Hello all-
I am totally frustrated at this point. I thought I had it all planned out but problems keeping throwing me for a loop.....
As i mentioned in an earlier post, my excavator over dug my hole pretty good. My side walls going into the hopper should be at a 4ft slope but appears to be more like a 3ft slope. I am short about 16 inches on one wall and 6-8 inches on another. Also, the 14 ft slope going from the shallow side to the deep end is about 12 inches too deep.
My dilemma:
#1- I am thinking i will need 4-5 tons of #57 gravel to fix the bottom. I can pour the rocks on the base/floor to raise the floor where it should be and portland cement over the gravel. This is going to cost me a couple hundred bucks for the gravel but ok. Thats one issue resolved unless someone thinks that i may be better with something else.
#2- My side walls obviously cant be built up with the gravel. I was considering concreting them to where they need to be but my goodness that is kind of pricey. I also am not a concrete professional and may need to hire someone.
Possible solution:
I was considering packing everything up with the clay that has been removed and renting a compactor to get it down good and firm. I am well above any water table. I was also going to run a "french drain" ring around the pool so just in case i would never have to worry about water getting behind my walls. We have hard red clay here in Georgia so maybe it would be okay??? I was thinking I tamp the walls down and portland cement with sand over the hard packed clay dirt. I know this is not typically considered a great idea but will it work for a few years? i will be in a much better financial place then and would not mind hiring someone at that point to correct it if it need be.
I have talked to several people in the pool business here locally and several have told me that they would just fill up the overdig including the walls with the original dirt and tamp it down good, then portland/sand cement 2 inches over that.
Otherwise i'm looking at spending 1500 and up on materials. Doesnt sound like much but after putting out 16000.00 cash, its starting to hurt me lol. For that i may as well buy another liner and have them custom make it. If I can use just dirt and compact it, i will be thrilled.
I guess im trying to determine if doing this will be catastrophic, or just "frowned" upon but will work for several years.
On a side note, the last picture is an original fireplace to a home that was on this land. It has been traced back to roughly 1840. I was planning on incorporating it into my pool patio with Flagstone pavers. The fireplace has recently lost a few rocks from its side- i think due to excavation. Can i just pour some concrete with rebar to reinforce it? any opinions?
I also want to once again say thanks to all that have helped me so far and I just hope I can help others when I am finished. I see many people on here during their free time helping with our projects and i feel somewhat guilty just asking for help over and over.
LOOKING DOWN LEFT SIDE
HOW FAR OVERDUG THE FLOOR IS
RIGHT SIDE
FIREPLACE QUESTION
I am totally frustrated at this point. I thought I had it all planned out but problems keeping throwing me for a loop.....
As i mentioned in an earlier post, my excavator over dug my hole pretty good. My side walls going into the hopper should be at a 4ft slope but appears to be more like a 3ft slope. I am short about 16 inches on one wall and 6-8 inches on another. Also, the 14 ft slope going from the shallow side to the deep end is about 12 inches too deep.
My dilemma:
#1- I am thinking i will need 4-5 tons of #57 gravel to fix the bottom. I can pour the rocks on the base/floor to raise the floor where it should be and portland cement over the gravel. This is going to cost me a couple hundred bucks for the gravel but ok. Thats one issue resolved unless someone thinks that i may be better with something else.
#2- My side walls obviously cant be built up with the gravel. I was considering concreting them to where they need to be but my goodness that is kind of pricey. I also am not a concrete professional and may need to hire someone.
Possible solution:
I was considering packing everything up with the clay that has been removed and renting a compactor to get it down good and firm. I am well above any water table. I was also going to run a "french drain" ring around the pool so just in case i would never have to worry about water getting behind my walls. We have hard red clay here in Georgia so maybe it would be okay??? I was thinking I tamp the walls down and portland cement with sand over the hard packed clay dirt. I know this is not typically considered a great idea but will it work for a few years? i will be in a much better financial place then and would not mind hiring someone at that point to correct it if it need be.
I have talked to several people in the pool business here locally and several have told me that they would just fill up the overdig including the walls with the original dirt and tamp it down good, then portland/sand cement 2 inches over that.
Otherwise i'm looking at spending 1500 and up on materials. Doesnt sound like much but after putting out 16000.00 cash, its starting to hurt me lol. For that i may as well buy another liner and have them custom make it. If I can use just dirt and compact it, i will be thrilled.
I guess im trying to determine if doing this will be catastrophic, or just "frowned" upon but will work for several years.
On a side note, the last picture is an original fireplace to a home that was on this land. It has been traced back to roughly 1840. I was planning on incorporating it into my pool patio with Flagstone pavers. The fireplace has recently lost a few rocks from its side- i think due to excavation. Can i just pour some concrete with rebar to reinforce it? any opinions?
I also want to once again say thanks to all that have helped me so far and I just hope I can help others when I am finished. I see many people on here during their free time helping with our projects and i feel somewhat guilty just asking for help over and over.
LOOKING DOWN LEFT SIDE
HOW FAR OVERDUG THE FLOOR IS
RIGHT SIDE
FIREPLACE QUESTION
