DIY L Shape - Getting ready for action

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I'm thinking you guys are right concrete is just cleaner...I know we wouldn't get around to doing the pavers until mid-next summer. ChrisNC- paying is going to sound better and better as this project moves on...I'm betting that will be our end decision.
My husband and buddy are out digging and I'm feeling guilty cause I ran down to look at TFP! My job is collecting the big rocks while their digging cause husband wants to build a firepit poolside :).
 
ckwinters said:
I friend came to help us dig last night and he is an expert at these machines because of his job. What a difference in how fast it was moving!!! We are definitely more timid on how far we push them and the inclines we're willing to go up/down. I am worried about getting the deep end dig right but hadn't considered having the panels in while doing the dig because I was worried about bumping them. I know with the L shape it's going to be easy to be off a little bit either direction. If we have to do a ton of hand-digging we may decide to sub out the concrete/bottom. We bought two HUGE tarps to cover the hole during rains and we may have to keep them on for a couple weeks.
My only quote for the bottom came in at roughly 2500-3000, does that seem high for concrete/sand with no vermiculite?

What height panels did you opt for? We did the 42" which I am expecting to give us a 36-38"" shallow end. I'm 5' but for tall people I know it may feel like they are wading.

So, about the concrete pad around the pool. We can't decide to go with a minimum amount, about 3', or go bigger. My thought process is, if we ever have to go back under to do pipe work we may be able to do it with 3'. We could paver the rest but I do think it will be more expensive. I'm also thinking pavers will be a little more forgiving of our lack of expertise in everything involving digging and filling.
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We chose the 42" panels. We felt that was plenty deep.

For my bottom I mixed it myself. I had 14 tons of sand delivered for around $240. I actually payed more for a smaller truck to deliver twice so I could have it dumped relatively close to the pool. I purchased 48 bags of Portland type I/II cement from my local lowes for about $480.00. I also bought a cement mixer from harbor freight with a 25% off coupon for under $200. I also invested in a decent pool trowel as well. All in all my bottom cost me around $1,000.00. I had two family members help me mix it. Two mixing, wheel barrel to the edge and dump to another wheel barrel in the pool. I would dump in and trowel it out. Doing it this way took me 3 weekends.
I made forms for every section; shallow, slope, hopper walls. for the most part each section was a different weekend. I also had to take the heat into account. I did it in the middle of august in Arkansas. Typical afternoon was 100 plus.
 
Good morning All - We poured the concrete collar this past Saturday which was a bit of a fiasco. There were heavy rains Friday night so the truck couldn't get closer than about 40 feet to the pool because the yard became a mud slide. We had concrete buggies just in case this happened...but they couldn't move in the mud either...we had wheel barrels as the final backup plan...and they sank in the mud! We scrambled and found some wainscoting panels in our garage and laid them on the ground for the wheel barrels to be pushed on. It took two guys per wheel barrel and me and my son in the hole to push the concrete once it was dumped in. Wow it was a lot of work but it got done! The first 5 yards were done with the wheel barrels and when we moved to the other side of the pool the concrete buggies were on drier ground and with some pushing they were useable! The last 5 yards we used the buggies and it moved a lot faster.

I was going to start the plumbing but we decided to clean up the deep end of our DIY dig. We didn't do very well on getting our angles right during the dig because we were so worried about over-digging. Now we have dirt to haul out by shovel and wheel barrel. Two walls the dirt is nice and soft, one wall is rocks but at least they are a redstone that break up pretty easy with the claw of a hammer. It's funny because we ran our pins and strings for the bottom and keep burying them as we cut dirt off the walls. That slope seems really steep when you are pushing/pulling a wheel barrel up it. We never found a professional pool excavator when we were getting quotes for the dig but when we are done with this cleanup I'll contemplate whether the time versus $ was worth it.

I"ll post the latest picts when I get them downloaded!
 
Does not sound like fun at all but had to be done so you got it done! Bet your hands, back, shoulder, shoot your whole body is yelling at you still! Here have one of these :cheers: and a gentle :hug: Good job and I can't wait to see the pics!

Kim:kim:
 
This is where we are at on the project. You can see all the concrete on the walls where we were pouring it in.

