Pool dig hit H2O- now what?

[dykes26]

We are aiming for a 7 ft pool- the pool is currently at 7 feet without the steel or gunite, thus really 6 ft. We hit moist clay- no actual water to be seen but the PBer worker who is in charge says we hit water. PBer hasn't said anything to me yet but I wanted a heads up before we chat.

The real problem I see is that we have a deep end dig and the bobcat cant climb out because the moist clay/dirt. That is certain as I watched the cat slip and slid as it tried to get out of the ramp.

When talking to the PBer prior to contract he said that there would be no charge if we hit water, but what are we in for.

Hand dig the last foot?

Advice.

 

[Guest]

Hitting water may not cause an extra charge, but overtime on the dig sure could! Did he give you a total of hours that he included in the dig, and also a hourly rate for overtime? That is where I would see an extra charge.

Clay tends to heave when it is wet. Is the tractor "stuck" because it is slipping, or is it "pumping" the ground and having a tough time getting out?

Chances are they will install a hydro static relief valve if there is any substantial water. Not a big deal, or a big expense, so you shouldn't have any great surprise there. A hand dig may be the only alternative, and they will probably over-ex and try to gravel fill the bottom on top of the clay.

Maybe you'll have to accept a 5'3' depth (dig is 9 inches deeper than water depth) at this point Is that an option? Check the pricing for finishing up at this point and go from there! Good luck!!

Bruce

 

[polyvue]

We are aiming for a 7 ft pool- the pool is currently at 7 feet without the steel or gunite, thus really 6 ft. We hit moist clay- no actual water to be seen but the PBer worker who is in charge says we hit water. PBer hasn't said anything to me yet but I wanted a heads up before we chat.

Not sure what you're in for from an environmental/engineering side but I can speak to paying a LOT of money and not getting exactly what you want.

It's a bad feeling that won't go away (unless there are darn good reasons that convince you that stopping here is the right thing to do...) On dig day for my pool, it looked so deep I didn't think to get out a tape measure, but wish I had. We wanted and specified an 8 ft deep end, but got a 6 1/2 ft. deep end. Turned out the pool builder's subs didn't get the message and didn't communicate back to me the specs. (and I didn't ask! D'oh!) If you want a sport pool, then 5 or 6 feet is fine. But if you have even the smallest notion that someone might want to dive in, 6 feet ain't gonna be enough. Though I'm used to it now, guests tend to hit bottom when they try to dive into the 6.5' deep end (if I forget to warn them.)

Unless you're looking at huge expense I would urge you to dig deeper.

 

[dykes26]

The contract says that there will only be an extra charge on excavation if they hit extemely hard or rocky soil. No statement at all on overtime or water. I did ask during the bidding and he said there would be no charge.

Keep in mind we agreed to a 3 month pool build vs. all the other bids at 5-6 weeks because our research of contractors showed he sticks to his price and builds a great pool, with lots of features for a good price. Everybody says he takes a while. Mostly half day work with several idle days.

 

[dykes26]

Ok- There is a fair amount of H20, but we can get to the depth I want. There is a provison for H20 in the contract- missed it.

Does this sound about right?

$250 for the crawler type digger
$400 for the rock
and $300 for the extra dirt load

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[polyvue]

Does this sound about right? [250+400+300=950]

I'm not in the industry and can't tell you whether those prices are right for your area(?) but I certainly noticed that during the build every contract amendment, every change-no matter how trivial or large--resulted in an additional charge of ~$1000. It was $970 for an additional light, $1050 for another 100 sq ft of concrete, $930 for a bit of excavation and drainage... and so on.

Cynic that I am, I worked out a certain equivalence on the income side. $1000 means:

a. truck payment
b. boat payment
c. installment #5 for orthodontia
d. income tax payment
e. flight to Cancun
f. 1 month rent for mistress/mister
g. Christmas present for angry wife/significant other

OK. I'll stop now.

 

[Guest]

Ok- There is a fair amount of H20, but we can get to the depth I want. There is a provison for H20 in the contract- missed it.

Does this sound about right?

$250 for the crawler type digger
$400 for the rock
and $300 for the extra dirt load

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Don't know where you are located, but pricing sounds about right for my area. Some of it (rock/dirt) probably isn't worth the price, but by the time they buy it, deliver it, place it, etc. there isn't really much profit in it!

Bruce

 

[dykes26]

With the inclusion of a rock base and a static valve should I be concerned about future issues with the pool? Its better to know now than be shocked later.

My PBer has been around so long and has seen so much our family friend who he is building a pool for as well likens him to a old obstetrician. We have this new baby coming into the world and have some worries, but he just keeps saying its all good.

Thanks again in advance.

 

[Guest]

The only thing to remember is that when you drain the pool to replace the water (someday, depending on your hardness levels) somebody will have to dive down and hook up a pump to the hydro static valve to pump the groundwater out during refilling. This will (or could be, depending on how much water) necessary to keep the pool from floating out of the hole.

Sounds like he's got it covered, and you should be fine! Always nice to have a competent builder!!

Bruce

 

[jtech1]

Not to derail this... but are there different types of hydrostatic plugs/valves? I had thought that there were plugs that can be opened and just let groundwater into the pool after draining so it eliminates the upward pressure. But you refer to a fitting in the pool by which a pump will remove ground water... I have seen pipes put in under a pool for this purpose (drain or pump away ground water)... but never heard of hooking a hose inside the pool to a port.

In both cases, what kind of plugs are available? I'd rather not have 5-10 penetrations on the bottom of my pool... looks bad too. I did see somewhere there is a kind of plug that is inside a drain box instead of through the pool floor gunite?

 

[Guest]

A hydro static valve can be as simple as a piece of pipe set vertically in a gravel bed in the main drain area. Typically there is a cap placed on top of it to relieve the ground water present. Theoretically the cap could be removed and the water pressure released into the pool, but more often a pump and hose is attached to alleviate any guessing. The whole thing is most often covered in the main drain(s) area of the pool, so you will not see another penetration.

Here's a link that shows a couple of different types: http://www.nextag.com/hydrostatic-relie ... earch-html

Bruce

 

[dykes26]

outcome-

We had a crawler type digger come in and finish the dig to our desired depth. They dug deep enough to fill it with rock and add a static valve. We have just finished our steel/rough plumb and shotcrete goes in early next week. Ill post pics in my "pool diary" after the shotcrete is in place.

 

[polyvue]

We had a crawler type digger come in and finish the dig to our desired depth.

Thanks for reporting back... good news. We're all looking forward to seeing the pictures from your Big Dig. :-D