Thank you TFP! New Pool Install 2020

[roamin]

Many thanks to the folks here, not just for answering my questions but for years of searchable history that made researching what needed to be done so easy. After months of work we finally have our pool installed! It was a journey for sure. What started as a, "oh, we'll just cut a little dirt out this slope here and set a pool down," ended with a hole that's 2 feet deep on one side. We had no idea the slope in our back yard was so big until it was too late. So, we're gonna be one of those folks with a metal frame Intex sunk partially in the ground. Nothing we can do about that now, and besides, the top 6-8 inches of soil was so soft that if we'd tried to only cut in on the high side, I think the pool would have sunk down on the low side anyway. Luckily, we're in Florida, so there's still some swimming season left. We're 10 days in now and the water is still crystal clear (thanks to the TFP Pool School and PoolMath app). We're swimming every day and loving it!

https://imgur.com/a/6L6ngZ7

Pool Install 2020

• roamin
• Aug 29, 2020

Post with 0 views. Pool Install 2020

 

[mknauss]

Dog had the right idea!

Great job.

 

[kimkats]

Did your heart sink when you saw just how much you would have to dig??? OUCH! Glad to see the kids helping out!!! Lucky you to have found a pool for sale!! They are hard to come by right now!

Be on the look out for a Letgo or Craig's list add for an up graded filter and pump to make your life even more Trouble Free!

Gurrrrrr on the legs slipping like that BUT you took care of it like needed and it is all good now!

Have they made a tidal wave in it yet??

Kim

 

[roamin]

Yeah, @kimkats, it was a gradual realization, but when we made the water level and finally measured the difference between the two sides, there was a big, "uh oh", moment (you could see the difference by then, just didn't want to believe it). We kept going by hand, though, until we hit the red clay. At that point, digging one shovel-width line from the center out just about killed me. My wife and I both may have cried for a minute or two at that point. We broke down and rented a mini-excavator to finish most of the digging.

We purchased the pool back in May. Noticed at the time though that it was over twice the price of when we had first looked at one in March. Glad we finally pulled the trigger when we did, because like you mentioned, I haven't seen the available since. We've got the Intex Krystal Clear 2150 GPH pump/sand filter combo. Seems to be working extremely well so far, so I'm hoping I don't need an upgrade or replacement for a while. (?)

The biggest "heart sinking" moment was when the one leg slipped completely off its block and that section of the frame dropped two inches. We knew right away we had to drain the pool that night. The hardest part was the frown on my daughters face that we were draining the pool after only one night of swimming. Luckily, the pool drained completely overnight. I spent next day moving the liner back at each post and adjusting the block position based off of pictures I had taken of the post when the pool was full. Ended up moving 14 of the 15 blocks...figured may as well try and get each one perfect cause I really didn't want to have to drain it again. I was back to re-filling it by 6:00pm that day and we were swimming again the next!

All seems to be well now, though. The kids and I have gotten pretty rowdy in it and everything seems to be staying in place. I also went around and rocked it at each tee while it was re-filling and had gotten to about 3/4 full to try and help get any slipping out of the way. Did that a few times until it was completely full and nothing seemed like it wanted to move anymore. I'd seen a video of a professional installer saying to go around with a small level to keep the posts plumb when you start your fill and that if you did that, they wouldn't move anymore after it was about a foot full, but that definitely was not our experience.

(BTW, I see you're close by... if you need some nice red Florida clay, I'm sure I'll have extra left over after we backfill! )

 

[kimkats]

We broke down and rented a mini-excavator to finish most of the digging.

Broke down in more than one way from the sounds of it LOL Bet your back and shoulders...............whole body really was VERY glad when you got the big toy to do the work!

We've got the Intex Krystal Clear 2150 GPH pump/sand filter combo. Seems to be working extremely well so far, so I'm hoping I don't need an upgrade or replacement for a while. (?)

GOOD! You are set then!!! Well done!

