DIY Pool for under $6K - Intex Ultra XTR and Saltwater System
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2024
- My wife and I decided to build an above ground pool and this is how it went.
Please share some of your own experiences with DIY pool projects so we can all learn! If this video doesn't answer your question, please drop it in the comments below and I'll respond or follow up with another video.
Chapter Markers
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Choosing The Right Pool
01:40 Our DIY Pool Goals
03:38 The Budget
05:20 Stock Tank Pool
06:44 Shipping Container Pools
08:47 Fiberglass Pools
09:48 Concrete Pools
11:17 Choosing a Location for Our Pool
12:53 Intex Recommendations for Choosing a Pool Location
13:40 Pool Housing and Deck Overview
14:50 Pump and Filter
15:28 Choosing the Right Pump
16:39 Converting Hoses from 1.25” to 1.5”
18:14 Plumbing Recommendations
19:37 Coverting an Intex Hose to PVC
20:09 Pump and Filter Basics
21:01 Electrical
21:15 The Day Bed
22:49 Pool Siding
23:35 The 4-Piece Wood Patio Set
24:58 The Stairs and Deck
25:48 Pool Housing and Railings
28:22 Inlet, Outlet, and the Skimmer
30:36 The Ladder
31:28 Intex Pool Light
32:03 Top View of Pool Deck and Housing
32:32 Accessing the Pool Frame
34:11 How We Winterize the Pool
35:20 Straining the Deck
35:50 Wrap Up
36:35 Pool Design, Blueprints, and Planning
41:49 The Stains Color with Labels
43:21 The Most Important Document
Parts List
Intex Ultra XTR Rectangular Pool 18ft x 9ft x 52in - amzn.to/45T8LC0
Intex Deluxe Wall Mount Surface Skimmer - amzn.to/3P00QNd
Intex Krystal Clear Sand Filter Pump and Saltwater System - amzn.to/3P5o3xT
Stainless Steel in-pool Ladder - amzn.to/3ChhbWk
Intex Inflatables - amzn.to/3qA0iDW
Intex Hoses - amzn.to/3P5oRmp
Intex Type B Conversion Kit - amzn.to/43pueBd
Intex Magnetic Pool Wall Light - amzn.to/43qT8QV
4-Piece Wood Patio Set - amzn.to/43f9USb
Big Joe Kona Pool Lounger - amzn.to/3PKVki2
Hose Conversion Kit - amzn.to/3XGSqwT
Intex Pool Volleyball - amzn.to/43dZFxn
Rechargeable Pool Vacuum - amzn.to/3O1pWug
Pool Pole Hanger - amzn.to/3O348yG
Pool Salt Tester - amzn.to/3PJWCtG
Pool Water Test Strips - amzn.to/44Cs94R
Taylor Technologies R0013-A Cyanuric Acid - amzn.to/44trvap
Taylor K1001 Basic Residential DPD Pool or Spa Test Kit - amzn.to/46QcVet
For Information on Stain and Lumber
www.taylordeyoung.com/diy - Jak na to + styl
This is the best set up of this pool that I've seen yet. I like the walkway around the pool. I also love that you framed the top of the pool. It looks so much cleaner and professional. At first I thought it might be a bad idea since the corners are supposed to float but then you demonstrated that it still floats as intended. Well done on this project. It looks amazing.
Thanks for the comment, really appreciate it!
Don't take too much hate from the internet, seems like a very logical choice and budget to me. It looks great!. We took a similar approach with kids only using it for a decade or so, we built a nice deck around a cheap pool (same one actually). $100k for an inground wasn't feasible, and this provides great value. Ours comes down for the winter, but that is climate dependent. Great design, beautiful and functional!
Typo on your new pump. It's not 8500 GPH, that would be all the pool water in one hour. It's probably 1500-2000 gph.
Yooo!! You’re the first person to catch that, hah! Can’t believe it. You’re 100% right, my mistake. Those numbers are the pool sizes that the corresponding pumps are rated for, NOT GPH. Thanks for the call out and the comment. I appreciate it.
