Remove pavers prior to pool install

[Flytekk]

Hi i am new here. I am having an above ground pool installed later this month. My back yard is completely paved. The pool installer told me i have to remove the pavers 19‘ round where the 18’ round pool will go. My pavers were not installed with concrete. My pavers are sitting on leveling sand. The leveling sand is sitting on gravel. And the gravel is sitting on the original soil that came on my backyard.

My question is do i have to remove the leveling sand and gravel layers to install pool directly on soil? Or im i fine with simply removing pavers and installing pool on the sand layer directly below the pavers?

 

[Casey]

Just remove the pavers. The pool company will install pavers for the post to sit on and probably add a little more sand for liner placement. Let them do the work. If they don't want the sand there, they will move it.

 

[Flytekk]

Ok good to hear. I was worried that the gravel could shift some with all that weight. All of the install videos i see on youtube have the pools installing direct to soil. Nothing else over soil. So i was worried. Thank you for response.

 

[Casey]

Ok good to hear. I was worried that the gravel could shift some with all that weight. All of the install videos i see on youtube have the pools installing direct to soil. Nothing else over soil. So i was worried. Thank you for response.

All above ground hard sided pools should never be installed directly on top of soil. A base layer of sand roughly 2" thick is good for the liner to sit on. If you are worried about the gravel then you can certainly remove the sand?gravel mix or pay them to do it but you'll still need a 2" base of sand.

 

[Flytekk]

Yes, the installer provides up to 3” sand base. I just didnt know wether their sand should go over my soil or my sand/gravel mix.

 

[Casey]

Either or should be fine. 3" base of sand and you won't or shouldn't feel a stone.

 

[kellyfair]

My installers brought in an adorable little mini earthmover that had my yard scraped and flat in no time, and they discovered concrete block in about a third of the pool area, of all things! We had no idea it was there! They used the earth mover to get those up as well, and didn’t charge me a dime extra. So I shall forgive them for gluing the hose barb into the skimmer.

You could probably have that layer of gravel removed very quickly, with the right equipment.

 

[Flytekk]

Good to know. For some reason i feel safer if there was nothing under the 2-3” sand the installer will bring. The rest of my yard will still be paved. Not sure how the weight of the pool will interact with the gravel below the pool vs the gravel under the remaining pavers.