Hello I recently had a new above ground pool installed by a pool dealership. They used a vermiculite base when installing the pool. They didn't mix the vermiculite with anything. They just poured the bags in dry and smoothed it out some. Now my pool floor is very mushy and even walking results in foot prints. It also has lots of small wrinkles. I have also noticed 3 rocks have already surfaced and threatening to puncture the liner. The pool store says all this is normal. I'm new to pools and don't really have much knowledge. Does this sound like a normal install? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Vermiculite base
- Thread starter Rgford80
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
Rocks about to punch through are not normal. That is the opposite of normal. If this is truly the case, they need to remedy the situation in my opinion.
Rocks about to punch through are not normal. That is the opposite of normal. If this is truly the case, they need to remedy the situation in my opinion.
Thank you for your response. They told me rocks were beyond their control and they are not responsible for them. I payed over 7000 dollars for this pool and it has all these flaws in the first month. I just didn't want to get to out of line with complaining without knowing if was poor installation or just an uncontrollable misfortune.
I have a vermiculite floor in my pool. It has to be mixed with water like cement and then troweled to smooth it, again, like cement. It should be hard. There are some pictures in my pool build thread.
Vermiculite can't be put in dry, it has to be mixed with cement and water.
Some vermicuite comes premixed with cement, but you still have to mix it with water and trowel it and let it set up.
Some vermicuite comes premixed with cement, but you still have to mix it with water and trowel it and let it set up.
Thanks all. Sounds like I got a bad install 
. The installed didn't mix it with water at all. The installer even wore a dust mask to keep from breathing in dust as he smoothed it out with a push broom. It's now full of wrinkles and foot prints. Very disappointed.
. The installed didn't mix it with water at all. The installer even wore a dust mask to keep from breathing in dust as he smoothed it out with a push broom. It's now full of wrinkles and foot prints. Very disappointed.