I spent next day moving the liner back at each post and adjusting the block position based off of pictures I had taken of the post when the pool was full. Ended up moving 14 of the 15 blocks

Live and learn for sure! Good job on getting it done and done right this time!

also went around and rocked it at each tee while it was re-filling and had gotten to about 3/4 full to try and help get any slipping out of the way.

I'd seen a video of a professional installer saying to go around with a small level to keep the posts plumb when you start your fill and that if you did that, they wouldn't move anymore after it was about a foot full, but that definitely was not our experience.

Your way is more "real world" than theirs that is for sure AND you saw the difference in them moving while you worked them............maybe YOU need to post a video of what you did!

(BTW, I see you're close by... if you need some nice red Florida clay, I'm sure I'll have extra left over after we backfill! )

I have PLENTY of red clay on my dirt road thank you very much LOL Thanks but NO thanks! Did you ruin some shoes/socks/pants messing with that stuff??? Did you end up on your bum while trying to walk on it??? I sure have! NASTY stuff for sure!

Kim

 

[southernblessings]

Great job on the pool! Leveling is the worst!

 

[roamin]

Bet your back and shoulders...............whole body really was VERY glad when you got the big toy to do the work!

Goodness, seemed like a new part of me hurt every weekend, lol. Loved the mini-ex! I was sad when we returned it.

Your way is more "real world" than theirs that is for sure AND you saw the difference in them moving while you worked them............maybe YOU need to post a video of what you did!

It'd be a good one for folks who are doing this for the first time, but I'd have to drain the pool again to do it right and actually show what I did. Maybe I'll just use the pics I have to do a write up on TFP sometime.

I have PLENTY of red clay on my dirt road thank you very much LOL Thanks but NO thanks! Did you ruin some shoes/socks/pants messing with that stuff??? Did you end up on your bum while trying to walk on it??? I sure have! NASTY stuff for sure!

Yeah, can't give this stuff away... my neighbors are already tired of me asking them if they're sure they don't need some. Didn't ruin anything or fall...but came mighty close a few times. Grew up here, so I'm well aware of it...I put down sheets of 1/4" plywood to walk on several times when I just had to get in there and work while it was still too wet. But honestly that's why we had so many rain delays...the stuff is just too slick and hard to work with right after a hard rain that it's not even worth trying for a few days.

 

[CRobPool]

I enjoyed the account of your progress. So glad you and kids can enjoy the water- makes it all the better after hard work and overcoming problems!
A good temporary fix until you decide on back-fill might be pine straw... however, I have a feeling you already have a plan

 

[magiteck]

Goodness, seemed like a new part of me hurt every weekend, lol. Loved the mini-ex! I was sad when we returned it.



It'd be a good one for folks who are doing this for the first time, but I'd have to drain the pool again to do it right and actually show what I did. Maybe I'll just use the pics I have to do a write up on TFP sometime.



Yeah, can't give this stuff away... my neighbors are already tired of me asking them if they're sure they don't need some. Didn't ruin anything or fall...but came mighty close a few times. Grew up here, so I'm well aware of it...I put down sheets of 1/4" plywood to walk on several times when I just had to get in there and work while it was still too wet. But honestly that's why we had so many rain delays...the stuff is just too slick and hard to work with right after a hard rain that it's not even worth trying for a few days.

Good luck with the clay! I ended up with what I can only estimate to be about 15 yards of it when I did my pool this year. After many failures I ended up paying $800 for an excavator to haul it all away.

 

[roamin]

Good luck with the clay! I ended up with what I can only estimate to be about 15 yards of it when I did my pool this year. After many failures I ended up paying $800 for an excavator to haul it all away.

Between topsoil, sand/clay mix, and pure clay, we hit 10-11 yards, at least (maybe a bit more). I used all of the topsoil and sand/clay mix to add on to the big slope passed the pool (where the fence drops down in the pics)... gained 2-3 feet on the upper level of my yard, which is nice. But I'm left with the clay. I'm going to use as much as I can for the backfill, but a lot of it has roots in it and I don't think it's going to be easy to pick them out. I'll probably end up having a friend with a small tractor load it up and haul it off to his farm for me and just pay for some clean backfill dirt of some kind.