My wife and I just had an in-ground, vinyl, steal wall pool installed. Unfortunately I did not do my due diligence ahead of time and had the excavated dirt used as backfill. We would like to wait until next Spring to allow time for the dirt to settle. My concern is leaving the pool uncovered over the winter. I live in update New York and we tend to get a lot of snow. I am not sure if the snow will have an damaging affect on an uncovered pool without a supporting deck as will. We had the pool backfilled this past Saturday and in some areas it has already settled close to a foot. Any insights would be much appreciated.
Backfill waiting time
- Thread starter amiller00
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,450
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP.
You do plan on closing and winterizing the pool? I think you need to create some type of winter cover over the pool.
Let's see what suggestions @jimmythegreek has.
You do plan on closing and winterizing the pool? I think you need to create some type of winter cover over the pool.
Let's see what suggestions @jimmythegreek has.
Yes, that is currently the plan. The worry I have with putting a cover on is the weight of the snow damaging the coping or liner.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,450
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
It is not the snow that damages a liner. It is the ice that forms in the water and then has sharp edges that can cut the liner if the ice moves. Once you have ice on the water you do not want to touch it.
You need to use a thick tarp as a cover that is wider then the pool. Anchor the tarp into the dirt. The tarp will probably sag under the weight of the snow and rest on the water. Don’t lower the water too much, just below the skimmer mouth. You will need to monitor the water level in the pool during the winter and if there is no ice on the surface and water level gets up to the skimmer then pump water out.
You need to use a thick tarp as a cover that is wider then the pool. Anchor the tarp into the dirt. The tarp will probably sag under the weight of the snow and rest on the water. Don’t lower the water too much, just below the skimmer mouth. You will need to monitor the water level in the pool during the winter and if there is no ice on the surface and water level gets up to the skimmer then pump water out.
I don't have a good opinion on a tarp because I have never "closed" a pool.
I will say you are very wise to give that bad backfill a year to settle. I would then bring it up to grade with clean washed gravel as a sub base for the decking.
You have water in the pool now, correct?
I will say you are very wise to give that bad backfill a year to settle. I would then bring it up to grade with clean washed gravel as a sub base for the decking.
You have water in the pool now, correct?
So does that mean you don't have any cement around the top of your pool now? I would think you need something to help the the walls together. That's a lot of force.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,450
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The pool is fine over the winter as long as the backfill is close to the waterline or above it. No cover needed. The cover protects against UV damage and to keep pool clean over winter with fall leaves. I've left many pools sit including my own. Obviously the pool needs to be winterized
Great that puts my mind at ease so we won't rush into anything.
No cement around the pool now just dirt. In some areas it has already settled close to 8 inches. We have in-pool stairs and you can tell there isn't much dirt under them for support.
I would dig up the area around the stairs amd try to water in some material or just dig down amd fill it like it's supposed to be. settled dirt never makes it under the lower stairs I prefer to form amd pour the extra collar concrete under them til the truck runs dry or form is filled
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
I have never had a winter cover in the 5 years I have had a pool... No issues at all... It had about 5 inches of ice in it last winter.. 