Family and friends are amazing...if they weren't there to help I don't know if we could have pulled that one off.
I do wish we had gotten it sloped away from the walls more. I don't like the water laying up against the steel so we may hand mix some concrete to give it a raised area right up against the walls. Every day we have been getting rain. If I had planted a garden this year we would have a bountiful harvest!
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Progress looks good glad u guys r getting somewhere. I will say that ur light on the concrete around the stairs. I personally would add concrete on top of ur concrete to cover at least the bottom step for support make a form to keep it where u need it. I think u said u used 10 yards it's a big pool and ur overdug a bit in areas. I had same issues but with washout from rain I made forms to keep material contained. U could use an excavator to reach in over walls to shape deep end if it's alot of material to get rid of. Looks like u have nice sandy soil so it's prob not too bad hand digging. Post any questions u need help with and I saw ur quote last month on the floor I think 2500 to 3000 is fair and money well spent if u guys r not comfy w doing it its alot of work. If u have any kind of groundwater issues thru the year I would do vermiculite it's more forgiving
 
We actually did hit the bottom of the first step with concrete it is just a much shorter step so you can't see it in the picture. We were going to build the forms to save some concrete but thankfully did not get around to it. We'd have needed to rip them out because if using the wheel barrels. Excited get onto the plumbing! For the returns is it as simple as putting plumbing tape on the threaded adapter that connects to the return? I guess I was expecting glue so it didn't come loose.
 

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ckwinters said:
I don't like the water laying up against the steel so we may hand mix some concrete to give it a raised area right up against the walls.
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I wouldn't bother with this. Spend the money on a pump to the get the water out from behind the walls. Get your plumbing done and back fill. For a diyer it should take you about a weekend to complete the plumbing.

I had the same issue you did with rain. It seemed like it rained every day. I had a 1hp pump from our intex pool that I used. It would clear out my over dig area in about half hour. Then I was ready to start work. I had a series of scrap wood that I would use to hold my pipe up a little bit to get it out of the standing water until it was dry.

Do you plan on using 3/4" crushed rock for your back fill?
 
I plan on using 2b #57 for the back fill. I don't really know what I just said but all my reading said that is the way to go. Is that the same size as 3/4 stone? My calculations show about 50 ton so two truckloads. Finding a place to put it with the mud is going to be interesting. You can have a beautiful dig and one bad storm could make a mess of it! Thanks for all the tips and tricks. You guys who've been there, done that are the most encouragement...
Did you use sand paper to deburr your pipe? We'll be cutting with a chopsaw and it cuts pretty clean in my testing.
 
yup teflon tape and I did a light coating of teflon pipe dope as well. be careful not to bottom the male adapters into the threads all the way w a pipe wrench u will crack the return fitting. you want them as tight as you can get by handthen a quarter turn or so w channel locks they will be watertight w tape and dope just by hand the plastic threads seat and seal well. use good pvc cement the rainorshine blue type is great sold at most big box stores. prime everything w purple primer so you know its glued and primes by the 2 colors, work on one line and complete to pad so you dont miss any joints. if you have a supply house nearby Id get 20'sticks of pvc it will be alot less couplings and leak chances. You can use clear primer and glue above ground at equipment pad for a cleaner look thats what most do. I recomment spending the money on jandy neverlube valves now and avoid cheaper big box type ball valves, they will fail and it will be a pain to fix do it right the first time. pressure test your lines also before backfill to be safe
 
Question for those who have been down the electrical inspection road before...How do you show the lights, pool wall are bonded when the bonding wire runs on top of the backfill? The backfill needs to be done which buries your light bond wires and pool bond wires so how do they inspect what they can't see?

I also saw several references to running one continuous bonding wire versus a wire that is joined with a bonding lug. I can't see how to run a continuous wire if the main wire is on top of backfill on your lights etc are underground.
Hoping to finish the plumbing this weekend so electric is next!!!!
We just got a huge down pour and every rain makes me nervous about seeing a mudslide out there and that I'll look out to see the steel wall at the bottom of the deep end. Hopefully that concrete collar can handle all this rain! :(
 
I would think you need to leave it open for inspection. I would try an coordinate your electrical inspection and plumbing at the same time. Start back filling when the ink dries on the permit.

I ran a continuous loop all the way around my pool to the equipment pad. I pig tailed for my ladders, light, rebar, and fence.
 
I called our electrical inspector today and he'll do two inspections one of the pool walls and light niches then come back for final inspection of everything.
So we found someone to do our pool base and drop liner if we want them to do that part. Dilemma is the pool will sit filled with water for about two weeks before we can get electric up and running to get it circulating. Sound like a bad idea?
We'll be scrambling over the next couple days getting coping, plumbing and light junction box done if we go this route but we have a couple dry 90 degree days early next week to do the floor and liner.
This has been our second wettest summer on record! What a summer to try putting a pool in...
 

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