Above Ground Pool install on wet ground

[HamburgerChef]

Hello! New to the forum here. I have had Intex blow up ring pools for 4 years. Hate the take down at the end of each season. Now we are ready to move up to the big leagues. Within a month the plan is to begin construction on a permanent above ground pool. I do have a wet ground problem though. My yard floods to a couple inches deep several times a year and can stay that way for weeks at a time. I'm afraid the flood waters will ruin the bottom ring and wall on a metal wall pool.

In the area were I had last years 18' Intex set up, it is somewhat bowl shaped. Maybe 2"-4" deeper in the middle than 2 opposing sides. All I did for site prep was scalped off the grass with the mower then treated with ground killer and brought in 3 cubic yards of sand. Leveled it all out, tamped 3 times and it ended up raised about 4" above the surrounding yard. This worked great for the 18' round by 4' deep Intex pool. The pool never was touched by flood water and our feet stayed out of the wet sloppy grass while walking to the pool. I would use the pool again but BigMac our Saint Bernard decided to use the pool as a chew toy. (note to self, don't store chewy things in reach of dogs)

Will this "raised with sand" idea work for a larger metal wall pool? Maybe 24' round. If so, do I need to remove all the existing sand and dig a perfectly flat base before bringing in more sand for a larger pool? Or can I just pour more sand and level it that way? Is there such thing as too deep of sand for a solid foundation? I realize these are probably foolish questions but I am bit of a do-it-your-self-er.

Thanks for any advice. I'm sure I will have lots more questions before swim season.

 

[pwrstrk]

Welcome to TFP HamburgerChef. I love burgers !!!

Your going to have to get the area raised to keep the pool up out of the water. Sand is not going to work because it will not compact well enough. You have to use something that will compact like crushed stone. 2A modified to be exact would be great. You'll need to get all the topsoil off first.

No hand tamping to compact. You'll have to rent a plate compactor for this. How much do you think the area has to be raised ?

This flooding, is it caused by excessive rain ? Is there no other place to put the pool ?

Can you post some pics of the area.


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[HamburgerChef]

Yes it is rain flooding. Will that damage the pool if it stays wet for a week or two? I am trying to figure out how to post pics.

 

[pwrstrk]

I would not want my pool sitting in water like that, especially if its all steel. It's not going to be good for it. Theres going to be problems. You might want to consider a all resin pool.


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[HamburgerChef]

I not familiar with resin wall pools. Only steel and aluminum wall. Who makes resin above ground pools.

 

[pwrstrk]

Nobody makes resin walls, just the other parts are resin. Aluminum is another option.


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[duraleigh]

You need drainage. One way or another (perhaps a French Drain), you need to get that water away from your pool.

 

[HamburgerChef]

That is the whole problem. There is no where for it to go. I am the bottom of the hill. It has to seep into the clay ground.

 

[duraleigh]

If you can't get to lower ground in ANY direction, then the correction would be too expensive to consider, in my opinion.

 

[HamburgerChef]

I am looking at the sharkline matrix. It seems to be in my price range and it's all resin. So forgoing major excavation and bringing in stone, would you give resin a shot or should I just accept that Intex blowup pools are my only option?

 

[duraleigh]

Others are more knowledgeable about AG pools than me so let's see what they say.

I do know a bit about drainage and I would be skeptical you could make it work.

 

[pwrstrk]

A metal sided pool is going to have to sit on a solid base or its going to settle.

My opinion is you have to either raise the area up or get the water away from the area. Have an installer come look at the area and see what they have to say.




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[HamburgerChef]

It's not always wet. A heavy flooding rain will soak into the ground within a week usually 3-4 days. But at least once a year the water will set for 2 weeks or more because of multiple rain storms back to back. Anyone willing to stick there neck out for the durability of the sharkline matrix, or any other pool. Please save me from the eyesore of an intex pool in my backyard!

 

[pwrstrk]

The matrix is a very good pool.


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[pwrstrk]

Your still going to want to keep out of the water.

How much would you have raise the area to keep it out of the water ?


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[swimcmp]

Do a leach feild like a septic system would have. Bury pipe underground covered with 1" clean. Run those pipes to a sump pump pit and pump the water away from the pool.

 

[pwrstrk]

That'll work also. What's your budget ?


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[HamburgerChef]

I would guess 6" of gravel after removing 2" of soil would keep it out of the water. Could rent a bobcat and scavenge the existing sand, scrape off the top soil, lay out and tamp gravel, then cover with sand and maybe a bottom pad to protect the liner. Would probably add around $700-$1000 to the install. I was hoping to stay under $2000 but possible to do more.

 

[HamburgerChef]

The pump idea Might work. I had thought about trying it. Probably have to build a berm around the pool like how a sand bag wall works in floods.

 

[pwrstrk]

I think you can have pool there, it's just what method you want to do to solve the water problem.


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