How's this AGP setup looking? In the early assembly stage:

Jump to latest Follow Reply
D

doogiegh

0
Jun 11, 2018
21
NJ
18X33X52" in boxes in the garage

Ground was not level at all so I dug out the high spot. Added "stone dust" to the low spots and ran plate compactor over as pictured. Now I'm within 3" or thereabouts from high to low.

Then it POURED so we waited a few days for it to all dry out. Now I put down the paver stones for the columns where they would go. I know which paver is on the highest spot. (Looking at this picture, it's at about 4:30 on the clock)

My plan is to add additional stone dust under every single paver, making every paver level to each other as well as adding where the rail will sit, all well compacted as I go. I plan on going around and around the racetrack many many times as I've read you can never spend too much time compacting..

Once I have what I'm calling the "racetrack" done, then I will fill in the pool area with additional stone dust to make it all nice and level like one big flat pizza.

I have a Gorilla Pad. Do you think I can put the pool up right off of the stone dust or do I need to add in a layer of sand? Thoughts? Comments? Opinions? Criticisms?

20180816_080841.jpg
 
I think it will be an awesome setting for a pool! Never had an AGP but I would think leveling is a big deal. I have read a few posts concerning sinking so make sure to have that part covered. Way to go on the DIY route ...
 
I bought 12X12X1.5 pavers. Based on the readings from here, I will be returning them tomorrow and picking up 4x8x16 as it seems 12X12s can crack in half from the weight. Man the more I browse around on here, the more I learn from all of you. :)
 
I used 12x12 paver blocks. The don't carry a load per se. They support the walls and the outward forces more so than downward forces. I made sure my base was solid though because my pool is 18K gallons and that is a lot of weight sitting on the ground. I had around 32 tons of crush n run delivered and each dump, i spread it out and compacted with a commercial compactor. My base is around 20'x35'x2' deep.

BTW - I put a 2" sand base on top of all the crush n run I compacted down. I did use a gorilla pad also.

I used a Bocsh Laser lever on a tri pod to level the surface and the 12x12 paver blocks. All blocks are within 1/8" level with each other.
 
Others have put in something around the entire stone base to ensure that it does not move. Mine was dug down so that the high side came down to meet the low side. And they put the bigger paver blocks you will be using under the posts on my oval.

End view of pool.JPG
 
I built my 16x32 oval on screenings (stone dust). I did not use gorilla pad, I used 3/4" foam board insulation (foamular 250), but I did set it right on top of the compacted gravel. I duct taped the seams and cut to fit inside the track. Came out very nicely. If your gravel base is compacted without any ridges where the compactor passes overlap, you might be okay but personally I'd add the sand if you're just using gorilla pad.
 
The blocks need to sit on undisturbed ground. Once you refill a spot, no matter how much you compact it, it can still shift. Blocks must be dug in order for top of block to be level with the undisturbed ground around it. Any variance of level in the bottom track will cause strain on the walls and make them prone to failure.

The inside floor portion of the pool with refilled spots will sink a little when the water-filled liner sits on it. Every ripple, bump and divot in the bottom will show thru the liner, even with the gorilla pad.

Think of stone dust as itty bitty stones under your liner. It can make holes. No more than 2" of fine pool sand over it and then the gorilla pad would work. We used pool floor foam on top of the sand.

How To Install Above Ground Pools - INYOPools.com
 
....

- - - Updated - - -

Everything you said is correct. Even the smallest ripple will show. Do you have any photos of the finished pool? I considered a deep end model also but ended up with my model due to water table height problems. I live in a coastal town. See link to pictures in my signature.

How is the foam doing under the weight? Did it compress evenly? Is there any "softness" to it when walking on it?

mariane said:
The blocks need to sit on undisturbed ground. Once you refill a spot, no matter how much you compact it, it can still shift. Blocks must be dug in order for top of block to be level with the undisturbed ground around it. Any variance of level in the bottom track will cause strain on the walls and make them prone to failure.

The inside floor portion of the pool with refilled spots will sink a little when the water-filled liner sits on it. Every ripple, bump and divot in the bottom will show thru the liner, even with the gorilla pad.

Think of stone dust as itty bitty stones under your liner. It can make holes. No more than 2" of fine pool sand over it and then the gorilla pad would work. We used pool floor foam on top of the sand.

How To Install Above Ground Pools - INYOPools.com
Click to expand...
 
RoxxW said:
Everything you said is correct. Even the smallest ripple will show. Do you have any photos of the finished pool? I considered a deep end model also but ended up with my model due to water table height problems. I live in a coastal town. See link to pictures in my signature.

