Re: Ground ready for install
Too Funny! - For years, I've been calling the product "Screenings" because that's what it's called up here in the great white north, then, after coming here and getting nothing but ????? when I said screenings, it was translated to "Crusher run" - the typical american term for it, now, we're back to "screenings".
Anyways, "smaller than gravel" stuff really laid down well.
Is your whole pool getting burried by 3 feet all around - it does not look like it.... it looks like only 1/2 of the perimeter will be burried and unless it's about 3 feet of backfill, it'll be within reach of frost.
If that's the case, then your pool will be under some really weird stresses - half being "protected from" and the other half being "subjected to" frost......
All these pools will say "do not bury" because they are not designed to be ingrounds, however, I have seen many AG pools burried to some degree (after filling) and unless you empty it, it's usually ok - frost however, could be a problem....
You may want to consider something other than clay as your backfill to help with drainage around and away from the pool....
Would it be at all possible for you to hold the dirt back using a retaining wall of sorts, maybe 4 feet back from the pool? I've seen that done many times as an alternative to burrying.
Either way - burrying or backfilling, I would highly recommend a bit of drainage around the pool, some "Big-O" burried in a ditch around the perimeter with a drainage tail on the low end ending up in some sort of subterrainean gravel distribution bed or even surface draining on the low end.........
get back with some more details please on actual burrying specs...
Re: Ground ready for install
Someone else last year had some nice pictures of a retaining wall they built in just the same situation. I think it was a very high area on one side and a fair slope up the yard from there. Your clay/soil can be very corrosive and hold a lot of moisture so I would not backfill with that - even the pools that have instructions for backfilling include some very specific types of substrate materials that must be used or the warranty would be voided.
You should bank the pool some with something that allows very good drainage so that rain/water will not run under the rail and wash out any sand (your pool instructions will say how many inches to use), but thats only like several inches and usually like gravel or pea rock or something, not heavy or wet soil types that retain moisture - you want run off away from the pool.
Re: Ground ready for install
Hoffman's, looks great. What a big improvement. Just remember, perfectly level and perfectly round. The rest is easy.
As for the backfill, The warranty is only about issues with rust. You may want to coat the outside of the wall with something like roofing tar before you backfill. The wall will last a lifetime, or close to it.
Keep sending us the great photos, Dennis
Re: Ground ready for install
NWMNMom - I think you're referring to Islander2C's wall.
Can't find the thread though.....
Re: Ground ready for install
Maybe you were thinking of Glepage's pool and retaining wall?
Here is the pic in the Above Ground Gallery http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...?t=2294&page=5
We are still plugging away here.
Thanks for all your input folks!
I really like the tar idea.
Double checked the level last night w/ the laser level.
I think DH plans on getting the excavator guy out here to regrade that hill that is feeding the pool area & take care of the backfill.
Right now the deepest we had to dig down was 2' 3" on that west side.
I called the sales lady we bought the pool from. She said we could backfill up to 2' w/o voiding the warranty.
I thought of skirting the outside of the wall w/ black plastic- just duct tape it all around and let it drape down. My thinking was- it would keep the backfill off the bottom tracks to help keep rust at bay. Don't know if DH likes the idea or not.
~Hoffmans
Re: Ground ready for install
I think roofing felt might be a better idea where earth contscts the sides. Also, don't forget about what happens when there's no water in the pool. It'll make a good resistance to the backfill, but when absent????
Re: Ground ready for install
Pool should NEVER have no water in it, if you must replace the liner at a future date, make sure it gets done when your soil is dry and rock hard, you won't risk any caving then.
As for roofing felt, felt may not be the right material since it retains moisture to some degree with it's porous fibers, maybe rubber roofing membrane, but at the same rate, a good thickness vapor barrier should suffice - thicker than 6 mil though.
The tar is not a bad idea, however, the pool wall is allready coated with about 6 high tech coatings layered for long term protection, if going with the tar, it would be your final barrier against the soil's acidity and plastic shouldn't be necessary anymore.
If the pool co. tells you 2 feet is fine, then try to slope it in such a way that you crown it at the highest point, and get relatively good slopes around each side of the pool, I would also leave the last foot unfilled - about 3 feet out from the pool wall, lay in some 4" Big-O tube (it's perforated plastic drain hose with a silt filter sock wrap) and backfill to grade with 3/4 inch gravel or pea gravel, this will stop weeds and grass from growing next to your pool and provide adequate drainage around the perimeter of your pool so it does not get overly sarurated soil all around it.
I have the septic bed beside my pool, so a hill comes down to directly beside the pool wall - in order to stop water from collecting there, I dug a trench around the pool and laid in the Big-O and backfilled with gravel and it seems to do a great job removing the water that used to collect there after rainfalls.
Re: Ground ready for install
Wow
What a buncha useful ideas.
Matt- we are taking your drain tile idea for sure.
Ok- apparently the freeze line in our area is 18" maximum. Last winter we only reached 9". Winters here are mild.
But at any rate, we are going to have all the ground regraded around the pool and have the whole pool back filled to the 2' mark.
Even-Steven all the way around- no worries about weird freeze effects.
We will do Matt's drain tile idea and the slope away. Love the pea gravel fill tip to prevent weeds.
My skirting idea was only to protect the bottom track & plates from the clay. But using the gravel drainage tip, there won't be any wet clay in contact w/ the track & plates, so we should be fine there too.
You are right, the walls should be fine, they do have a zillion coatings on them.
Ok, so now we are at a stand still b/c of the RAIN.
Tomorrow (Thursday) If there is no rain we will lay out the tracks & plates and check for level again.
Am I good enough help for Tom to get the sides up or does he need a dude friend to come help us?
I think this wall comes in 2 pieces, not one long roll.
I also remember Dennis and Matt talking in the past about putting the wall on planks (or something) and rocking it to unwind???
Maybe we could do that, then we wouldn't need to ask anyone to come over & help? I really would like to avoid asking someone to come over on a work night/school night. Most people's weeknights are pretty busy w/ family stuff, it's not as easy as asking someone to comeover on a Saturday afternoon for a few hours where there would be burgers and beers.
Thank You all,
~Hoffmans
Re: Ground ready for install
We used the plank(s) to unwind and between DH and I, we did just fine.
Re: Ground ready for install
Here is what I do. I use a two wheel dolly to move the wall into place. I start the wall at a footplate and hold the wall up with my tripod. I unroll the wall a few feet at a time by leaning the wall back into my knees and then with a little twist of the hands and a little hip movement to move the knees to move the wall it somehow unrolls itself. I then turn and insert the wall into the bottom rail. As the wall gets lighter I will be unrolling with one hand and inserting into the bottom rail with the other. I do not use any boards under the wall. They would just slow me down.
My helper is always close behind installing the pool framework. That’s the real trick, install the frame as you install the wall and it will never blow down.
I am not a big fan of to many hands. Take small steps and two or three people are plenty.
Keep us updated, Dennis
Re: Ground ready for install
Dennis' method is the best way to do it, I think his method is the rocking twisting that I described too (at least as I'm picturing it, it seems to be the same - except we used two people for the first few turns) I used planks because my wall was well over 400 lbs (and about 100 linear feet?!?!?) and that weight needed to be distributed so it would not dig it's own hole. I had allready placed the sand in my center area where I was unrolling the wall. if your wall is 2 piece on a 30 or so foot pool, it will be about half the weight for each section and MUCH more manageable.
I really thought that the 400+ lb one piece wall was about the stupidest idea ever, why could the manufacturer not provide you two pieces, identical lengths and identical seams? It just didn't make sense, but then it WAS manufactured in a certain part of Canada that wants to be it's own country..... ;)
Keep the wall on the inside of your pool, read the instructions well, because the start/end of your wall may well indicate where the skimmer and return will be located.
