Advice on Removing In Ground Vinyl Liner Pool

[JookyDFW]

This is kind-of the opposite of this thread but I thought a lot of the same experience in building a pool would be involved in taking one out.

I've had this pool (came with the house) for 15 years now. It takes up the whole back yard and we don't use it much and the liner needs to be replaced so I've decided to remove it. I got a few quotes and they all came in around $6000-7000 to restore the yard back to dirt. I did some research and I figure I can do it for around half.

I've got a plan (already in progress) for removing the deck and hauling it off to a recycling center and I have some local construction near by with plenty of clean fill dirt to give. They even offered to deliver the few miles distance to my house for a small fee.

Where I'm stuck is the best way to clear out the steel walls from the side of the pool, turn over the semi-rigid bottom, and fill the hole back in.

My current favorite option is to rent an excavator to do the demo and rough level the yard a bit and then rent a bobcat (or similar) to finish the fill-in/grade. I don't have much experience operating heavy equipment. I did rent a backhoe a few years back to remove a bunch of large shrubs from around my house but that's it.

I can remove a couple sections of fence between the driveway and the shallow end of the pool and that would give me enough room for whatever.

Will a mini-excavator be able to do the job?

Would it be better to just get the bobcat and make it work?

My Tacoma is probably powerful enough to haul an excavator so whatever would work would have to be delivered.

I live in the Dallas, Texas area so I have some options including sub-contracting the excavation work.

 

[Divin Dave]

the hard part about removing the walls, is that they are (supposed to be), concreted in around the bottom of them so as to keep them stable. About 8 to 10 inches deep x foot and a half wide.. all around. If the footer is concreted like its supposed to be, its gonna be a real PITA getting them out.

If it was me, I would remove the deck and everything down to top of the wall, and bury it. I wouildnt bother trying to remove them.

The vermiculite on the bottom is about 2 inches thick, and although hard, it isnt very strong. Easy enough to get out with a bobcat or small backhoe.

Here is a pic of my pool wall footer for an idea of it. (though I dont have steel)

 

[JookyDFW]

@Divin Dave Thanks for the info and the pic. I was not expecting that level of construction. Just some steel walls that could be pulled off the dirt. I have been poking at the vermiculite. I doesn't looks like there's a whole bunch of info relating to vinyl liner pool removal available. I may document the process for posterity.

 

[DBfan187]

rent the backhoe again, 2 machines in 1

 

[JookyDFW]

I wanted to post a follow-up now that my pool has been removed (see my new post regarding that experience). My pool was constructed in a similar manner to Divin Daves and the removal of the concrete in the ground was indeed a major PITA. I rented a 10000lb excavator which was having trouble getting the concrete out of the ground at first. Then while I was digging up the deep end I exposed a weak spot in the corner and was able to work my way around to get almost all of it out.