When we moved into our house 8 years ago, there was a 24' round pool built into the backyard slope with a deck around it. After a liner replacement failed after 2 years (hundreds of pin holes around the bottom edge... we're thinking ants looking for water?) plus a bad move to saltwater that rusted the walls, the old girl had to go. Putting an inground of any sort was going to be too pricey due to the slope, and we didn't really want another round above ground. After a ton of research, we settled on an Aquastar on-ground pool. Jim, the owner, has been fantastic and we're confident that we're putting in a quality solution.
Demo of the old pool went smooth. Pulling up all of the old composite deck boards was a complete nightmare - we had to pry all the boards out and grind off the screws because they stripped so easily. Next steps were leveling the space where the above ground used to be and prepping for the Aquastar. We chose a 12 x 20 as it fit nicely into the existing space without having to cut away deck structure. Here are some photos of the progress - the walls are up, hopper is dug, and we'll smooth everything out and add more sand once the liner arrives. On the menu this weekend - adding more posts and 2x6 joists in the areas that are no longer occupied by the old AG pool.
Thanks to some awesome smart people here on the forums, I am setting up an Easy Touch 4 with salt, an Intelliflo pump, and using our existing StaRite heater. A few other bells and whistles are going in as well including 2 Globrites and a waterfall feature. This is my first time building a pool, installing automation, etc. so my wife, my dad, and I are going slow and learning as we go.
I'll continue to update progress here, and am happy to answer any questions or offer advice I've learned so far. I am not a pool professional nor an engineer nor an electrician or plumber, but this forum has certainly been a huge help to me over the years and I'd be honored to return the favor if my experience helps anyone else out!
Demo of the old pool went smooth. Pulling up all of the old composite deck boards was a complete nightmare - we had to pry all the boards out and grind off the screws because they stripped so easily. Next steps were leveling the space where the above ground used to be and prepping for the Aquastar. We chose a 12 x 20 as it fit nicely into the existing space without having to cut away deck structure. Here are some photos of the progress - the walls are up, hopper is dug, and we'll smooth everything out and add more sand once the liner arrives. On the menu this weekend - adding more posts and 2x6 joists in the areas that are no longer occupied by the old AG pool.
Thanks to some awesome smart people here on the forums, I am setting up an Easy Touch 4 with salt, an Intelliflo pump, and using our existing StaRite heater. A few other bells and whistles are going in as well including 2 Globrites and a waterfall feature. This is my first time building a pool, installing automation, etc. so my wife, my dad, and I are going slow and learning as we go.
I'll continue to update progress here, and am happy to answer any questions or offer advice I've learned so far. I am not a pool professional nor an engineer nor an electrician or plumber, but this forum has certainly been a huge help to me over the years and I'd be honored to return the favor if my experience helps anyone else out!
Well done!