Leveling Problem Need Help Urgently

[timlab]

I have an Intex 22 x 52" round pool. On Wednesday, my wife and I took out all the grass/sand/and strange things that were in the ground. Then we put a 2 x 4 board (11.7 inches long) and on one end put a leveler (24" long), put a rod into the ground and draw a circle were we wanted the pool. Then we took a tiller and broke up all the hard sand and stuff and carted that all off. In 118 degree weather (sunny) it was very hard work. The next day a friend came over (wife had to work), and put the rod into the ground and started to add sand, while move the 2 x4 around. By the time we were done in 118 degree weather (sunny) with this part we were both dead, but we got it to level out for us. There was one part that we had to add a lot of sand because of the slope in the yard. Then we put the pool up and found that Intex trap was a a little bit smaller, but we made due with another trap from lowes. So we had the ground all cover. Took out the equipment and started to put it together, level it all out and was shock that it was great! Today started to add the water. 11 hours into putting the in we noticed the following. Starting from top, we measured from the to the water line. 30, 28, 26, 28.

How can we correct this without letting the water out?

Thanks.

 

[duraleigh]

Sorry, but you will have to let the water back down and prepare the substrate correctly. No other way.

 

[PAGirl]

Borrow or rent a laser transit. I got my ground level within 1/2" using one. You also need to tamp the sand down when it is wet. I would also recommend putting something under the feet to keep them from sinking when it rains.

 

[timlab]

Were in PA? We moved from Myerstown PA down to Aiken SC. No more snow and loving the summers.

 

[Casey]

Dave is right. Level the pool to the lowest point. Remove the earth, don't add.

 

[PAGirl]

Were in PA? We moved from Myerstown PA down to Aiken SC. No more snow and loving the summers.

Du Bois area.

 

[Lomag]

It sounds like you didn't level the ground, you just made it flat by spinning the 2x4 around. Flat and level are two different things and both need to be perfect for the pool. Your only choice is to redo! My own is off by a inch or so which has been bothering me slightly. I may or may not repair it next spring.. we'll see..

 

[timlab]

No we level it too.

 

[Beens]

Building up the lower end won't work. You have to dig down the high end until it's level with the lowest part. It's no fun at all. We had to do ours twice because we stopped at good enough and the pool was unlevel when we added the water.

It's really hard work but it's necessary and worth it in the long run.

 

[timlab]

I thank everyone for the advise in what to do.

 

[Stump]

We all should understand there is always time to do it right and if it is worth doing it better. If everything was easy none of us would have any character. Believe me I have a lot of character from more than my fair share of adversity.

 

[Casey]

11 hours into putting the in we noticed the following. Starting from top, we measured from the to the water line. 30, 28, 26, 28.

No we level it too.

No, you did not. You added fill to your low spots and found out quickly why this is NOT the correct way to do it. If you leveled it, the bolded and underlined numbers would all be the same.

 

[phonedave]

Well, technically he did level it. He built a level pad. What he did not do is COMPACT that pad. Then when it put the weight of the pool on it, it settled - out of level.

Frankly, most homeowners do not have the material, equipment, and understanding to build up a pad to level, and not have it settle at a later date. That is why we recommend that they dig DOWN to virgin ground to create a level spot. We assume that the virgin ground has gone through enough changes in moisture content and has had enough of a static surcharge on it to be compacted sufficiently.

However, you CAN build up low spots if you know what you are doing. I have done it for things much much heavier and critical than a pool (I worked on one project where we added about 10' of fill to a 40 degree slope in order to level a building pad for a municipal library - it is still level after more than a decade - I drive by it often). You have to put fill in in small lifts, compact each lift, and test each lift to ensure it will not compact further. Most people don't have access to this stuff Soil Testing, Field Testing Equipment from Humboldt or, if they want to go old school, a Standard Proctor Testing kit.

So, short story - unless you want to hire an engineer and spend a boat load of cash, don't try to build up the spot where you want to put your pool to level. Dig down.

