How do you prepare the ground for an Intex pool?
What to put under Intex pool? Your Intex Pool just showed up in the mail. What next?
Spend some time on the site preparation. This extra time will save big headaches after your new pool is full.
There’s nothing worse than getting it full and having a rock poke up through the bottom.
The ground must be level and compact. A question we often get is do you need to put sand under an Intex pool? The best way would be to use a few inches of gravel and then 2 or 3 inches of sand. However, Intex does not recommend this as the sand could wash away. So I would stick with compacted soil. Making sure there are no rocks. Compacting is important so that you don’t end up with foot prints on the bottom of your pool collecting dirt.
What to put under Intex pool. Tarp or a liner?
A lot of people will just throw a tarp down next and call it good. While this may work ok, it’s not ideal. There are pads available that prevent objects from poking through as well as give some cushion on the feet. 
This one is a best seller and comes in many sizes.
Another great idea is those interlocking foam mats you might see in a daycare. Like these ones here. They are super easy to setup and provide even more cushion and protection for the bottom of your new pool. We have seen these used and then a pool pad on top of those so you don’t see the connections of the foam mats. This also gives you double the base.
The extra protection of an Intex pool pad is worth it to help your new pool last longer.