Swimming Pool Base

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Swimming Pool Base and Vermiculite used for Inground Swimming Pool Floor
The purpose of the swimming pool base is to provide a smooth surface for the swimming pool liner. A smooth surface is less abrasive on the pool liner and makes it easier to keep the swimming pool clean. There are four choices to use for the pool base.

1	Sand is the most economical and works well in play swimming pools that do not have a steep slope. The amount needed will vary by pool size. The sand should be mason's quality and spread about 1"- 2" thick.
2	The most common used swimming pool base throughout the years has been a mixture of sand and portland cement. Portland cement is available from your local hardware store.
3	The best swimming pool base for most homeowners is the sand, portland and Vermiculite mixture. It is economical and provides a smooth soft surface. This is also a way for swimming pools in high water table and hard freeze areas to minimize the amount of sand used in the base.
4	The vermiculite and portland cement mixture can be purchased in two forms. The pre-mix also known as pool-crete is mixed with water. The pre-mix can be difficult to work with and more prone to problems than the more economical to ship, Vermiculite only that is mixed with portland cement and water.

Additional mixing information is provided in the Inground Swimming Pool Installation Manual.

The actual amount of material needed will vary depending on the dig and thickness of the swimming pool base used. This table can be used as a guide. It is based on a 2" thick swimming pool base. The sand/portland mix or the sand/portland/vermiculite mix is generally the best choice for most homeowners. The Portland/vermiculite mix should be used for high water table areas and hard freeze areas.
Pool size	sand tons	sand/portland	sand/portland/vermiculite	portland/vermiculite	pre-mix bags
12x24	3	3 / 7	2 /7 / 7	7 / 14	24
14x28	4	4 / 10	2 / 10 / 10	10 / 20	30
16x32	6	6 / 13	4 / 7 / 14	13 / 26	52
16x36	7	7 / 16	4 / 8 / 16	16 / 32	64
18x36	8	8 / 17	5 / 9 / 18	17 / 34	68
20x40	10	9 / 20	6 / 10 / 20	20 / 40	78

tons of sand / 94 lb bags of portland / bags of vermiculite - per pool

When using pre-mix or portland/vermiculite mix consider ordering extra bags to compensate for over dig, also over mixing with water will reduce the coverage when applied to the swimming pool floor. Shipping is included for the vermiculite or pre-mix pool base only when ordered and shipped with a swimming pool kit.

vermiculite bags	pre-mix bags
$15.75 each	$19.75 each

Click to add to cart then update with the number of bags needed.

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Swimming Pool Base and Vermiculite used for Inground Swimming Pool Floor