Using Sand to fill low spots in Concrete bottom?

[shep377]

Hello - I just joined to forum to learn a bit more. I am nearing the completion of my inground pool project which as been going for over 6 months now! I wish I had found this forum before I started... would have saved a lot of headaches. 18x36 inground kidney w/deep end.

I have been sanding and grinding for a few days now trying to get everything perfect. I was wondering about putting some sand on the bottom or self levelling cement or something like that to make it perfect before I put down the liner. Perhaps there is another idea... liner pad?

I have a few days... we are putting in the liner on Monday.

Thanks everyone!

[PoolDoc]

I'll ask Waste to take a look; he knows more about liners than the rest of us put together.

BUT . . . he'll be MUCH more likely to be able to help you if you post pictures using Photobucket, Webshots, Flickr or Picasa before he takes a look.

[GaryT]

Sand might shift when installing the liner.

[waste]

Welcome to The Forum!

Please don't use sand! (Sand won't just stay in the divots, it will travel all under the liner and you'll be able to see and feel all the grains under the liner.) Speaking of which, about the best thing you can do, for any liner install is sweep the floor 3+ times before you drop the liner - a grain of sand beneath the the liner , will look like a 1/4" pebble - under the right lighting.

What I would suggest is a vermiculite mix for leveling the low spots. (If you need info on mixing and apply7ing verm, let me know and I'll do my best to describe the process. If you do go with the verm, pick up a 'wood float' (wooden smoothing tool) and a trowel (a 'pool trowel', with rounded ends works best, but you could get away with a regular rectangular trowel).

I'll let you respond before I belabour this more

[shep377]

Thanks all! I ended up using a portland mix and troweled all the little spots I was feeling fussy over. I dropped the liner yesterday and got it filled up. I am still a little nervous about everything - it's all pretty new and "what if" I screw it up somehow? Anyway, confidence with practice.

I am now trying to get my solar system plumbed and running. I put about 1000' of tubing into my stamped concrete deck (which gets very hot in the sun) with the intent of claiming some of the heat for the water, while cooling the concrete down a little. I have the in and out of this big loop running back to my return lines. I am trying to figure out valve positions so that water will be forced through the solar system and back into the return lines and into the pool. I was trying to get a piece of clear pipe or a flow meter or something so I can see how much water I am forcing through the smaller loop and make sure it is not too much! I'll attach a picture of what I am trying to do... anyone have any suggestions based on experience?

Actually I can't post a picture of what I am trying to do! I have a great drawing I have been working on, but I don't have access yet to post a drawing.

MODERATOR: May I please have access?
Cheers

[Watermom]

Sorry, but we don't allow attachments to be added but you can either take a picture of the drawing and post it using photobucket, flicker, picasa or the like or send it to poolforum@gmail.com. If you email it, please reference the URL of this thread.

[shep377]

Thanks - I will try and post this in the appropriate location in the forums now... I have a photobucket account