Need help with leveling pool

Jump to latest Follow Reply
E

Elizabeth86

Member
May 17, 2019
8
VA
We have bought a 15 ft intex metal pool. Our ground was not level and so this is what my husband did, please tell me if this will work or not. I am worried he has done it wrong and it will not hold up. He got mason sand and leveled the pool UP with the sand. He built a wooden retaining wall to hold the sand in, but I keep reading not to put a lot of sand under a swimming pool. I am so worried about what might happen. I will try to add a picture later if you need to see what I mean. Also he packed the sand down by hand and I am reading this might not be good enough either.

I am adding a link to what our pool area kind of looks like. This is not my pic though. preparing ground for new pool
It looks like this person's is a little lower and less than ours though.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like my husband. I had to have a come to Jesus minute with him last week so he came around to my way of thinking. Check out the thread "RIP above ground pool" for the visual aids I used.

You cannot level up low areas -- the soil you add is never as compacted as undisturbed soil, and will eventually "squirt" out from under the pool. And you certainly can't backfill with sand! Sand squirts with wild abandon under the weight of a pool.

Putting up a metal walled pool, it's extra important to get it within one inch of level or LESS or nothing will fit together right.

You must take down the high bits to the depth of the lowest point. To do this you need some sort of leveling device: water level, board and level, laser level, transit. You can't just eyeball it.

I tried to use the board and level method, which said my site was level. Apparently we did it wrong, because when we put pavers down we found out we were some 4 inches out of level. So now we're using a water level and starting all over. Hard work, but at least I know my pool will be safe and strong.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of other responses. Show him the thread after you do and make him read it. Please don't jeopardize your build!
 
Last edited:
Sand simply will not compact into a firm surface. There is a way he can build a box to set the pool into instead of digging down to level. First remove all the sod, scrape the ground to a level appearance and use a plate compactor to tamp it down. Next fill the box with 1-2” layers of decomposed granite, crusher, or similar base material and plate compact between layers. When you get close to the top of the box, use a transit or a water level to level the patio blocks for the vertical posts. The surface of the patio blocks should be inset level with the ground. It is still a lot of work, but not as much digging.

4000 gallons of water weighs approximately 33,000 pounds. He may think he has it firm and level but the weight of the pool will compact the sand far better than he can by hand, and one or more vertical posts are likely to sink. If he insists on doing it his way, only fill up with a foot of water and let it sit overnight before filling it completely. Let the pool settle and see if it is out of level and by how much before you fill it all the way up.
 
Wobblerlorri said:
ve a come to Jesus minute with him last week s
Click to expand...
zea3 said:
Sand simply will not compact into a firm surface. There is a way he can build a box to set the pool into instead of digging down to level. First remove all the sod, scrape the ground to a level appearance and use a plate compactor to tamp it down. Next fill the box with 1-2” layers of decomposed granite, crusher, or similar base material and plate compact between layers. When you get close to the top of the box, use a transit or a water level to level the patio blocks for the vertical posts. The surface of the patio blocks should be inset level with the ground. It is still a lot of work, but not as much digging.

4000 gallons of water weighs approximately 33,000 pounds. He may think he has it firm and level but the weight of the pool will compact the sand far better than he can by hand, and one or more vertical posts are likely to sink. If he insists on doing it his way, only fill up with a foot of water and let it sit overnight before filling it completely. Let the pool settle and see if it is out of level and by how much before you fill it all the way up.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Could you please send me some reputable links I can have him read. He is skeptical of "some guy on a pool forum"
 
Here are two from www.inyopool.com
www.inyopools.com

"Off Level" Above Ground Pools - INYOPools.com - DIY Resources

With the invention of YouTube, I have seen a lot of above ground pool installations done by do-it-yourselfers. I have also seen a lot of installation attempts as people call me halfway through for help. Some of these self-installations are done well, but most are not. I have occasionally been...
www.inyopools.com www.inyopools.com
www.inyopools.com/Blog/what-to-use-for-leveling-an-above-ground-pool/

Good luck!

Kim (who did post this in her pjs and on her couch LOL)
 
  • Like
Reactions: WisconsinBubbles, sammckin and Elizabeth86
Coming into this thread late. I was traveling/working all eekend. My first pool was an Intex. What I did was buy enough 16x16 pavers so that I had one under each leg. I leveled the pavers and scraped the ground inside enough so that I'd have at least 1" of sand under the pool everywhere. I brought in sand and used a screed to get it flush to the top of the pavers. I put landscape timbers around the outside of the pavers to help keep the sand in. I put the pool up. It stayed fairly level for the 3 seasons I had the pool. I did tarp the sand in the winter when I took the pool down.
 
I made my first post a while back about my husband setting up our pool site, but building a wooden frame and filling it with masonry sand to level up the pool. I suspected this was wrong and you guys agreed. I told him. He wouldn't budge. I said NO WAY. He said empty the site yourself if you want it different. I have shoveled out a few tons of sand already. There is an end in sight. So, PLEASE, tell me what I need to do for my metal intex above ground pool. I know now that we must did out the high end to make it level. What next? Please tell me everything. I have glanced over the manuals, but it is more about the set up of the pool itself. Point me to a reputable site. Thanks for all the help. You guys are great!
 
