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Has anyone ever built a pool?

| Posted in General Discussion on March 7, 2000 03:00am

*
Hello everyone, I have been looking into the purchase of an above ground pool for my family, and after seeing the installation charges am considering tackling the project myself. After remodeling for the past 15 yr, I think I can handle It. Anyone have any first hand experience? any pitfalls I should be concerned with? The guy at the pool store thought I was crazy when I suggested It. But it has been my experience that there is alot less mystique to most jobs than meets the eye. Thanks, Steve

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  1. Guest_ | Mar 05, 2000 04:07am | #1

    *
    Piece of cake. I've moved a couple. Just make sure your ground is as level as you can get it.

    First, frame the ring.

    Second, have a load of sand dumped into the center and spread it around. Let some sand run under the ring if you have a low spot - don't have a low spot if you can help it.

    Make sure your ring is level.

    Smooth the sand with a broom, lay in your liner and hook up the plumbing after you've got an inch or so of water in it. Don't think you can move the liner even a little after you have even 1/4 inch of water in the pool.

    One problem I had: some sort of wasp lives in holes in the ground here. After the water was in the pool, the pressure was enough to force my level sand into the wasp's holes making several depressions on the pool floor.

    1. Guest_ | Mar 05, 2000 04:07am | #2

      *Steve, Normally questions like this are kept out of the Tavern, which is reserved fun and the much too frequent brawl.Putting together an above ground pool is a piece of cake. If you can read you can do it. Prep your site thoroughly. It should be dead flat and level. Follow the directions that come with the pool. Make sure the base is perfectly prepared. Use graded sand, because every lump or inperfection will telegraph through the liner. That's all there is to it.If you build a deck around it make sure you can change the liner without having to disassemble the whole deck. Never drain a vinyl lined pool. If for some reason you have to, refill it imediately. The vinyl will shrink and deteriorate very quickly.

      1. Guest_ | Mar 05, 2000 04:49am | #3

        *Mike, Thanks for the advice on the pool, I posed the question in the Tavern Format 'cause I didn't think it was related to const. enough to post here, kind of somthin' I would talk to the guys about at the end of the day. I was quite suprised to see it moved over here - didn't know they did that. Oh well live and learn, I'll keep the Tavern for when I want to be entertained. Thanks Steve

        1. Guest_ | Mar 05, 2000 04:54am | #4

          *Ryan, Thanks for the input, didn't think it was out of my abilities just thought i'd ask to be sure. The pool itself costs enough without having a costly assembly mistake. Thanks Steve

          1. Guest_ | Mar 05, 2000 05:14am | #5

            *Ryan,We posted almost the same answer at the same time. I had the same problem with an old gopher hole that you had with the wasps. Remembering that I would suggest thorough compacting with a plate compactor prior to installation.

          2. Guest_ | Mar 05, 2000 05:15am | #6

            *Steve, I'm glad you mentioned that this had been moved. I though I was losing my mind. Someone at Taunton must be putting in long hours of overtime this weekend. Or...maybe computers are getting smater than I thought they were.

          3. Guest_ | Mar 05, 2000 08:37am | #7

            *As others have said, installation of an above ground, vinyl lined pool is relatively easy. Read the directions, twice. After your area is level and the organic material removed you can then spread your fine sand although you can put it right on the graded plot. Without sand, tree and shrubbery roots tend to grow right under the vinyl and will telegraph through eventually.Don't forget to build and compact a substantial cove around the inside of the pool base. Water pressure WILL blow out the bottom of the liner if you forgo the cove.And, the pool liners (the better ones) are stretchable, not only to fit properly to the standard dimensions of a pool - round or oval sides and flat bottom - but also will stretch to fit if you decide you want a deeper portion in the middle or one half of the pool area. Just DON'T think you can create a divable area because you can't go THAT deep and Murphy's Law WILL apply.Be sure to seal all penetrations of the sides where the water inlet jet and skimmer are before you attach the gasketed plastic parts. I think that is one step missing from the printed directions. The penetrations are precut in the sheet metal sides and the protective coating (galvanizing) is compromised at those cut edges. These locations are prone to corrosion induced failure even though it may take many years to fail.And last, just in case, orient the skimmer location to point AWAY from your house and any nearby structure such as a garage. I have seen two pool failures and one knocked a garage wall right off its foundation. That's a whole lot of water coming at you all at once.Hope this helps. Ralph

          4. Guest_ | Mar 07, 2000 02:49am | #8

            *Ralph, Geez, your up early, or late I suppose. Thanks for the detailed information. I assume when you say "cove" you mean just around the edge as apposed to making the whole surface concave. Sounds like you have done this before. If I cove just the edge it would seem to be difficult to tamp properly. Sorry if I'm being overly cautious or seemingly fastidious. Thanks Steve

          5. Guest_ | Mar 07, 2000 03:00am | #9

            *You can buy foam coving to use around the bottom.

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