Hey everyone, I'm a new pool owner getting ready to setup my first above ground pool.
We bought a summer waves 14x48 metal frame pool (in the light wicker print pattern - not that it matters). As a side note, it seems like this particular pool may not be a common model. The 14x48 size with the wicker patterns maybe are new models? I've not seen much online for them outside of the few retailers that still had them in stock about a week and a half ago when I ordered mine.
I've been planning on how to get it setup for the last week or so. I actually started digging yesterday to kick the process off. This is my plan for setup, please let me know if I should make any alterations.
I started by removing the grass from the area under the pool and am planning on tilling up and leveling the dirt that is left behind. I was hoping to avoid using sand, but after working with the dirt, I don't think that willl be the best idea. My soil is clay, and tilling it up left a lot of balls and clumps that didn't brake down well. In addition, I found an area that had a good amount of pea gravel in it, and there is no good way to get that out of the dirt. So now I've shifted my plan a bit to level out the dirt first, and then to go through and get a layer of sand to put on top and level for under the pool. I also have a summer waves ground covering tarp that I plan to put under my pool liner before installing it.
I also purchased 12 inch concrete patio stones to put under each of the legs. I think at the moment, I'm planning on setting those in the ground so they are level with the ground under the liner. It would potentially be easier if I didn't have to dig out and set them down in the ground, but I'm assuming the pool was designed to go on a flat surface, and not have those supports raised above the ground level.
I'm still trying to figure out if I put the legs down on top of the tarp above the pavers, or if I roll up the tarp around the bottom edge of the pool so the legs are sitting directly on the concrete pavers. I'm not sure how much risk there is for water to run down those poles and cause erosion around the pavers and make things shift. Most of the videos I'm seeing online have the ground covering tarp rolled up against the edge of the pool, and not extending under the pool legs.
This is my progress after a half day of work. I got the grass removed, and I'm starting to work on tilling up the soil to level it out. I don't have a power tiller, so I've been doing it by hand with one of those claw tools.
This is my progress today after another half day session. I cut out a little more grass to make a 16 foot circle so I've got room for my 12" pavers and some wiggle room to work with around the outside edge of the pool. I also got the ground pretty level and ready for the sand to go on top. I'm expecting rain for the rest of the week, so we will see when I get to work on this some more. I'm hoping the hardest part is over now, and the rest will go relatively quick. I can get a truckload of sand from a local landscaping shop, get that down and level, and then it's on to pool setup and fill. Maybe one full day worth of work left to get this thing done.
We bought a summer waves 14x48 metal frame pool (in the light wicker print pattern - not that it matters). As a side note, it seems like this particular pool may not be a common model. The 14x48 size with the wicker patterns maybe are new models? I've not seen much online for them outside of the few retailers that still had them in stock about a week and a half ago when I ordered mine.
I've been planning on how to get it setup for the last week or so. I actually started digging yesterday to kick the process off. This is my plan for setup, please let me know if I should make any alterations.
I started by removing the grass from the area under the pool and am planning on tilling up and leveling the dirt that is left behind. I was hoping to avoid using sand, but after working with the dirt, I don't think that willl be the best idea. My soil is clay, and tilling it up left a lot of balls and clumps that didn't brake down well. In addition, I found an area that had a good amount of pea gravel in it, and there is no good way to get that out of the dirt. So now I've shifted my plan a bit to level out the dirt first, and then to go through and get a layer of sand to put on top and level for under the pool. I also have a summer waves ground covering tarp that I plan to put under my pool liner before installing it.
I also purchased 12 inch concrete patio stones to put under each of the legs. I think at the moment, I'm planning on setting those in the ground so they are level with the ground under the liner. It would potentially be easier if I didn't have to dig out and set them down in the ground, but I'm assuming the pool was designed to go on a flat surface, and not have those supports raised above the ground level.
I'm still trying to figure out if I put the legs down on top of the tarp above the pavers, or if I roll up the tarp around the bottom edge of the pool so the legs are sitting directly on the concrete pavers. I'm not sure how much risk there is for water to run down those poles and cause erosion around the pavers and make things shift. Most of the videos I'm seeing online have the ground covering tarp rolled up against the edge of the pool, and not extending under the pool legs.
This is my progress after a half day of work. I got the grass removed, and I'm starting to work on tilling up the soil to level it out. I don't have a power tiller, so I've been doing it by hand with one of those claw tools.
This is my progress today after another half day session. I cut out a little more grass to make a 16 foot circle so I've got room for my 12" pavers and some wiggle room to work with around the outside edge of the pool. I also got the ground pretty level and ready for the sand to go on top. I'm expecting rain for the rest of the week, so we will see when I get to work on this some more. I'm hoping the hardest part is over now, and the rest will go relatively quick. I can get a truckload of sand from a local landscaping shop, get that down and level, and then it's on to pool setup and fill. Maybe one full day worth of work left to get this thing done.