Thank you for sharing, your pool looks fantastic! I've saved this (and subscribed) for inspiration for our pool build!
When you showed the pool at first i tought it was a computer rendering. It wasnt untill you started walking i realized it was a video. Looks amazing dude!!
Wow! JUST WOW! I would change NOTHING! 🔥🔥🔥🔥😻
Thanks! Appreciate the comment.
Well done, looks great! I have bought a 31x16 foot Bestway pool. My plan is to sink the pool 4 foot down and build the deck around it this winter. Thanks for your video!
Thanks for the comment! I've seen some people do this! Definitely share some of your project, either as you progress or once it's all done. Would love to see how it turns out.
This is exayehat I want to do and you are the only one who has my vision. Awesome job! I would prefer in ground but the taxes would kill me
Appreciate the comment! In-ground pool would be great but didn't work in our case. This has been a great solution though.
Awesome work, I’ve been searching for inspiration for my deck I am building around my 12x24 intex. You’ve got a great sense of style and love how well you put this video together! You’ve got a new subscriber.
Thanks man! I appreciate it. If there anything else I can help with, let me know. Would love to see what you decide to do too, I'll keep an eye on your channel.
Looks amazing! Great job😎
Thank you!
Wow! Just WOW! You got an amazing wife ! Great job Bro !
Thanks for the comment!
I closed my pool last time with a kit and left 3/4 of the water in. Opened it with a kit, adjusted the salt and it was great. I will never drain it now. I have a more powerful pump and filter though so the results were very fast.
This is awesome! Thanks for letting me know. I've thought about winterizing it with a kit but haven't tried it yet. If you're able, share some info on the kit you used and any insight from your experience.
Absolutely amazing!
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
Great video and I love the design I’m going to make something similar thanks for sharing you did a great job 💯
thanks for the comment! definitely share the final build when you're done.
Awesome job sir !!! I really like it
Thanks a lot! Appreciate the comment.
@@taylordeyoungdiy I made similar setup to yours!! I really enjoy it. 14.75ft by 8ft similar to yours. I made it last summer. I hope nothing is torn by the snow or ice by the winter. I put a winter cloth on it to protect it.
I have this same pool with a similar deck setup. Only difference is I got mine in 2019 for $300. They have gone up in price! I’m in the Virginia side of the DC metro area. So I’m thinking we have the same weather as far as winters go. I upgraded to the bigger pump as well. So far it’s been the best thing we added to our backyard. I use it more then the kids!! When winter comes along we drain it to under the plumbing ins and outs make sure to drain the pump. So we don’t have to worry about freezing water in the lines. Throw a cover over that bad boy. And we are good to go. I go once a year to Walmart at the end of the season and stock up on pool supplies. That way in May before everyone is doing the mad dash to get stuff to open their pools. We are good to go. We are starting to think we have about 2 seasons left before we may need a new liner. But for the price paid in upgrades, decking etc. it’s been totally worth it.
That's awesome! I've heard rumors about how low the prices were pre-covid but $300 is incredible. I recently saw it on Amazon for around $600 which is the best I've seen in the last few years. Your tip about getting pool supplies at the end of the season is pretty great, I'll have to try that. When winterizing your pool, do you put any chemicals in it or do you just drain it below the inlet / outlet? Also, what's been your experience re-opening the pool after it's had water in it over the winter months? Thanks for the comment!
@@taylordeyoungdiysorry for the late reply. When closing up for winter I normally dump a full bottle of the Walmart liquid chlorine in it. However this season when opening it. We had a problem with algae. But that was a fairly quick fix by changing out the sand in the filter. I’ve noticed with this filter I can only really push the sand about 2 1/2 seasons on it. However I have 3 boys plush neighbor boys that will try to jump in straight from football practice. If I’m not out there to do the mom glare! 😂🤦🏽♀️😂. I was just in the pool almost every day this past week with the heat wave we had. Did a thorough scrub and vacuum inspected the liner and we should be good for another season. I do plan to go to Walmart sometime this week as most of the Clorox pool chemicals should be going on clearance. I also did a upgrade this year with mosquito netting and more solar lights. Creates an amazing date night atmosphere! Oh one more thing. I will say I don’t drain it right under the plumbing ins and out. I go a bit lower to account for the expansion with freezing. You know how the bottom on the pool is bigger so it helps with the flex!
