New to me pool install.

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KirkMc

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Jul 24, 2014
76
Llano, TX
I've been lurking around here for a couple months. Even made a couple of posts on other's threads. Figured it was about time that I actually posted for my own build. I recently managed to get a 16 x 48 Intex Ultra frame at a great price. Sometimes it's good to have friends that are tired of the upkeep. To be honest I thought about telling him about TFP, but then I might not have gotten the deal I did. Anyway, I'll get on with the pics, I know how much everybody around here likes them. :D

Original location of my beginner pool:


My original thought was to build a square from 2x8's. Level the frame and fill with sand. Little did I know at the time that that much sand was gonna be hard to pack properly. Then the "new" pool came around and I suggested to my wife that we move the pool closer to the house. Where it would easier to connect my current front porch/deck to the pool or a deck frame that I've had up for a couple of years.

Marked the pool perimeter:
You can see one my reasons for having a pool. She loves the water along with all my other kids.

I started by scraping the "sod" from the paint lines. Then starting at the low side of the grade, started leveling the perimeter.




I've currently made it about half way around the circle, leveling it as I go. I figure it's going to take me a while to get this done, hence the reason I started in September. I plan on having ready by mid april.

Just for my own curiosity and start on the back deck as well, I put down one 8' 2x6, although it didn't exactly get 8' of surface covered. Guess I'd better start getting longer boards.
 
I have been discussing a little clearing of land with a friend for the past few months. He showed up unannounced Saturday afternoon with a skid steer in tow. Figured while it was there is get him to clean out the center of my location. He went a little deep (about 2") in one spot. So now I'm looking at possibly having to dig everything down to that level. I've got a few more pics, just haven't had the chance to get them posted yet.
 
Here's a few more pics pertaining to the cleaning out of the future pool location and just a little bit of land clearing.





I've still got some cleaning up to do on the pool location. It may take a little bit since I'm working nights right now, and all I want to do when I get home at 7a.m. is go to bed. Just a little determination will make it happen though.

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bdex said:
2 x 6 deck boards, nice. A man after my own heart, overbuild everything!!
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I was brought up that if you're gonna do something, make sure it will last. The last time I tried to build not following those teachings, well let's just say I'm in the process of fixing that.
 
I haven't managed to get very much done lately, I just haven't had the energy. One of these days I'll get back to it. I have managed to get the majority of dirt removed from my future location.




Bird's eye view!




And for a little night time viewing of something completely different. My wife loves sitting by a fire, so I tore apart an old washer and took the drum out. It makes a great fire pit, just gotta make sure it's a metal drum. I'm not too sure the newer plastic drums would hold up very well.



I'm off tomorrow and Monday, hopefully I'll be able to get something done. But with my anniversary being Monday, I doubt the wife will let me work on it too much.

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Blacklisted said:
Looking good so far. I would suggest to build a water level and use it to level the ground. It's easy to make and very accurate and easy to use.
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I definitley like the idea of the water level. That would make leveling the leg pads a lot easier than setting up the top bar and using a 3' level all the way around.
 
KirkMc said:
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I definitley like the idea of the water level. That would make leveling the leg pads a lot easier than setting up the top bar and using a 3' level all the way around.
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Yes it makes the paver leveling "on spot" I got mine within 3/8" all the way around. I used the water level to get the depth right and then a torpedo level to get the pavers level. Worked great, tedious but worth it.
 
I finally got off my backside and got back to work on the pool. I didn't completely level the entire area, I got real tired of chipping away at granite gravel when it's in area that the pool is not going to be sitting on. In this picture I've got the first two blocks level, only have 14 more to go! I'm doing a first level with what I had on hand, a 16' 2x4, I'll make a water level to ensure I have everything good before I lay out the weed barrier and haul in the sand.



I do have a question though. I've got a drop of 16" on the high side. Any suggestions on if i need to put any type of retainer? I will be putting up a gutter on that part of the house to control where the rain run off goes.