-dave

 

[timlab]

Dave - Thank you for saying that as I was lost for words on this topic. Anyway, Saturday and Sunday my wife and I had a great time in the pool. Being down here in SC it was hot those two days. Each day I noticed one of the legs starting to move which had me worried. Therefore, Sunday night I emptied the pool and by Monday morning all the water was out of it. My plan is this: Wednesday I'm getting a transit and "yes" I have watched tons of Youtube video's on the subject. I plan on having my wife stand on the other side of the pool and hold up the stick, while I look through the view finder. I'm starting at the low end of the pool and on each leg (those that need to be raised I will put a paver to bring it up to the highest leg), dig a little and put a paver with sand under it. Put it down until the whole pool is done. You are right about one thing and that is on one of the ends we had to add a lot of sand to bring it up. When the water came out, most of it stayed dry, but this one leg lost all it's sand.

This is what you call learning and I wished I had learned along ago, doing this with a bad back and at the age of 60 isn't fun, but in the long run, it tons of fun in the water with the wife.

Thanks.

 

[PAGirl]

If you can get a laser transit, it can be done solo. So simple, I leveled my blocks, all 26 of them, totally by myself. I was off 1/4-1/2' tops, across the whole pool, as far as I can tell. My husband got tired of me obscessing about them being level and put the pool up, haha.

 

[Richard320]

A bunyip also works. This thread goes into it a lot. I know there's a newer one with a picture of someone's homemade one somewhere. Haven;t found it yet.

A hose full of water connects the two at the bottom.

 

[1380ken]

All this talk of transits and lasers is totally unnecessary. I dug my 20'-52" into a slope and used a six inch level. My pool is better than 1/2" to level all the way around. After I roughly dug out the pool area, I got the center to the correct height. I inset a piece of wood with a hole drilled in the center, 8"-12"-2", into the ground in the center of the pool and put a horseshoe pole in it. I screwed together 2 2-4s and screwed a pipe clamp on the end to go around the pole. I then attached my six inch level with wire to the very end of the 2-4s. You can then move the 2-4 around the whole pool area and keep your eye on the level. I did dig out my high side and filled my low side. I filled the low side about 12". My dirt in Mass is really good dirt and packs well and doesn't wash away. My pool has been up for six weeks and has not settled at all.

 

[Synergy2]

I'm starting at the low end of the pool and on each leg (those that need to be raised I will put a paver to bring it up to the highest leg), dig a little and put a paver with sand under it.

Thanks.

IF you are starting at the lowest point there will not be any legs that need to be raised!! I am hoping I am just reading that wrong but I want to make sure that point is clear as others have stated. All of your legs should be dug down to be level with the current lowest point.

And unless the sand is compacted it is useless in my opinion. Wherever you put your paver, make sure the ground underneath is properly compacted.

Done properly and you can look back in a few years and know that all of this preparation was worth it.

 

[PAGirl]

All this talk of transits and lasers is totally unnecessary. I dug my 20'-52" into a slope and used a six inch level. My pool is better than 1/2" to level all the way around. After I roughly dug out the pool area, I got the center to the correct height. I inset a piece of wood with a hole drilled in the center, 8"-12"-2", into the ground in the center of the pool and put a horseshoe pole in it. I screwed together 2 2-4s and screwed a pipe clamp on the end to go around the pole. I then attached my six inch level with wire to the very end of the 2-4s. You can then move the 2-4 around the whole pool area and keep your eye on the level. I did dig out my high side and filled my low side. I filled the low side about 12". My dirt in Mass is really good dirt and packs well and doesn't wash away. My pool has been up for six weeks and has not settled at all.

It isn't necessary, but it sure is easy. I may not have used a transit if I had to buy or rent it, but I had a friend who lent it to me, and it made the job quite simple.

 

[1380ken]

It isn't necessary, but it sure is easy. I may not have used a transit if I had to buy or rent it, but I had a friend who lent it to me, and it made the job quite simple.

I actually think that it would more difficult to use a transit or water level. The 2-4 anchored in the center with a level on top method is the easiest and simplest way to level the area. You can rotate the board around and smooth out the dirt or sand. I don't see how a transit would be useful.