This is nicer than some of the inground pools I've seen. The price on an inground pool is not feasible for most people and I'm not convinced they add value to your home anyway.
Thanks for the comment! In-ground options have their challenges, for sure. It's always tough to assign long-term value for pools but I suspect if it's well done and your home is in the right market, it could have an up side. The majority of the value probably comes from your use of it rather than an increase in property value.
I love the design.. If only I can do it… I hope I can get someone to make the same design as yours at a reasonable price..
Thanks for the comment! I know this project can seem daunting so I definitely recommended speaking with professionals about it. Best of luck and feel free to reach out with any questions.
That looks very stylish, Taylor. Two questions for you. 1.) what did you use for the white edging over the pool? Looks very clean. 2.) what type of decking boards did you use?
Thanks for the comment! We used PVC board for the edge or coping. The deck boards are standard deck boards which we stained and sealed. We considered a synthetic product but opted for wood. Maybe we'll upgrade it in the future. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Great video! Extremely informative. What size pump did you replace the original one with? I see it range from 10 inch 14 inch etc.
Thanks! I'm not sure what the 10 / 14 inch measurements are referring to when it comes to the pump model and size. If you jump ahead in the video to 15:45 I discuss the stock pump vs. the upgraded pump including model numbers, etc. Kit model #26643EG 1,500GPH and then the upgraded model #26675EG 8,500GPH. Let me know if that helps!
This is awesome! Thank you for sharing. I’ve been in pretty much the same dilemma you were looking at all of the options but not wanting to invest in something if we were to move in the next few years. I did have one question. Does your pool sit directly on top of the concrete or do you have something between it? Thank you again!
Thanks for the comment and yes, there is a tarp included with the pool for this purpose. It's a very thin and ineffective tarp in my opinion so we doubled it up with a 3rd party tarp that we purchased at Home Depot.
Nice job. Any way that you can provide the total footprint of the deck - trying to see if I have room for a similar set up. Also, will to share a plan? Many thanks for the very detailed video - helped us a ton.
Thanks for the comment! The footprint is roughly 22' x 20'. I don't have exact plans for how I built the pool housing. I do share some of the designs and sketches I came up with towards the end of the video. I'll work on scanning those in but truthfully a lot of adjustments were made during the build and those wouldn't be reflected in the design documents. It's also worth noting that I'm not a structural engineer or deck designer by trade so I'm hesitant to tell people "how-to" build those aspects of this project. The video is more of a buyers guide and overview of how I set my pool up. I did provide a part list which is available at www.taylordeyoung.com/diy hopefully that is useful. I plan on making a follow up video to address more specific questions so feel free to submit those. Thanks again for watching and best of luck with your project!
Beautiful I'm working on something similar..ignore the haters
appreciate that, thanks! let me know how your project goes 👍
Awesome looking pool. Wanting to do something similar! If you ever have to replace this pool, is there easy access or do you need to remove part of the decking?
When you drain the pool completely the frame and liner collapse inward making it possible to replace without deconstructing the housing around it. With that said- it would likely be easier to remove some aspects of the housing but we haven't had to do this yet. If you watch tutorial videos on setting up the Intex XTR pools you'll get a better idea of what I mean when I say it collapses inward.
May I ask you to say more about winterizing? What kind of climate are you in? Just trying to see if we could leave one up in Canada!
