wall installation / sand, foam cove and padding ~ what order?

[5bucks]

Hello. We will , hopefully be constructing our "new to us" 27' round pool tomorrow. Tracks have been leveled and laid (for the third time) and looking forward to things going better this time around. If anyone happens to have any tips on keeping track shape during wall installation, please pass along. The tracks are staked to a close to perfect 27ft circle with bottom plates on level blocks at this point. Plan is to slightly crimp channels on plates so they don't slide as much and install wall, keeping an eye on the plate tracings now present on the blocks. =)
So.... assuming this goes as well as I am wishing, at least an inch of sand will be packed level to approximately the top of track. Then, do we put the foam cove around and finish off with felt like pad (gorilla pad?) ? Should the pad go up the cove? Is there any need for sand over foam cove?
Previous owner had heavy plastic layered in there somewhere too, which I understand is a no-no. One more thing - would you suggest duck taping the cove to walls or spray adhesive? I understand each seem should be taped as well. Thank you!

 

[giltyler]

My 21 foot was just installed today and the bottom track was leveled sand brought in and leveled then dampened and smoothed then the wall and uprights and next was the happy bottom or just call it black PVC sheeting trimmed to fit and seamed with duct tape that was topped off with the Foam coping and closed cell 1/4 foam padding then the liner.
It took the 2 man crew 5 hours to do everything and you can look at my posts to see how it went
G

 

[5bucks]

Ok. That makes sense. I wasn't there during the tear down, but what appears to me to be the black plastic must be the PVC sheeting bc the foam cove is still attached to it. The "closed cell 1/4 padding" is probably the equivalent of the thick felt like pad we have. Sounds good.... the 2 man crew and 5 hours sounds even better! =(

 

[5bucks]

Ok. That makes sense. I wasn't there during the tear down, but what appears to me to be the black plastic must be the PVC sheeting bc the foam cove is still attached to it. The "closed cell 1/4 padding" is probably the equivalent of the thick felt like pad we have. Sounds good.... the 2 man crew and 5 hours sounds even better! =(

- - - Updated - - -

Oops.

 

[giltyler]

The 2 man crew does 2 pools a day most days during the season so not your average do it yourself situation.
They make it look so easy.
The coping has adhesive strips when new and that is how mine is attached.
I guess when you change liners or move a pool spray adhesive would be in order.
Post pictures please
G

 

[Casey]

Add your sand, tamp, stake the track on outside perimeter, erect the walls, lay the pad, add the coves and set the liner.

 

[5bucks]

Thanks guys. It seems there are some variations on how to do this - tamp first, tamp second; cove-pad, pad-cove. I had thought the foam cove would help with sand moving under tracks when pool is complete but obviously, being on top of sand, that is not one of it's purposes. i should back up a bit and address our prior issue - -
When walls are standing, prior to liner install, how perfectly round should I expect it to measure? Or should I say, how much leeway do we have in terms of roundness? An inch? I did not find prior attempts acceptable and this is what has been drawing out our install. Our prior 'crew' were simply happy when the wall ends met...uhhhh...No. Sorry men, I will be supervising today =)

 

[Casey]

Get the wall up and bolted. That's a feat in and of its self if you can do it on the first try. Once up, you should measure as close to 27ft around the whole pool as possible give or take up to a half inch or so.

 

[5bucks]

Well spoken. They actually did well with the walls connecting - both times! lol. Unfortunately, when I got home radius measured from 1 up to 4" off in many places. I convinced him we had to tear down on the safety issue and I believe today is the day to get it right! I

 

[Casey]

If you want to make sure your pavers are set at the right location, put your bottom rails together and start measuring them. If the pavers need moved, move and set them. You need to make sure all rails are securely locked into the cuffs that will set in the middle of the pavers. Once that is complete and measured out, stake the outside perimeter down. If the wall is too close together, you can then go and adjust the track to make it bigger til the walls meets n can be bolted. Its best to adjust it evenly the whole way around.

Your pool is going to give you some play so don't be a stickler if You can't get 27 the whole way around. Lol

 

[5bucks]

I'm going up to check everything now. Everything seemed perfect when we set the track last time. Unfortunately we had torrential downpours before we were able to have manpower to put the wall up. I am hoping nothing shifted or settled and doubt my plate marks are still there. I am going to do this prelim work before help arrives this afternoon. I'm afraid to say this, but we are going to try to reuse a liner. It was newish (2 seasons) and high quality. I know it's not recommended and we have a lesser shot at it since time has passed but finances are indicating 'give it a shot'. If we get it to seat well are we in the clear?