How is the foam doing under the weight? Did it compress evenly? Is there any "softness" to it when walking on it?
Click to expand...

Not any pics of the deep end but I can take them later. Its raining here. (I need an emoji holding an umbrella)
The floor feels soft and evenly compressed so as we can tell. This new foam is after we replaced the liner. Its thicker than the first one we used 12 years ago, as much as our memory serves us. LOL The previous floor foam was very compressed after 12 years and also no cushion left to it. It was not worth reusing since it was very flimsy. But then again, it might have been flimsy when we put it down 12 years ago. not sure. :fish:
 
So today I added more stone dust. And leveled. And troweled. And sweated like an absolute pig in this humidity here in NJ. And I got 9 of my 20 blocks set. The compactor plate can run right over them where the railing and baseplates will sit and it's smooth as a baby. And compacted down relentlessly. My son ran the compactor just going up and down and left and right all over the place while I did the paver block work. And we're going a full 3 feet out all around the pool so that the base can't (I hope) wash away or run off, etc. Once the pool is up, I'll be covering the exposed base with probably some kind of marble decorative stone and then adding top-soil to the whole construction area so that the grass can grow (and I'll have an edge to trim up to for landscaping purposes).

Tomorrow is another day working on more blocks. I will be running out of stone dust (this would make 10 yards used) and I calculate I'm going to need 7 more yards for a total of 17 to get the entire pool area flat, level and well, mint. I hope. :)

20180818_191602.jpg
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You are looking well on your way to a nice pool. So far you are making all the right decisions.

I noticed the tractor is that a 1 series ? I just got a x738 and I love that thing.

Is that the harbor freight plate compactor? I've got one of them too. That thing works surprisingly well for being so cheap.
 
Looking great......fyi....the more elbow grease put in is directly proportional to how fantastic the beer will taste poolside!
I hear ya on the humidity; tonight is the first night in about 3 weeks that it didn´t feel like I was stepping into a tropical jungle. I admire your persistence working in this humidity!
Greg
 
Thank you very much everyone for the comments. I know that after the pool is up, I need to do a significant amount of grass seed, cause there is mud everywhere. I envision the day with the pool and nice marble rocks all around and luscious green grass, well manicured, all around and nice. Today, it's just mud and rocks and slop. LOL.

The tractor is a 2006 JD 2210 with a 62" mower, front end loader. I have a box blade, york rake, and subsoiler for the 3 point hitch as well as the weight bucket to ballast loads. It has saved me soooooo much work loading wheelbarrows of product and schlepping it.. Has just barely under 500 hours on it at this point.

The plate compactor I think is from Harbor freight - It's actually my friends and I'm borrowing it for this pool install. It runs great, is heavy as heck and is also hundreds of times faster then hand-pounding a 10" tamper plate all around the place. Not for a space with that many square feet that you know has to be done right.

I just ordered 11 more yards of stone; delivery Wednesday. Hopefully I'm able to get to it this weekend to have all of the base down, compacted, with the pavers in place for the uprights. And then we can move on to the main course: The wall and the liner :)
 
I'm with you on the insane wet and tropical weather we've been having. I've been working on a house this summer the the entire yard is still subsoil waiting for topsoil and grass. The mud season never stopped this year.

You'll get that ground looking pretty again in no time.

Ive only got 11 hours on my little tractor so far and I can already tell it's going to be an expensive toy. I've never owned a machine this capable before and while the 310 backhoe that my father-in-law owns is great sometimes it's just too big.

So far I just have the mower and box blade. Next on the list is the front quick hitch and a little mini grapple for the front.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180818_142659~2.jpg
    IMG_20180818_142659~2.jpg
    100 KB · Views: 131
As a side note, if you want info about well, anything, on your tractor, hop over to mytractorforum.com and the users there, just like here, are more then happy to offer advice, opinions and just general help over all. Good luck! I had a X485 before my 2210 so I'm familiar to a degree with the 7XX series. I only went with the 2210 as I wanted the front end loader and finding one for the 485 was near impossible and very pricey. Again, good luck. They are awesome machines and so much better then anything at the big-box stores.
 
Ive actually ventured into both mytractor and green tractor talk forums. They helped me spend my money. Granted all the advice there put me into the tractor that actually does what I want it to do. So far the x738 is way more than I expected. I was riping 4" deep of super rocky soil with nothing more than 100lbs of ballast on the front of the machine. There is nothing else on the market like the Deere x700s. I kept having second thoughts that I should have gotten a 1 series. I haven't thought that since I started using it though.

Not to make this a tractor discussion though this is a pool forum and not a tractor money pit support group. :geek:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply