Leveling land with a roto tiller for a 14 ft pool.

Ok So we bought our kids a pool this past weekend put it up filled it with water and of course its not level. Neither me and my husband know anything about leveling land so I did some research and found it would be easiest to do with a roto tiller. My questions is should i till up the entire area the pool is on or just till the higher area and remove the dirt to match the lower area? Like I said we have no idea what we are doing. The ground is level half the width of the pool. Once we got it filled there was a 3 inch water difference from the left side to the right side. The right side being the lowest. So if i tilled up the left side and removed 3 inches of dirt then spread it going towards the right side would that work? Thanks

Where the land is lowest but level, you should probably leave undisturbed, and try to lower the higher section.
There are many ways to level, but probably the best involves using a transit and somebody holding a marked stick--even a good 1" wide tape measure can work.
Equally good is a laser level and you can use the laser with the marked stick so one person can do it.
But these tools are expensive.

For far less money you can use what's called "Mason's Line" and string levels. Mason's Line can be pulled taught as a guitar string and tied off, with the levels set at either end to show when the string(s) are level. Usually, you put the string ABOVE what you want level by the thickness of the 2x4, about 3 5/8". If you have a string on either side, using a straight long 2x4 you can find the high and low spots and even them off. Mason's Line comes in white, yellow, green, and, I kid you not, hot pink!

Carl

Here is a quick, cheap and easy way to think about. Go down to you favorite Lumber yard and buy a 8 foot long 2x4 that is good and straight. Drill a small hole approxinately 1 inch from one of the ends and insert a long screw or nail into the hole so it protrudes through the other side. Stick the Nail into the ground at the approximate center of your pool, and then all you have to do is put a carpenter's level on the 2x4 and spin the 2x4 like the hands of a clock around the "axis" and check level. You will see if there are gaps under the 2x4 and you will be able to see where you are high and low. Finally, in my area, the roughed in dirt pool area is covered with a layer of sand, and the 2x4 comes in real handy to "skreet" the sand flat, level and smooth.

The 8 foot 2x4 should give you a good 16 feet of "level" ground for yor 14 foot pool.

Hope this helps

Clever! And this from a guy who looks like Harpo Marx making a "Gookie"! :)

Carl

Gee Carl, I'm truly touched! You can learn alot from a BIGTALLDUMBGUY!

LOL!

Honk! Honk!

(what else can I say?)

Since we have hopelessly trashed this thread, I might as well ask you a dumb question Carl, (BigTallDumbGuys ask a lot of big tall dumb questions) why do you have a snow scene as your avitar on a pool forum? Maybe a picture of your canines in a pool or lounging on a Lounger with sunglasses and a cold drink might be more fitting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigTallDumbGuy

Since we have hopelessly trashed this thread, I might as well ask you a dumb question Carl, (BigTallDumbGuys ask a lot of big tall dumb questions) why do you have a snow scene as your avitar on a pool forum? Maybe a picture of your canines in a pool or lounging on a Lounger with sunglasses and a cold drink might be more fitting.

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I dunno. In triple digit temps it helps me think "cool" Guess I should get one of our Sheepdog, our Belgian Tervuren (almost the same thing) and the 3rd "dog"--idiot cat who thinks he's a dog.

Question for the BTDG: You do know, don't you, that Harpo was a little guy, not big and tall? He also wasn't dumb since playing a mute meant he never had to memorize lines!

Carl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigTallDumbGuy

Here is a quick, cheap and easy way to think about. Go down to you favorite Lumber yard and buy a 8 foot long 2x4 that is good and straight. Drill a small hole approxinately 1 inch from one of the ends and insert a long screw or nail into the hole so it protrudes through the other side. Stick the Nail into the ground at the approximate center of your pool, and then all you have to do is put a carpenter's level on the 2x4 and spin the 2x4 like the hands of a clock around the "axis" and check level. You will see if there are gaps under the 2x4 and you will be able to see where you are high and low. Finally, in my area, the roughed in dirt pool area is covered with a layer of sand, and the 2x4 comes in real handy to "skreet" the sand flat, level and smooth.

The 8 foot 2x4 should give you a good 16 feet of "level" ground for yor 14 foot pool.

Hope this helps

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This is a great post. Thanks. :)

No, I did not know that Harpo was a little guy, but I am sure he was extremely smart and he was very talented. I put his picture up to inspire me to not be such a BIGTALLDUMBGUY, but it only works some of the time. The key thing is, with a name like BIGTALLDUMBGUY, nobody expects too much. So maybe I am not so dumb after all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BigTallDumbGuy

No, I did not know that Harpo was a little guy, but I am sure he was extremely smart and he was very talented. I put his picture up to inspire me to not be such a BIGTALLDUMBGUY, but it only works some of the time. The key thing is, with a name like BIGTALLDUMBGUY, nobody expects too much. So maybe I am not so dumb after all.

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Ah, you won't get away with that! Everybody expects you to be to reach stuff on the top shelf and change light bulbs without a ladder!

As a kid Harpo used to watch a cigar roller named Gookie who would puff out his cheeks and stick out his tongue as he rolled the cigars. Naturally Harpo immortalized Gookie in your avatar!