 

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Question for those that have done this before. When I laid out my blocks I used the top rail as a guide and laid the blocks where the legs would be in the middle of the blocks. After thinking about how I laid it out and marked everything, it occurred to me that I might need to turn my blocks the other way. With them as they are, won't the pool liner be sitting the blocks where they go under the pool? I figure now is the time to fix this if it's wrong instead of after I get everything level and sand packed in.
 
I think that it is a lot easier to use wood under the posts. A 1" thick piece of wood is more than enough. I used 1/4" wood under my posts and never had a problem. I wouldn't have the blocks under the pool liner. With wood blocks you could round the edges.
 
KirkMc said:
Question for those that have done this before. When I laid out my blocks I used the top rail as a guide and laid the blocks where the legs would be in the middle of the blocks. After thinking about how I laid it out and marked everything, it occurred to me that I might need to turn my blocks the other way. With them as they are, won't the pool liner be sitting the blocks where they go under the pool? I figure now is the time to fix this if it's wrong instead of after I get everything level and sand packed in.
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I think you should be fine as long as the blocks are level with the ground and not sticking up above the ground. My blocks/pavers are the square ones and the liner does sit on top of them and I do have a couple that I can feel through the liner but not huge lumps/bumps. The liner shouldn't be moving or rubbing with the weight of the water. And if you are going to be putting a thin layer of sand down you should be good.

Now if you don't plan on completely sinking the bricks and filling with sand I would highly suggest not doing it that way because the sand will eventually wash out and the liner will stretch over the brick.
 
Now that the holidays are over, I've been working on the pool a little more. Of course it helps when the wife keeps telling me she's ready for the pool to be up. So I've been looking through other member's builds to get inspiration and motivation for my own build. I've got a few ideas running through my head, but all of that in due time. Since returning to work on it, I've got most of the blocks in place and leveled. Still have two more to go.

I know the leveling of everything is the hardest and most tedious part of the whole build. And without being able to really see progress each day, it just makes it that much harder to keep on track. Not to mention my inability to stick with a project all the way through very often. But I will persever till the end on this one. There's just way too much family fun to be had when this thing gets up.

Now on the one updated pic I have. Like I said earlier, I've got most the blocks set. Then with the rain we had this past weekend, I braved the cold and damp conditions to start digging out the site to about 2" below the tops of the blocks.


I've still got to finish setting the two blocks about 3 o'clock in the picture. The bottom of the two is out of place, but you can see where I've started to dig out it's proper place. I've used two T joints and a horizontal bar to level from block to block, then used a water level to check each block off the starter block. I'm not going to say that it's perfectly level, but it is definately a lot closer than any other pool I've ever set up!
 
More progress!

Pavers set, digging out the center of the pool to below paver tops.


Mostly dug out below the pavers.


Still digging things out.


Everything dug out, weed barrier down...let the hauling of sand begin!


Apparently my son decided to take a break. I'm not going to blame him. It was fairly cool, especially for Texas that day, and raining. He's the one decided to start hauling sand.


I forgot to get pics when the sand was finished. Hand tamping is not any fun!




It's going to take a few days to fill it. I'm filling from my well, so I can only fill for a few hours per day. But I will get there! Guess now that the pool is up it's time to get serious about the deck.
 
Thanks Molly. It's a large community pond, covers 12 acres when full. Accessible by property owners whose property is adjoining the pond.

Unfortunately I got it about half full and realized I have a leak. My dogs like to dig, and one of them put a small hole in it. Loses about an inch every one to two days. I've drained it now so I repair the hole. This is the reason we're going to put a protective wrap around it.
 
Two people is best for holes on floor or near bottom. A trusted person that will hold you under water n let you up when you give the signal. Fold glued patch over on itself n unfold n put in place and stick on and hold. You want to do this 3 times with each patch a little bigger than the last. Make sure all patches are rounded with no corners.
 

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