 

[Casey]

I've seen very few (less than a handful) successfully use a used liner.

Are you going to try to line it up or patch the holes? Is it an overlap or beaded? I just did a tutitorial on installing an overlap liner. Should be on 3rd or 4th page by now.

I'm going to bed. I'll be up around noon or so n I'll check back in to see if you have questions. Take your time.

 

[5bucks]

Assessment complete (post flood). While the track and blocks seem to have stayed in place, there are areas within the ring where the dirt is soggy. Do you think it would be ok to still do sand? My husband is a mason, what if we tamped stone dust on those areas first?

 

[Casey]

How's it going?

 

[5bucks]

Not as far as I had planned. No help. I did a fantastic job cleaning tracks which had been laid and set before torrential downpours. Confirmed roundness and level. (Probably a good sign that it withstood uncommon rain fall without weight of water.) I remarked plates on blocks to make sure we maintain position when installing wall. (Used spray paint! Good idea, huh?) I rewrapped wall the way it should be. My husband had decided to do the sand AFTER the walls were up, but without any help today, I am currently working on spreading sand. Only have a hand tamper (27' pool), so not sure how that will end up. I know the sand will have to be finished after wall is up but think it will be easier for us (the kids/teens and I) to maneuver the metal without deep sand. At this point I have just thrown it around from where it looked deep to where it looked shallow. So.... current questions....
1. What is the best way to tell if the sand/floor is level before putting pads down and liner in?
2. I am thinking not worth tamping at this point until walls are up?
3. Some of the tracks slide easily in and out. I plan on crimping/squeezing a bit with channel locks, paying attention, of course to making sure wall can still slide in...Does that make sense? Oh yeah, and all of my spaces aren't exactly even??
4. Do I have to put additional sand cove over foam cove to make it higher?
5. At what point in attempting to use this liner would I realize I should have taken everyone's advice and bought a new one?

 

[kimkats]

Walls up first

Floor leveled and tamped last due to having to walk on it to put walls up.

-Level floor-------straight 2x4 with a long level taped on it. Take DOWN the high areas. Try not to fill in low areas unless you have to.

Wet floor with a circle sprinkler set on as low as you can get it to go all the way around. Let it run all night if possible.

-Cove on last. It's job is to give the liner a soft curve at the bottom. Do not worry about adding sand to it.

-track-they will not all be even. What you are looking for is a 27' wall circle. The track will hold it all the way around.

-Liner-give up if it starts tearing or just will not pull up far enough to fit into the bead.

HUGS and good luck!

Kim

 

[5bucks]

Thank you SO much, Kim. I was watching for your reply and here I had to refresh for some reason. I figured out the 2x4 thing and will do that. For now the sand is spread around more and will be easier to work on. I will give the liner a shot since given your information. If it meant putting water in before I knew, then I would have bit the bullet~somehow. Ok, with that in mind, 1 more question....if it ends up that the pool with walls up needs to sit before I get the liner in (or a new liner)....... I plan on staking at every other upright from the outside as we go ~ stakes in ground tie from top plate to stake. I believe I read to go ahead and put the plastic coping on for more rigidity (our liner is an overlap)...or did they mean the metal top tract? Does that make sense?
The liner being an overlap, I am hoping I can still see where it hung prior and use that as a starting point. Calling for close to 90 degree weather. Maybe something will go my way =) Another option would be to invite everyone I know and ask them to bring a hair dryer......and a gallon of water!
Thank you for the 'luck'..and HUGS! I can do this!
Karen

 

[Casey]

You won't need a hair dryer. Just hang it where the cut out is n go from there. If it slides down or doesn't fit right there you can add a big patch n fix it. Look at my thread for over lap,liner installation and throw the hose in it n work the wrinklesout from the middle to the walls. Use the stabilizer bars to help keep the walls up.

 

[kimkats]

You are on the right track!

Do what Casey says and you will be fine.

You CAN do this IF your liner has any life left in it. The hot weather should help!

More HUGS! and LOTS of LUCK! Oh and beer LOL

Kim

 

[5bucks]

Ha! I wasn't paying attention to user names and just realized I had two of you here! Too funny. That tells ya where I'm at. Lol. And I do believe beer is the culprit to me having to do this myself.....the men tried twice. I'll save mine for after!