Intex above-ground pools have made it very easy for homeowners to get a pool in their backyards without digging a giant hole in it. Intex pools are durable, bigger than than, and just as easy to set up as inflatable pools, so they have become quite popular over time.
Since many people in the market for an Intex above-ground pool are going to be first time pool owners, they are going to run into many pitfalls due to their lack of experience. One common problem is that the legs of their Intex pool aren’t straight or are leaning heavily to one side.
Since the pool legs need to support not just the weight of the pool structure but the water and the people inside, it is under a tremendous amount of pressure. If it is not set up properly, the leg can buckle or lean to one side – unless you know what you’re doing.
In this article, I will cover how you can prevent your Intex pool legs from bending, as well as what to do if the pool legs are already bent.
Top reasons why your Intex pool legs aren’t straight
They aren’t placed on paver blocks
If your Intex pool legs are placed directly on the dirt instead of on top of a paver block, then it is very likely the legs will bend. Dirt is not a solid foundation. No matter how stiff you think it is when it’s dry, once wet the dirt will become soft mud and cause the legs to sink.
With the legs sunken down, the weight distribution of the pool will be uneven and some legs will be holding up more weight than intended, causing it to bend. To prevent this, you must first place paver blocks on the dirt to create a strong base for the pool legs to stand on.
You can use wooden or concrete paver blocks. These need to be dug in the ground, and you need to ensure they are roughly the same height for even weight distribution.
The pool water isn’t level
This is a continuation of the previous point. As discussed, when the pool isn’t level, the water also won’t be level. It will shift to one side and this causes the weight of the water to be concentrated on the pool legs on that side. As a result, these pool legs are under more weight than the others and can begin to buckle.
To prevent this, you need to make sure the pool is installed on even ground. It’s not enough for you to use paver blocks if they are also installed on sloped terrain.
You should occasionally check to see if your pool water is level. The water level should be within 1 inch of each other on all sides. This ensures there is relatively equal weight distribution so that any one leg is not holding up more weight than intended.
The pool legs weren’t installed straight
It is very easy for pool legs to not be installed straight in the first place due to uneven terrain or uneven paver blocks.
Also, once the pool is filled, the liner can extend outwards a little bit and press against the pool legs, causing them to bend slightly. Thus, some allowance should be made for the pool legs so that they have room to blend slightly.
If the legs are significantly bent, then that is a sign that something is wrong, but a slight bend is fine.
The paver block is inadequate
In another point, I mentioned that you must install the Intex pool legs on a paver block. Assuming the block is solid and the terrain is flat, then the paver block and pool leg can support an immense amount of weight without buckling.
The problem is that sometimes the paver block is inadequate due to low quality material or because it is uneven. Another concern is that if you use a variety of random pieces of wood or concrete as the paver blocks, that some of them are uneven.
It is crucial that the paver blocks are durable enough to support the pool leg and that they are all roughly the same size. Also, sometimes the pool leg can shift slightly and if part of it is hanging off the paver block, then it is not providing adequate support.
Consider this point to be a reminder that you must ensure the paver blocks are the correct size and that they are sturdy. The easiest way to do this is to just buy paver blocks that are a uniform size.
Otherwise, measure the pool blocks carefully, try to install it on even terrain, and make sure the blocks are big enough to account for the pool legs shifting slightly over time.
The pool legs are worn out
Everything will suffer from wear and tear. No product lasts forever, but improper use will cause it to break almost immediately.
If your Intex pool legs have been left out in harsh conditions such as a thunderstorm or cold weather, or you have a pet that likes to gnaw on it, or your kids are not being careful around it, or a whole host of reasons why your pool legs might have gotten weaker, then eventually it will start to show signs of aging or damage.
This can come in the form of, you guessed it, being bent or leaning heavily to one side. At this point, there is not much you can do except to order a replacement part and replace the damaged leg.
Try to determine what were the conditions that caused this – was it just standard wear and tear, or did you install it improperly? Determining the cause can help you avoid a repeat of what happened.
How to fix bent pool legs
So now you have an idea of the most common reasons why your Intex pool legs are not straight anymore. What can you do about it?
Before you do any repairs on the legs, you must first drain the pool. You might be able to get away with draining only half the pool, but if there is still too much weight, then drain the entire pool before you get to work on repairs.
You can also try using a jack to lift the pool leg up so you can adjust it into the correct alignment, or to replace the paver underneath. This will save you the hassle of draining your entire pool.
If the issue is uneven terrain, you may need to completely dismantle your pool and get your backyard professionally leveled. An above-ground pool installed on sloped terrain will always have more pressure on one side, and this increases the chances of bent pool legs.
If any of this sounds like too much DIY work, then consider hiring a professional to help you install your Intex pool.
Photo Credit: Bart Everson, CC BY 2.0
