A few questions

[tonecold]

I just found this site and have been reading up on all the information. I have a 21' round 48" Patriot pool that I purchased several years ago. I took the pool down a couple of years ago as we built a new home on the existing lot.

I'm now ready to put the pool up again. I have an area excavated that will allow me to place the pool about 2 ft in the ground at the highest part of the yard and 1 ft at the lowest. I plan on building a retaining wall around hole so that soil dosent not come into direct contact with the pool sides. As the pool is only 48", I was planning going in 2' from the pool wall and digging out the center another 1' and purchasing an expandable liner. The base of my pool would then look something like this:

---\____/----

I plan on using the foam cove around the edges of the pool only because I dont want to mess around with trying to build one of sand. The rest of the base will be sand. How do I keep the sand on the part of the base that descends to the lower level?

I also plan on building a deck around the pool. Ideally I would have the deck cover the top rails as the rails on this pool are not very strong and I have small kids who will step on them regardless of what I say. :D

I live in Chicago and the footings will be poured cement beneath the frost line but I understand the pool still might rise and fall during freezing/thraw cycles. Since I have an overlap liner, I will need access to the rails from time to time. Any suggestions for design concepts that will take into account these issues?

One final question...I have some of the blue styrofoam left over from the new house. Could that be used as a pool bottom for the center dig out?

Thanks is advance!!

[tonecold]

I'm thinking that maybe I asked too many questions at once. I was able to find a solution for the deck issue mentioned above but I'm still wondering how I keep a 2" base of sand on a slope?

Do I just need to wet it down, get it it in place and then get the pool filled before it starts to dry and fall to the bottom or is there a better method?

[JohnT]

I'm thinking that maybe I asked too many questions at once. I was able to find a solution for the deck issue mentioned above but I'm still wondering how I keep a 2" base of sand on a slope?

Do I just need to wet it down, get it it in place and then get the pool filled before it starts to dry and fall to the bottom or is there a better method?

I doubt many have experience doing this with an above ground pool. You may not be getting views from people who have dealt with sand bottoms like this because of the AGP forum. I've seen it done, but don't know exactly how much moisture it takes. It is troweled in place.