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Ever since I laid eyes on the concept of stock tanks, I knew it would be such a fun thing for our kiddos. Once we moved to Florida and experienced one summer without a pool, I decided it was a must-have for this coming summer. It's so hot and humid here for so long that swimming is nearly the only fun thing to do outside (weirdly, public pools aren't really a thing here). That said, don't feel too sorry for us because the rest of the year is paradise but I knew a pool would really help us to enjoy our summer. THEN, we moved to a rental with the perfect backyard spot for a stock tank pool. It was like it was MADE to put a pool here.
We've spent the last few weeks gathering the supplies and putting it all together. The hardest part has been figuring out exactly what to order to keep it filtered and then getting the giant thing home (we rented a trailer and that ended up being a fiasco!). In the end, it was more than worth it. The girls are obsessed with the pool and sand and spend a good chunk of the day making sandcastles and swimming. Judah swims when it's above 85 degrees ;)
So, without further ado, here she is. Our PEACHY PARADISE:
As you can see, we did not paint our pool. A lot of people do and it seems to work out pretty well, but the prep and painting of something this large seemed like a nightmare to me. Plus, we don't really have a big enough garage to work in, and then transporting it all nice and painted to the back sounded way too hard because we just have a narrow path and rolling it was the best way to get it back there.
I decided to go with an easier solution that would hopefully mean less maintenance over time. I purchased 4' H bamboo fencing, my husband cut it in half with his Dremel tool, and then we spray painted it. We wrapped it around the pool, strategically hooking it together with heavy gauge wire every once in awhile. He had to cut out sections for the filter hoses but otherwise it was pretty simple. The bamboo adds such a chic Palm Beach element that I adore. Scroll down to the end of this post to see exactly what we purchased for this part
Yes, the sand gets in the pool, but it hasn't caused problems yet. It's been so much fun for our girls and was the cheapest option to surround the pool. We are using our hand skimmer to scoop it out when we clean debris out of the pool. Jared is also coming up with some fancy set of stairs that cleans your feet of sand as you go in-- this is why I married him, people.
Now for the supplies if you want to create your own. It took us hours to sort through people's advice online, and was difficult to make sense of what we ACTUALLY needed, making sure it came in the right sizes. Descriptions of products online did not explain what came with the filter (hoses? if so, what size? what about the strainers?). I hunted and hunted and narrowed down the best things so you don't have to. Here's my visual shopping list for your backyard stock tank pool, and if you choose, a little additional beauty at the end of this post
Must have items for your pool
click to purchase // links work best on a computer
Helpful notes:
The 8' foot pool is the way to go. I can't imagine going with a 6' foot pool and actually having fun.
This pump comes with ONE output strainer and this is why you need to purchase the input strainer separately. It also only comes with one filter so you will have to purchase more periodically. At this moment, the strainer is out of stock but I'm assuming it will be back on Intex's website shortly.
This hole saw makes quick work of cutting holes in the metal but don't forget the arbor. Drill from the outside so the majority of the shavings fall outside the tank. Use a metal file to clean up any sharp edges, then use a magnet to collect the shavings from the inside of the pool so you don't get a metal sliver in your foot.
We needed one flat washer for the input strainer-- the output comes with one.
The pool DOES NOT leak if you have the rubber washers and cut a 2-3/4" hole! This size may not be stocked at the first store you visit, but don't just shrug and buy the 3". If you make the hole larger than 2-3/4", you may need lots of silicone sealant (which my husband cannot condone). If you make it smaller, the parts won't fit
Helpful Items to have for your pool
click to purchase // links work best on a computer
Helpful notes:
I have heard this floating chlorine dispenser is important to keep the chlorine from settling on the bottom of the pool and causing the pool to rust-- not sure if that's true but I got it anyway.
This pool cover is larger than you need but I have read the 8' ones are too small to pull over. It cinches closed with a rope and works perfectly.
There are tutorials and videos online for putting it all together but we felt Stocktankpool.net was the most helpful and simplest to follow. Honestly, cutting the holes and getting it all attached was easy once we figured out what to order and got the dang thing home. The next hardest part was figuring out the chlorine amount but we went with the one or two 1" tab per week suggestion from Stocktankpool.net and the pool is perfectly blue
get the same look as us with these items
click to purchase // links work best on a computer
Helpful notes:
The furniture I purchased for the pool area was vintage but HANDS DOWN, if the budget would have allowed, this is the set I would have purchased. It's so hard to find metal bamboo fretwork new at the store so take this as a sign to get it while it's possible :)
I linked to the peach spray paint I used as it was THE ONLY peach spray I could find. Thank you, Martha!
Lastly, you may think my favorite part of this makeover was the pool or umbrella but it might be the battery pack that allows us to take our Echo outdoors. I am obsessed and now carry this thing around as much as my phone- lol. We love playing music and it's so nice to have millions of songs available at any given moment-- anywhere!
I hope this has been helpful! Please message me on IG if you have questions! I would love to help.
xo,
Rache
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