We're in Maryland so the winters do drop below freezing, not as cold as Canada but cold enough where we can't leave the pool as is. In our case we chose to drain the pool completely and refill it in the Spring. It's a pretty small pool so this isn't a huge effort and the impact to our water bill is minimal. We left the pool frame and liner in place and covered the upper area of the deck with a waterproof tarp. This was to keep the pool clean of debris more than anything and it did a pretty good job. This may not be an option for everyone but for us it works. I have seen in some cases where people will winterize these with chemicals and keep water in them throughout colder months. There are how-to-videos of this on CZcams but I haven't personally tried it. The manufacturer recommends completely draining, disassembling and storing the pool in its entirety. If your pool is completely exposed this is probably the best option especially if you're looking to maximize it's lifespan. I suspect freezing temperatures could decrease the longevity of various components but we haven't experienced any yet. We drained the pump and filter and stored them indoors over the winter along with other easily removable parts (extra hoses, ladder, etc.). I'll make sure to expand upon our winterizing method in the next video. Thanks for watching!
Nice job Taylor, I have a 24 x 12 & changed the plumbing to hard pipe (1.5 inch) completely. Also I wasn't that impressed with the standard pump & filter as it only has a MAX 12hr runtime per day so that has now been changed to a setup that allows me to run for 9hrs & still filter 3 x pool volume. I have a skimmer that I have attached (CUT) to the side of the pool - works very well - may add another next year along with another pool return. I also bought a pool robot (battery powered) to clean the pool.
The upgraded pump has worked really well for us too. I still haven't changed the skimmer set up but would like to, unfortunately i'm not sure I can install one on my pool due to the angle of the walls. The Intex skimmer has worked pretty well but does have limitations and requires consistent maintenance. I haven't used a pool robot yet but have been researching them, let me know which you went with and if it's been worth it. Thanks for watching!
Skimmers are just a piece of plastic - the Haywards have plenty of videos on U-Tube to show how they are done. If you use 45's rather than 90's you can get pretty much any angle you like. Also if you put the skimmer next to a corner on the short side then you will find the amount of movement at that point is really minimal. The pool robot is a Manga X. It does 2 jobs - first is to pick up the larger items & 2nd is to send small debris up into the water - this then gets picked up by the filter. @@taylordeyoungdiy
40:25 can you elaborate more on the final solution? How did you make the walkway more sturdy? I want to build something like this and I planned the exact similar support plank.
In our case we added 4x4 vertical supports once the pool was set up. The vertical supports are positioned in-between sections of the pool frame which is why we had to do this towards the end of the build. If you're looking at the drawings, you'll see 4x4 vertical supports on the outer wall, we just added some to the inner wall. If you watch around the 18:00 mark you can see some of these supports. Thanks for watching!
What did you use to stain your deck? (Spray, roller,brush?) looks so clean. I’ve done a similar project, i want to install a similar railing for safety. What did you use and how did you mount the railings? Thanks in advance!
We used a pump sprayer to apply the stain and then brushed it in to smooth and spread it out. The railings are attached to 4x4 posts that run down through the frame of the pool housing. The sections in-between are 1x2 boards and the handrail is comprised of 5/4x6 deck boards. All of these were stained generously with Behr solid SLATE and semi-transparent CEDAR. The railings weren’t added on later or attached to the top of the deck which might be what you’re thinking. I’ve seen some metal railing solutions which can be attached directly to the deck but they can be expensive. I'll make sure to expand upon these answers in a follow up video. Let me know if I can answer any other questions! Thanks for watching.
Nicely done, and thanks for the quick response! I will be doing the same color combo.
This is awesome! I am just undertaking this sort of thing. Can I ask how you turn the light on white solid rather than colour which means pressing the little black button on the back of the light? Do you just reach in? I am thinking I am going to have to cut a door in the paneling.
Thanks for the comment! You're right about the door in the paneling. This is what we did with ours. There is a small access panel near where the light connects and we use that to access the button on the back of the light.
@@taylordeyoungdiy Good to know I was not missing there was another way to do it. Door it is! It is a shame there is no remote with them by hey ho! Nice Disco too! - You will save me a fortune in materials as I was going to use decking all the way up. But we can get that fencing for a fraction of the price! Thank you again for sharing :)
Do you have to climb under the deck to power on/off & change colors on the Intex light?