You're correct in having to dig out the high end. In order to do that, you have to know what level is. There are several ways to determine level, I did mine with a water level, specifically a bunyip. You can search on YouTube for videos on making and using one.

First put a stake in the middle of your site, then measure a circle about 2 feet larger than your pool. For example, if your pool is 15' in diameter, you'll make the circle 17' in diameter. Easiest way to do this is take a string that's half the circumference of your circle (aka the radius), then walk around the circle marking with spray paint. There are numerous videos on YouTube showing how this is done.

Once you have the circle marked, use the bunyip to determine the low point and how far it extends into your circle. Then start digging to take the high end down to the level of the low end. The bunyip will tell you when you've reached it.

Hopefully your husband will see how clever and confident you are in leveling your site, and will get up off his asterix and help you! Many hands make light work, you know!

You may get more responses telling you to use a transit or laser level -- those are good methods, too. Pick the one you feel most confident using and happy leveling!
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Calling in some big guns to help you. @mknauss @duraleigh @zea3 can you help this nice lady out?

For continuity, her original post is at

Need help with leveling pool

We have bought a 15 ft intex metal pool. Our ground was not level and so this is what my husband did, please tell me if this will work or not. I am worried he has done it wrong and it will not hold up. He got mason sand and leveled the pool UP with the sand. He built a wooden retaining wall...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
Thank you. I feel confident he will do well with the leveling part! I am just unsure what is next. I am not sure what the next step will be after leveling. I hear people adding things underneath and I just want to choose what is next. I hear mention of putting pavers for some part to sit on and some people say yes pavers and some sites say no to pavers. I just feel there is so much conflicting advice out there that I do not know what site to trust.
 
Pavers keep the legs of your pool from sinking into the ground from the sheer weight of the pool. In your case, with a steel walled pool, the union plates for the bottom ring will sit on the pavers, which will provide a sturdy resting place for them. This is why your pavers must be level to each other. You do that by using a 4' spirit level to make sure the paver is level within itself and in relation to the last paver you set.

Once your pavers are set, you set up the bottom ring and the wall. THEN you add your sand so that there is a level pad inside the circle that is compacted. (Make hubby shovel the sand in!) Once you do that, some builders sprinkle a layer of diatomaceous earth alll over the sand, to keep the insects from chewing on your liner. I'm doing that with my soft sided pool. Some people spray RoundUp on the surface, too, to keep any grass and weeds from growing up under the setup. I've done it, but I'm not sure it's really necessary.

Then you lay your Gorilla pad or equivalent (if you're using one), lay down your ground cover, and install your liner. Test the water, add chemicals per PoolMath, and you have a pool!

This is just quick and dirty -- there are certain niceties I don't know about because I'm not setting up a hard sided pool. But others will chime in with good advice and better descriptions of what to do.

Oh, and be sure to put your pool and equipment information in your signature! It helps us help you. Just click on your name in the upper right corner, click "Signature", and fill it out.
 
Here are some videos that will help you level your site. The first one shows how to use a water level to find the high and low spots in the yard.

This video shows how to use a board and level on a pivot point to make leveling adjustments across the area for the floor of the pool.

Step by step instructions:
How to Install a Temporary Seasonal Pool (Intex, Summer Escapes, ect)
Materials needed: Shovel, concrete patio blocks, a straight 2’x4’x8’ board, measuring tape, nut grass killer, ground tarp, TF 100 test kit.
Basic Instructions:
1. First and foremost the ground under the pool must be level and firm. Remove the grass from the area to be leveled 2 feet wider than the stated diameter of the pool. (For an 18’ pool remove a 20’ circle of grass)
2. Find the lowest point of the perimeter of the circle and use that as your reference to level the ground. Dig away the high spots inside the circle. Check for level using a 3’ long level on top of a straight 2’x4’x8’ board.
3. Once the ground is level tamp down the soil with a plate compactor or a roller compactor. (usually may be rented at hardware stores) Saturate the soil with nut-grass killer. At this point you may spread a thin layer of sand to smooth and cushion the pool floor. Lay down the ground tarp.
4. Lay out patio blocks where the upright supports will go. Dig out the area under the blocks so they will lay level with the ground.
5. Lay out the pool liner so the openings for the intake and return are positioned as close to your source of electricity as possible. Assemble the pool according to the manufacturer’s directions.
6. Fill pool with 12” of water and check frame for level. Pool should be within 1” of level for maximum safety. Adjust upright supports if needed at this time.
7. Connect the pump/filter and continue filling the pool.
8. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for operating the filter/pump.
9. Use the pool calculator to determine how much CYA and FC you need for your pool.
10. Use your TF 100 to test the water and balance as needed.

You must use pavers under the legs of the pool. Larger, thicker pavers are best. The pavers help spread out the downward forces on the pool legs, so the legs will be less likely to sink into the soil when the pool is full. Think of it this way, the leg of the pool is like a stilletto heel on a high heeled shoe. If you try to walk on a lawn wearing stilletto heels you are going to sink into the ground. Now think of the paver as a 1" flat heel. You can walk on the lawn all day in those without getting stuck in the ground!
 
  • Like
Reactions: kimkats and Wobblerlorri

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply