Thanks everyone for the input so far!

A few things:
we live in Illinois, so we definitely deal with the freeze/thaw cycles! The frost line is something like 42" (at least that's the depth deck footings need to be to meet code.) Wonder how that will affect the pool. Now the kids are asking for a deeper end -- don't know if that's better or worse for potential pool "heaving" due to freeze/thaw cycles.


What happens if the liner gets a leak -- would the water just sit between the liner and the pool wall and begin the rusting process? Seems like it would be the same whether it's tar coating the outside or slurry. (BTW -- Doughboy installer said that, although not necessary, we could slap on some tar once the pool is up and filled, and before they come back to fill the 1' space with slurry.)

I'm wondering too if I should plan to lay some drain tile to catch any water from higher in the yard that otherwise would treat the pool buried 24 inches in the ground like a dam -- then i'd have connecting drain tile run away from the pool, still in the general run-off direction but to a lower point in the yard than the bottom of the pool.