Newly installed AG can see buttress outline need help!!

[Chrissey]

I hope someone can help me...we had our 18 X 33 X 54" professionally intalled last weekend...the pool has a return jet light installed...just tonight while we were looking at it standing up on the newly constructed deck (the light was on) ...we noticed that we can see the outline of 4 of the buttress on one side and one on the other...we cant see the whole strap going from one side tot he other...but the big metal brace that gets buried ...we hadnt noticed it previously but we also werent up above it at night with the light showing every lump and bump...I know the contractor dug down the buttress set up to recess it into the earth...covered it with sand 2-3" and covered that with a gorilla pad...we also used a foam cove....they dont "appear" to have any gaps around them...I understand that things settle...if we didnt have a light we would not have noticed as you cant see them during the day...tomorrow my husband will go in and see if he can feel them...just a bit concerned and hope that this is safe...we have a call in to the contractor but havent heard back as of yet...can anyone tell me if this is normal to be able to see this or should I not be able to see them at all

Thanks for any help!

Chrissey

[Watermom]

Hi Chrissey and welcome to the Pool Forum! I cannot answer your question, but we do have some members here who are pool installers who should be able to give you some advice. So, sit tight and hopefully one of them will be along shortly.

[Chrissey]

2 calls into contractor ...no response yet...

[okinawamary]

Chrissey, we had an AG oval 15X30 professionally installed about a month ago. our land had to be dug into 41 inches to make it level for the pool. They dug out an area about 3 feet larger than the pool all the way around. It was still cool outside after the pool was filled, so we covered the pool with the solar cover for a few weeks. When the pool was uncovered, it was finally warm enough for us to take a dip. My son noticed on one side, a sinkhole kind of feel on the long side of the pool, right by the edge where the buttress straps are. After a few more swimming days, we noticed it was still soft on that side. Then one day when we were up on the grass above where the pool sits down about 30 inches in the ground (same side where it felt soft before), and we could see the buttress straps clear as day, all four of them, it looked like the outline of a "T". It was very prominent. We had had several inches of rain and there was a lot of water standing around the pool, which I think is what caused the seepage of water under the liner, that, in addition to the fact that we had not built an outside cove around the pool because of the rotten weather. So, I immediately called the installer who said it would have to be fixed immediately. So, we drained the pool in the next day and a half. He came out on a cloudy day, took the top rail off, took the coping off, and dumped about 30 gallons of sand under the liner. Luckily the sinkholes were on the opposite side of the skimmer. He smoothed it out, tamped it down a little, and put the pool back together. He said we may have a few wrinkles in the liner at most, but it would hopefully fix the problem. What had happened was water had seeped under the bottom rim of the pool and got the sand/lime dust that was underneath the liner, wet. He said it may or may not dry out, and if it didn't, we would have to put more sand underneath, and a new liner in next season. After today, we can still feel the sinkholes, but they don't look as prominent as they did before. I am praying that the sand underneath will dry out, as a liner will probably cost around $500 with labor to replace it, and we already have sunk over $7000 into this pool with materials, decking, and filling it twice.

I sure hope someone comes on here soon and explains some things, and will let me know if it will truly every dry out and not sink further. We have built a retaining wall and french drain around the entire pool hoping to keep the water away from the rim of the pool.

Our pool retailer does not really accept any liability for any of this, they keep referring us back to the installer. The installer came out and fixed the first time, but said that it was our fault since we didn't build a cove around the base of the pool....water was allowed to seep underneath because there was no cove built.

[Chrissey]

Thanks for the reply!!! What I failed to mention was that the liner had slipped off during filling...the contract came back and put it back on...and it slipped again...he did not come back for over a week as the weather was cold and rainy...so I am now beginning to think that perhaps that may be what happened with us as well...our pool is also set on the downside of a hill..
But my husband did build a trench with stone diverting runoff...the installer did finally call back late last night after 2 calls to him...he says he will be here within the next few days..I am losing faith!