the bubble shifts to the left of the lines then the arm will tilt downward left-to-right.
Simply put, the ground is uneven.
Step 5: Adjust the Ground According to the Level
You’ll see some empty spots under the level if the ground is uneven. To solve that problem, all you need to do is fill the spots up with extra sand. You can use transit for elevations.
Use your hand or the rake again to cover the spots. Also, you need to be gentle as we don’t want more uneven surfaces.
Step 6: Water and Tamp Down the Ground
After finishing the leveling job, you need to water the ground. Use your garden hose to water the leveled ground thoroughly. Watering will make the sand a little soft.
Put on your boots if you’re done with watering the ground. Because it’s time to tamp down the ground. You can buy the tamper from a store.
Now back to work. You have to tamp down the ground properly. The ground should be compact enough so that you leave no footprints.
Step 7: Place the Solid Foams
Finally the last step! For this, you need to place solid foams on the leveled ground. The foams will work as a pool floor liner and will keep your pool safe from leaks. Leaks can be very annoying. A leak can even create problems for your geothermal loop.
So, we need to place the solid foams to keep our pool protected. Firstly, you have to press down all the foams with the same strength. Make sure the surface is even while placing the foams. Don’t leave any space between the foams as well.
Important Tips
Before setting your pool up on the ground, you’ll need to know some basic tips. You’ll be able to avoid above-ground pool leveling problems if you follow them.
So, on that note, let’s move on to the two tips down below-
Tip 1: Pull up the remaining grass
There might be some leftover grass around the edges. And leaks can appear if you don’t remove the excess grass/weeds.
Sometimes, you’ll face to face with some quick-growing grass breeds to make things worse. If that happens, use a weed killer. It’s better to use homemade herbicides to kill the weeds because they won’t cause any harm to our environment.
But if you’re up against blackberries or other stubborn weeds, you’ll need the extra firepower. In that case, fetch some powerful herbicides that can help you remove those weeds.
Here are some of our favorite herbicides:
| Compare-N-Save 016869 Concentrate Grass and Weed Killer |
| Southern Ag Surfactant for Herbicides Non-Ionic |
Tip 2: Don’t Put Dry Sand on Leveled Ground
You might think that adding dry sand to an uneven surface after leveling the ground is a good idea.
Well, hold that shovel up buddy!
We aren’t going to do that. Because placing dry sand on the paved surface is not helpful. The dry sand can shift and move. Thus, the ground will be more uneven. So, it’s better to level the ground properly beforehand.
But if an area is uneven after the leveling process, use soft sand to cover it up. Don’t forget to tamp down that surface afterward.
FAQs
Question: Why is leveling the pool ground important?
Answer: Well, setting up the pool on uneven ground will cause the pool to be uneven as well. Moreover, your pool might even leak water. So, if you want to have a relaxing time in your pool, you need to level the ground.
Question: What is the best base for an easy set pool?
Answer: We recommend using a mason sand base. A sand base is very easy to level. It’s also easy to set up your inflatable pool on the sand ground. You can remove all the grass from the backyard and then add the sand base.
Question: Do I have to use pool liner floor pads?
Answer: Yes, we suggest you use pool liner floor pads. They will protect your pool from leaks and cuts. These pads help the ground stay even for a longer time.
Endnote
That’s all we had in store for you on how to level the ground for an easy set pool. Don’t forget to tell us what you thought about the article.
Were you able to level the ground for your pool?
Let us know by leaving a comment below! Have a good day!