There is an access panel on the backside of the pool housing which allows you to adjust the light. It would be ideal if they offered a remote or something, maybe on the next version. Thanks for the comment!
What about ICF pools with a liner? There are kits out there or you can DIY it from zero.
I haven’t done tons of research on ICF pools but am aware that DIY kits are out there. I’ve seen some really nice examples too, so I’d recommend people check them out. In my opinion I’m not sure I’d put them in the DIY category, I haven’t seen an example of one where someone didn’t need specialty tools or professional assistance at some stage of the project but maybe I’m missing something! They’re definitely a cheaper option in contrast to some of the more traditional methods but also not inexpensive. If you’ve built one or have experience, let me know your thoughts! Would love to know more. Thanks for the comment!
Hi, I think you have some numbers mixed up. The kit pump 26643EG is 1500GPH and it's meant for pool sizes of 2800-8400 gal.
The upgraded pump 26675EG you show as 8500GPH is wrong, 8500 is just the pool size in gal. The flow rate is similar as the kit one - 1600GPH. This upgraded pump is for pool sizes 2600-8500gal. The main difference between kit and upgraded is that the upgraded one uses saltwater system so you can use less chlorine for disinfection. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Yeah, I screwed up some of the part numbers and figures but don't have a way of correcting it without pulling the whole video down. I mentioned this in previous comments where I have provided the correct numbers. The kit pump has a lower system flow rate, lower pump flow rate and no chlorination capabilities. It also has a lower powered pump motor. The kit pump is rated for this pool size but during my research I found that a lot of people upgraded their pumps to something more capable. In my opinion the larger pump is better quality and worth the money for the improved performance and chlorination capabilities.
I need your plans!
Thanks for reaching out! I don't provide a step-by-step guide for building the housing but I do share some of the designs and sketches I used towards the end of the video. Hopefully those will be helpful. I'll be creating a follow up video so if you have any specific questions, feel free to submit those. Thanks for watching!
Looks amazing but I have to ask - how do you take something like this down? My understanding is that these pools don’t last long and that they need to be drained and stored in the winter.
Thanks for the comment! This particular pool collapses inward when drained and is pretty serviceable should repairs need to be made, also the side panels on the housing we constructed are removable. Fortunately we're on our third season with this pool and we haven't had any issues, everything is still original. During the winter we drain the pool and cover the top with a tarp, we don't break down or store the frame / liner. We do store the filter, pump and accessories indoors. This pool is on the smaller size so draining and refilling isn't too big of a deal. I have heard from others that they winterize their Intex pools and never drain them but I haven't tried this personally. I've also heard of these pools lasting 7-8 years plus, which is reassuring. All of the parts for this pool are available through the Intex website, they seem to be pretty good about providing components at a low cost, for example the liner for our pool is $250 direct from Intex.
@@taylordeyoungdiy amazing response, thank you. I live in a harsh climate and have this exact same pool, but I have concerns building a permanent structure around it in case I need to service it or take it down. It helps knowing you drain it every winter in this setup. Thank you!
@@MrLocke-bk3om yeah, anytime! if you look through the comments, @universe74 has had success winterizing their pool. they might be able to provide more insight into the process if you're interested.
How about if the Intex is punctured? How do you replace it? Take the deck apart?
When the pool is drained the walls collapse inward, exposing the frame. It would be serviceable without taking the deck apart. The side panels are also removable for access to the ports and hoses.
I can’t find the link in the description for the ladder.
the ladder amzn.to/3ChhbWk
Great work! Do you have a link to the actual build video?
Thanks for the comment! We did not document the build step-by-step because I'm not a structural engineer and I didn't want to be instructing anyone to that degree. The parts list and guide I provided is an attempt to offer some insight into our project, the mistakes we made and helpful recommendations. Towards the end of the video I provide some of the blueprints I drew up when constructing the pool housing. Hopefully this is beneficial to anyone who's looking to DIY something similar. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.
