Above Ground Pool Install

[BrianW]

Having had an above ground pool, I am with Eddie and Bird. One thing I found out was the more you use it, the easier it is to keep clean. Maybe all that swimming keeps the chemicals mixed or maybe because your using it a lot you notice the subtle changes in water quality and keep on top of it. On my pool we used rice hulls instead of sand (Northern CA) and on top of that I had a thick white closed cell foam pad. It made a great feeling bottom. We also had a triangular shaped closed cell foam that ran around the outer wall. It held up real well. The pool was fun, but after the newness wore off we didn't use it enough and I was always fighting algae.

 

[EddieWalker]

Don,

Looks like a fun project!!! I was a little worried about opening your links, but I'm glad I did.

Where is the pool at in relation to your cabin?

Please keep us updated on your progress.

Eddie

 

[Bird]

That's quite a project, Don. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. Of course, having seen some of your work in the past, I expect it'll be very nice.

 

[Renob]

Thanks for all the advice so far! Pics of any project are great. Keep them coming.

Don, Your pool install is an inspiration. Nice work!

I enjoy tackling new projects. I like a challenge and I am not usually satisfied with the work of others. Another reason is that I'm cheap. I figure what I save on installation will go along ways toward the cost of the new deck.

 

[txdon]

Renob, I promise I will not steal your thread I'll start another after I get it up and am working on the deck.

Bird I have been thinking of your advice "Don't do it" from the beginning that is why this is a "temporary pool". I'll be able to undo it all very easily and the deck will look over a field of flowers after I tire of the pool. You CAN expect it to be very nice because my quality control adviser (wife) is on the job.

Eddie if you would drive right through the TBN carport, over three trees, about 120 feet you would be in the pool. The carport, cabin, pool make a triangle, or in the backyard northwest side of the cabin. The morning I find a snake in it.....watch out!

The solid foam under the liner sounds better than the "Harborlite" the pool co. gave me. Harborlite is like Styrofoam dust to be used at about 2" on the bottom under the liner. I was thinking of putting landscape fabric down before the harborlite to discourage gophers. I have not had any in the dug out pool area but they are coming close. They seem to stop when they come the the sudden drop off.

Has anyone else used Harborlite?

 

[mudcat]

Don, I don't think you will tire of your pool anytime soon. I recall your posts on your carport and how hot it was. Please do post the complete project. Can't wait.

 

[HickoryNut]

Leveling - transits are fun to play with but it takes 2 people, easier way is to get some clear plastic tubing a several feet longer than half the width of your pool, tape one end a couple feet up on a stake in the center of your pool, then make a T-shaped 2x4 reference board and tape the other end of the tube a couple feet up on it, fill almost with water and mark your water level on the reference board at the height you want to level to, then just go around and make that water mark hit the mark all the way around the perimeter... cheap and dead accurate

 

[Scrounger]

I installed pools every summer in college and swore I would never have on. BUT wife and kids wore me down and I finally put in a 43,000 gallon in ground last year. The key to a clean pool, ie water, is to run the filter 8 to 10 hours a day and keep the bottom clean with a good auto cleaner or a willing family member. Cleaning is a PITA so it never gets done unless you have an automatic cleaner like Blue Diamond or a Dolphin.

The cheaper above grounds have crappy filters and that is the worse place to skimp on the pool. The cartridge filters that look like giant oil filter elements are the best since the maintenance is the least. A DE is the technical best cleaner but a real pain to clean and keep up on. The salt pools are pretty nice, the water feels killer, but you still can have algae and other issues. Good ole fashion chlorine still rules and is the easiest to keep clean.

The walls on an above ground are always the first thing to die by the way. Some higher end pools now come with polymer walls over the tin/galvanized stuff. My in ground is a vinyl pool but I have all polymer construction so nothing can rust anywhere.

Keep in mind when you set your pool that you can pretty much bury an end of the pool as long as you excavate enough so you build it like a 100% above ground pool and then backfill later. We routinely buried up to 50% of the pool in banks and slopes.

Oh, did I tell you that level level level is the most important. With more than one skimmer you want them to be balanced and work the best. If you are in a windy area and one end of the pool is downwind, consider putting BOTH skimmer in that end since one will undoubtedly be overworked and clogged as all the leaves and 'stuff' gets blown to that end of the pool.

Ping me off line if you have any install questions.

 

[MossRoad]

Put it on level, unexcavated soil.

Put a pad under the liner.

KILL ALL MOLES!!!

 

[KubotaSteve]

Growing up my parents had an above ground pool for about 20 years and once all of us kids got our own place they got rid of the pool. I helped my brother put his up then put up my own a couple of years ago. The biggest thing I noticed with keeping the pool clean is the area around the pool. My parents lived at the intersection of two dirt roads and they had constantly vacuum because of the dust. I live several hundred feet off a paved road and I keep the trees cut back away from the pool and only have to vacuum my pool about 4 or 5 times a summer (end of May through middle of Sept.). As far as the chemicals, I tried using the stupid test kits but we were constantly adding this type of chemical or that type of chemical, so now I just go by looks and water feel and it stays crystal clear. The more people are in it and keep it stirred up the easier it is to keep looking good. I run my pump filter (sand filter) 24 hours a day for the first couple of days after opening it then I turn it on of a morning and off of a night.

As far as the installation, where I put mine in, there was a two foot or better difference. I cut down the one side a foot and added it to the other side, then rolled it after a couple of nice rains. Some will say not to do this but as long as it is tamped and rolled good there won't be any problems as mine hasn't moved at all in the last 3 years. I put the solid cinder blocks the whole way around my pool so the metal track wasn't on the ground. Past experience shows the first place for wall failure is near the track at the bottom and around the skimmer. I figure if I can keep mud away from the track it wil be better. The most important is getting your blocks level so the pool will be level. I've got mine slope into the middle about 6 inches or so. The bottom doesn't have to be exact if you are using sand as you can level the sand and just make sure to tamp the sand. I used the foam cove around the edges at the bottom of the track, but don't like how they fit together and will use sand in the future. My cousin (installed pools for several years) showed me a trick for wrinkles. He hooked a shop vac (has to be a bigger one 16 gallon) where the skimmer goes and put card board around the rest of the skimmer then turned it on. It didn't work as well on mine because of the foam cove but if using all sand it will suck the air out and help for a wrinkle free pool. I also recommend having the water hauled in especially if you live in a really hot area as the vinyl liners will stretch quite a bit in the hot sun and the quicker you can get it filled, the better.