Some assembly required custom DIY above ground pool build

[JoeSelf]

I had a narrow yard pool. The braces had to be 3/8" minimum bent plate around the uprights. Buried under the sand was the corrugated metal on the front right in the bin, bolted together @ each upright for a total of 8. Weight of the water on top of them.

IMG_20210920_092713.jpg

• JoeSelf
• Feb 7, 2022

scrap steel.jpg

• JoeSelf
• Feb 8, 2022

 

[vmaxed]

My only concern is there's still not much keeping the walls plumb.
The straps keep the bottoms tied together, but there's nothing there to keep the tops from leaning out, nothing is tying the top together at or near the center of the spans.

On traditional oval pools the straps across the bottom tie the bottom of the wall together so it can't spread, but the bracing, or on some pools, the upside down T shape is what keeps the walls plumb. So they can't spread apart, but they also can't lean. Perhaps the heavier frame of yours will make up for this, but maybe it won't.

I absolutely appreciate your concern & I had the same concern when I drew it up & still do. I am hoping that the heavier steel & the 20" OC uprights welded 100% are enough, the bar top I am adding today will also add a lot of strength to the upper portion of the wall since it will act as a truss & if that is not enough I am prepared to add some bracing, I just don't want to if not needed because I like the way it looks without. I will probably add a similar bar top to the other side just not as deep due to less access & that will be where the equipment is so don't want to have to crawl too far under.

 

[Newdude]

I am hoping that the heavier steel & the 20" OC uprights

There is that too. You have more of them in 24 ft than I had in 30 ft.

Here's to hoping.

 

[vmaxed]

I had planned on adding a catwalk in my original plans but in my excitement to get water in this thing & the fact that it has been in the 90s I had decided on building them as the water was filling or after depending on the way I felt the day it was time to add the water but given jc133 & JoeSelfs concerns & the fact that I was getting tired of doing grunt work & wanted to build stuff again I decided to finish at least the South side bar er.... ah... catwalk.

It will have 45* braces like the one in the picture at every other brace so 1 every 40" not to mention the 2 2"x 8" boards that will add a LOT of strength to the top rail, the other side will look the same other than I will only use 1 2"x8" & frame it in with 2"x2" square instead of angle I will also probably wait till during or after I am filling the pool just to verify my scientifically "redneck" calculated equations were correct

Sorry for the delay but still hope to be adding water at least after golf Sunday

I also included a picture of Della napping with one of her chew rocks today just because
That dog sneaks rocks in the house & breaks them in to tiny pieces, it's like stepping on a leggo

 

[vmaxed]

There is that too. You have more of them in 24 ft than I had in 30 ft.

Here's to hoping.

Thanks for the support

 

[kimkats]

Catwalk-What a neat idea to add to the pool. That will be put to good use I am sure! Especially if the cat is shaped like this:

Just remember no GLASS by the pool LOL

ROCKS? Della you are one silly girl! Have to do a mouth check everyday before she comes in like some have to do pocket checks of the kids! Never know what Della or the kid try to sneak in LOL

 

[Newdude]

I had planned on adding a catwalk in my original plans

We had above ground pools in the 80s with aluminum decks. Kayak was one of the brands. I can still hear the sounds of running across the deck or up the stairs in my head.

 

[vmaxed]

Here's where we stand I got the liner in around midnight Saturday let it sit in the sun (97 degrees here today) until I got home from golf around 2:00 I tried the vacuum trick & kicked out as many of the wrinkles as I could before adding water then started filling the pool I got all the big wrinkles out no problem but there are a bunch of small wrinkles that are pinched together tight almost like the vacuum actually caused them that I could not get out they are mostly about an 1/8" with 1 or 2 being 1/4" I have about a foot of water in the pool now so I ASSume my only option would be to drain the pool most of the way to get them out? I hear about trying a plunger to remove wrinkles, how does that work?

From what I have been reading on this site it sounds like they won't hurt anything other than my pride? I am trying to decide how far I want to go to get rid of these things before I start adding salt & chemicals, right now I could put a sump in & water my lawn but since I couldn't get them out the 1st time it would really suck to do that & still end up with wrinkles.

I included a picture of the side to give an idea of the look, we have a ton of signs that we can stick on with magnets & change out depending on the occasion. I should have the poolside bar & everything else finished this week.

 

[kimkats]

The plunger method had the plunger pulling up the liner a bit so you can move it a bit at a time. I have not tried it on my own. I had good luck with just working on the outer most wrinkle with my bare feet and a push broom. I then worked on the next one then the next one............

 

[cj133]

Did you do a cove of some sort at the bottom?

 

[vmaxed]

Did you do a cove of some sort at the bottom?

Yes I used 3" x 4" foam cove

 

[JoeSelf]

Updates??? Pics???

 

[cj133]

Updates??? Pics???

 

[vmaxed]

Now for the pictures you've all.....er.....a....both been waiting for!

Sorry I did not update this earlier I work overnights Sunday thru Thursday so I am not on much on the weekends.

I finished filling the pool on Thursday night & finished the plumbing & wood on the South catwalk Saturday so it is officially "complete" (nothing around here is ever actually complete) by the way this was a 1 man build outside of my girlfriend painted everything & helped me with the liner.

The Intex pump & filter is working good plenty of power for 1 skimmer & 2 returns I am sure it will not quite generate enough chlorine but that's an easy fix if I can get 1 more year out of it I will upgrade everything next year

The sheet metal is plenty stout the sides are bowed about 1/2" over 24' but do not move, I had a friend bring a couple of teenage boys over to try to destroy it Saturday & it is VERY solid.

The 1 thing I would do different is build my top rails out with the truss type structure 1st before I built the actual walls to keep it from bowing at all I was surprised at the amount of give they had I ended up using a tractor jack against a tree to push the south rail in to build out the catwalk structure.

Della was on the deck watching everything & as soon as the steps went in so did she

I really do appreciate the info, support & feedback from y'all it was a blast to build & I am glad it is done!

 

[kimkats]

LOL on your "life" guard!!!!

 

[Newdude]

+1. Not so sure he is properly qualified. Looks like he stretched the truth just a wee bit on his resume.

 

[JoeSelf]

Looks Awesome. And you got Farrah out there. I had that poster on the wall growing up.

 

[vmaxed]

Looks Awesome. And you got Farrah out there. I had that poster on the wall growing up.

Thank you, I think we all had that poster growing up! I think my favorite is the Coppertone kid, my girlfriend has a Great sense of humor & she keeps surprising me with theses signs the Farrah did get the biggest laugh.

 

[Poolbreh]

Love these builds man!

 

[kellyfair]

I think you need to throw a pool-warming party. What a fun yard!