What materials were used for the railing?
The railings are constructed out of wood, which were painted with several coats of waterproof sealant.
Hey is there a link to the build video
thanks for the comment! i did not produce a step-by-step build of this project. i'm not an engineer by trade and didn't want to provide construction instructions due to liability. the guide I provided is more of an overview of the various components, creative decisions, and my recommendations. feel free to reach out with any specific questions and I''ll do my best to help anyway I can.
Don't you need a lockable/latchable gate for that deck? Delaware law?
My understanding is that this varies state by state, county by county in some cases. I'm not 100% sure if a lockable gate is necessary given that the pool is inside of a fenced yard with lockable gates. I'm sure there are aspects of this build that are up to debate from a code perspective. I've recommended in other comments that anyone building something similar consult with a local professional prior to starting their own DIY build. Thanks for watching!
Hi, how can we contact you for business inquiry?
You can submit inquiries on my website. www.taylordeyoung.com/inquiries
This cant be legal lol
That's really dependent on where you live. This video focuses on DIY pool components and modifications. It's not a resource for localized building codes or requirements. Thanks for watching!
@taylordeyoungdiy albeit this is a stunning design, once I saw that the decking isn't secured by posts and it is obviously above 30 inches off grade, I already had my doubts. I watched the video 2 and a half times maybe I missed something but I know for a fact that even if this was done outside of any code compliance jurisdiction, no one should be putting a platform that large off the ground without it being fastened by posts driven into the ground. It's entirely different if you put a pool on top of a floating deck that is 20 inches off-grade. If the juice fails the most that will happen is a busted deck and a mess to clean up. A platform such as this, is one structural failure and you will have people getting hurt or even killed. There,s so many variables like gravity, nature, decomposition of the wood and fasteners. Even if that is Trex composite wood, that still not guaranteeing its structural integrity.
Appreciate the design comments! Admittedly I’m not an engineer by trade but I have reviewed the plans with others who are and we’re pretty confident in the design as it relates to our intended use. The posts and frame are secured to the concrete pad which I realize isn’t clear in the video. I can’t speak to the variables of gravity or nature but I believe we’ll get several years of use out of this, which as stated in the video is the goal. I believe with seasonal maintenance and upgrades, safety concerns should be low. As a DIY project, this was the design we chose and it met our goals. I’d recommend anyone who’s looking to engineer something further contact an expert in the appropriate field.
@taylordeyoungdiy what's the total height of the platform? Are you using a specific footing? I many makeshift decks I seen people do who don't use posts use Sampson strong tie footings which they bolt to the concrete. Of course it wasn't done legally bit it can be done. It might last a long time but there's an off shoot chance of it failing. As I said earlier in my typo ridden response, if it's a short distance to the ground no one would even care, but If someone decides to replicate this and something tragic happens, that's a lawsuit on thr homeowner. Also the reason why I highly go against butt joints vs post is like in carpentry. But joints fastened by nails or screws is NEVER stronger than mortise and tenon/dove tail/tongue and groove joinery. Ask any carpenter that. You could also run a test yourself and see how different it is in structural strength. That's sort of why in almost every state they require posts on structural platform above a certain height
Posts is literally a mortise and tenon at a larger scale
The video isn’t a step-by-step guide on how you should build or construct housing for an above ground pool. With that said, the pool housing is not intended to be a platform or a structure on which people would congregate. In this video I tried to focus more on the pool components we chose and the modifications we made to improve the functionality of the Intex Ultra XTR system. A lot of the things I discuss are in response to questions I received online, e.g., where we purchased the furniture, stain color, pump and filter selection, costs, etc.. Should you choose to build housing for your Intex pool, the manor and degree in which you do that is up to you. I appreciate the specificity of your concerns but it’s a little off topic from the video. If it makes you feel any better, no butt joints were used for this project. Thanks for chatting and best of luck in your own DIY ventures!