New Above Ground Pool Owner - Tips for Landscaping Around Pool

[dudenamedric]

So, as the title says, I'm a new pool owner. I just installed a 14x48 round Bestway Steel Pro Max AGP yesterday. I cleared about 2 feet extra around the pool with the intention of filling that area in with either rock or rubber mulch. I've found rubber mulch in 0.8 cubic feet bags, but I'm not entirely sure how many bags I would need. Does anybody have a similar sized pool that has done this and can provide some insight? Also do I need to put anything around the pool wall to protect it from whatever I choose to fill the area with?

I'd really like make this a nice looking area for my family while also maintaining the health of the pool. Being that I've never owned a pool before, it's a bit overwhelming. I just don't want to do anything stupid to mess thing up lol. Thanks.

 

[Newdude]

Hey Rick. Welcome to the party. So for square footage of your outside area subtract the 14 ft pool area (153 sq ft) from the 16 ft outside edge (200sq ft). Your mulch area will be about 47 sq foot. One ft deep all around would be 47 cubic ft. If you want 6 inches it’s half of that. 4 inches is 1/3 and 3 inches is 1/4. 4 inches is usually minimum to help prevent weed growth. So 4 inches would need 15.6 cu ft or 19.5 bags.

the pool wall you want as exposed to the air as possible. Anything touching it will hinder drying of rain, sprinklers or morning dew. Even the rubber mulch. I would use red brick ( or your color of choice) as a buffer between the mulch and the pool to keep 2 inches (or so) of free air space at the pool edge. For continuity I would use the same brick on the outside edge so the borders matched.

 

[scout123]

With my intex, I put this https://www.lowes.com/pd/EasyFlex-Black-Plastic-Landscape-Edging-Roll/1000126057 around the pool just outside the legs. I then went out a foot and used landscaping flagstone block as my outside edge. I filled in between with river rock. The inside edging kept the rock off the pool. You could use mulch doing the same thing.

 

[kimkats]

I would not use the rubber mulch as it does float in the rain and you can not use a high power blower to clean it of the stuff that will get on/in it. I would use as large river rock as you can find.

I love the idea of the red brick. The black plastic edging works. You just have to make sure it is in the ground good or it will ease up ang out

Kim

 

[kimkats]

Oh another thing you should do. I did it for my above ground pool.................See where the skimmer and return is? You need to hard pipe it all AND put in valves under each one AND unions either side and on all the equipment so WHEN you need to service it it will oh so much easier.

THEN get some large patio blocks to put under the skimmer and return so that IF something happens (the skimmer will over flow in a big rain) the water will not wash out the stuff under the pool. What I did was dig down about 3" and filled that in with gravel the put the patio blocks so that any water that splashed out will hit the blocks. I did angle it slighty so it flow away from the pool.

 

[dudenamedric]

Oh another thing you should do. I did it for my above ground pool.................See where the skimmer and return is? You need to hard pipe it all AND put in valves under each one AND unions either side and on all the equipment so WHEN you need to service it it will oh so much easier.

THEN get some large patio blocks to put under the skimmer and return so that IF something happens (the skimmer will over flow in a big rain) the water will not wash out the stuff under the pool. What I did was dig down about 3" and filled that in with gravel the put the patio blocks so that any water that splashed out will hit the blocks. I did angle it slighty so it flow away from the pool.

I hate to sound like a moron, but I really have no idea what you're talking about lol. I have very little skill and experience with this kind of stuff, so if you can explain it like I'm 5, that might help me a bit more

 

[dudenamedric]

With my intex, I put this https://www.lowes.com/pd/EasyFlex-Black-Plastic-Landscape-Edging-Roll/1000126057 around the pool just outside the legs. I then went out a foot and used landscaping flagstone block as my outside edge. I filled in between with river rock. The inside edging kept the rock off the pool. You could use mulch doing the same thing.

Sounds like a great plan, thanks!

 

[kimkats]

Well I am a Kindergarten teacher so I can do that!!! I will take some pics to help as well! It will be a bit.

 

[dudenamedric]

Well I am a Kindergarten teacher so I can do that!!! I will take some pics to help as well! It will be a bit.

Mucho thanko lol

 

[kimkats]

This is a union. You can unscrew it by the outer ring so you don't have to cut the pipe Homewerks Worldwide 1 in. PVC Slip x Slip Union-511-14-1-1H - The Home Depot

This is a valve. You can turn it to stop the flow of water when you want to work on the equipment. https://www.lowes.com/pd/AMERICAN-V...VDhQMCh0dZQKTEAQYBCABEgLpBfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You want all of the equipment to have unions on both sides so you all you have to do is unscrew them and work on it then replace it.

You want all of the hoses to be schedule 40 pvc pipe as it is made to handle the pressure.

You will also want a T right behind the pump with a valve so all you have to do is open the valve to drain some of the water out of the pool for any reason like big rains or such.



Skimmer -where the water is pulled from the pool by the pump to go to the Filter
Return -Where the water returns to the pool after the filter does it things

Unions are circled in blue. See how if they are undone I can take the top of my filter off. (The filter is the round, gray thing)

Valves are circled in green. Note I have one under both the skimmer and return. There is also one that leads to the pipe that has the T circled with orange. That one is so I can drain water from the pool if needed.

Now see the redish pavers with bricks on them? They are right beside the pool wall BUT they do NOT touch the wall. Note they go under the skimmer and return. That is to protect that area from water over flow. I dug down in those spots about 3" and filled it with gravel. Then put the pavers on top with a slight slant so the water goes away from the pool.

I hope this helps!

Kim

 

[dudenamedric]

This is a union. You can unscrew it by the outer ring so you don't have to cut the pipe Homewerks Worldwide 1 in. PVC Slip x Slip Union-511-14-1-1H - The Home Depot

This is a valve. You can turn it to stop the flow of water when you want to work on the equipment. https://www.lowes.com/pd/AMERICAN-V...VDhQMCh0dZQKTEAQYBCABEgLpBfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You want all of the equipment to have unions on both sides so you all you have to do is unscrew them and work on it then replace it.

You want all of the hoses to be schedule 40 pvc pipe as it is made to handle the pressure.

You will also want a T right behind the pump with a valve so all you have to do is open the valve to drain some of the water out of the pool for any reason like big rains or such.


View attachment 131509
Skimmer -where the water is pulled from the pool by the pump to go to the Filter
Return -Where the water returns to the pool after the filter does it things

Unions are circled in blue. See how if they are undone I can take the top of my filter off. (The filter is the round, gray thing)

Valves are circled in green. Note I have one under both the skimmer and return. There is also one that leads to the pipe that has the T circled with orange. That one is so I can drain water from the pool if needed.

Now see the redish pavers with bricks on them? They are right beside the pool wall BUT they do NOT touch the wall. Note they go under the skimmer and return. That is to protect that area from water over flow. I dug down in those spots about 3" and filled it with gravel. Then put the pavers on top with a slight slant so the water goes away from the pool.

I hope this helps!

Kim

Exactly my learning style, makes a lot more sense. Thanks teach!