Question on bond beam substrate around fiberglass pool

[Brdesign]

hey everyone, first time poster here and hoping I can get some feedback from some of the pool Installers and/or homeowners who know how their bond beam was installed. I’m an architect by trade but pool install is something I’m not familiar with and want to make sure I’m not missing something.

contractor I hired doing a good job so far. Hole is dug and 3/8” stone is set on bottom. They compacted dirt first and then put in stone. All good. Question I have is they plan on using pea gravel for backfill and I know that it is a self compacting material but can not really be compacted so to speak with a compactor. Given this is going to come all the way up, I assume they plan on doing the locking collar/bond beam bearing on this substrate. I am going to have 12” limestone coping and then concrete patio (expansion joint between)
The patio will be set on 3/8” stone. Should I be ok with pea gravel under bond beam or should I stop pea gravel short and add 4” of 3/8” stone on top?
curious if anyone else has done the pea gravel for backfill AND UNDER bond beam

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hello
I believe it is unwise to use pea gavel for backfill. We advise folks to use Crush and Run, #57 size for the backfill.

One can use pea gravel for the base though.

Maddie

 

[Brdesign]

I believe that’s a no go for liner pools. And it is true pea gravel - small pea size 1/8- 1/4” or so

 

[Brdesign]

I believe that’s a no go for liner pools. And it is true pea gravel - small pea size 1/8- 1/4” or so

Hello
I believe it is unwise to use pea gavel for backfill. We advise folks to use Crush and Run, #57 size for the backfill.

One can use pea gravel for the base though.

Maddie

It is listed as an approved backfill for fiberglass pool. From leisure pools.

 

[mknauss]

Fiberglass Pools - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

With fiberglass, 3/4" stone (no fines) is recommended for leveling the bottom and backfilling the sides.

 

[sarahgelatinano]

Is pea gravel considered 3/4" ? Seems maybe smaller?

 

[mknauss]

Is pea gravel considered 3/4" ? Seems maybe smaller?

No. Pea gravel is quite small.

 

[ajw22]

Is pea gravel considered 3/4" ? Seems maybe smaller?

Pea gravel is smaller then 3/4".

Gravel Around Pools - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[NJpoolNoob]

I would put a layer of crushed gravel under the beam. I'm no backfill expert but I will say that the 3/8 crushed stone I just put down felt like a concrete slab after a couple passes with a plate tamper. Also not sure why but the place I bought my shell from said 3/4" crushed would be a really bad idea for backfill? He didn't elaborate why but just thought I'd pass that along.

 

[Brdesign]

Yeah 3/8 is what I had them do for bottom and then for the sides to backfill. Which waiting on that to happen. I contacted a member maestro on here hoping for a reply. The guys did same thing they did to his pool, put skimmer box in back. But I have autocover. So now I have to either have them cap that skimmer box. Which I’m assuming isn’t a big deal to leave box there and just silicone a cap on. Then reinstall in new location. oR leave it as is and put autocover behind the skimmer box which can be done but I’ll have this annoying dropped down landing area about 20” wide by length of pool before I get to autocover and not sure how to finish

 

[BrittanyV]

Regarding the auto cover and skimmer location I know where you are coming from. I’m not sure how a patch would look, so I would personally be inclined to push the cover back from the edge of the pool. Maybe you’ve seen plenty of photos of similar pools, but if not, check out the Imagine Pools website. There are photos of a couple of different pools with that setup and I could actually see some positive sides to that approach too. One being that the edge of the pool where the cover is located will be more usable when swimming/ hanging out.
We ended up moving our skimmers to the sides because of space requirements, but we caught the issue before any holes were cut in the shell.

Good luck with your build!

 

[Brdesign]

Brittney thanks so much. That is true about area to hang out. It’s a fiberglass pool so I’m trying to imagine what that edge detail looks like. I’d have to recess the pool coping there to be flush with fiberglass edge? Or don’t try to do coping there and let that run around the high end around autocover box.
for caping I thought to just keep the skimmer plate installed and seal off then pour concrete collar like usual tight to pool edge.

 

[BrittanyV]

Br: Curious, what did you end up doing with your skimmer location? Did you leave it in the end and push the cover back behind the skimmer box? You mentioned the difference in coping heights for the end with the cover and the other 3 sides and that is clearly an issue. Here is a photo of one of the pools I have seen with the skimmers located in the cover end. This is what we thought about, but in the end did not do. I imagine it would be more expensive as you will need more concrete on that end of the pool in order to maintain a good walkway in that area.

 

[Brdesign]

Hey brittney. Well my process has been a disaster. Leisure pools screwed me and not in a good way. They stated multiple times the auto cover and everything Would be on the truck when our pools arrived. When the truck came no auto cover still boxes nothing just the equipment. Our pools got delivered April 20 and we still do not have any type of auto cover etc. We got are polymer inground boxes delivered today and supposedly everything else will be delivered this Friday or Monday. However now our installer will not be available the week of memorial day and hopefully start June 1 week. He still has a lot to do and he has another issue were dealing with. Hopefully he will come through and finish this project but right now my confidence in him is dwindling. I’m an architect and have three projects going with him one project the pool is leaking after he stated he did a pressure test. The other pool is a better condition and up and running. Mine however is the worst out of all of them with the plumbing not connected and I’ve had water sitting in it for over a month now. Also my tanning ledge and spa have song now that the water is full and they need to drain it a little bit to get it propped back up. How they do that I have no idea but I’m hoping they can jack it up at the end and get some material underneath it we shall see