My thoughts on building my AG pool...

[robot9000]

Hey all, I'm in the middle of building my AG 15x30 Quest. I thought I'd share some thoughts on the install and maybe ask some questions.

First off, leveling the ground was much more work than I anticipated. I have a fairly level backyard, but digging up sod and making the whole thing levels is a lot of work. I got a Transit to make sure I was keeping the thing level and that helped a LOT. But still a LOT of work.

In the instructions, it says to buld the butress free supports, and assemble them, the straps and some pressure plates (thick metel plates that connect at the pool bottom of the butresses. Not sure what they will do...) In anycase, it then says to sink this level with the ground. How in the world they expect you to move this whole thing out of the way to dig the trenches for them is beyond me !! And then to dig down additionallly for the patio blocks in the back? With this massive 15x 20something structure that weighs several hundred pounds in the way? Needless to say, they are a bit vague on the details here.

Needless to say, I measured and placed each support in place and built as I went. It all worked out, but I did stuff out of order. Do they actually TRY their instructions before they begin? Many parts of the instructions are way too vague. "Add sand to a depth of 3 inches" Um, you give me all this detail on other pool attributes, you can't throw me a bone on how much sand to buy? Or maybe a pointer on how to go about leveling it? Geeze Louise....

Putting in and leveling the patio blocks for the other uprights is again more tedius than I thougt. Maybe I'm being too anal, but I'm using the transit and making sure everying is witin 1/4 inch all the way around.

I found, upon removing the soil, the remenants of a stump. Well, not the stump. but several decaying roots, each around 2-4 in in diameter! I dug these out so that the ground wouldn't sink under the weight of the water. Once I chased them to about 6 inch under the hard pack soil, I back filled with some base material my neighbor is using for his paver patio. I hand tamped that and then doused it with water last night to try and get it to settle as much as possible.

So, that was the progress so far. About 5 days in so far.

Now, a couple of questions:

I am starting to put the sand in the middle. I plan on putting up the wall tomorrow. So....if I use a plate compactor to make sure my base is solid, um, how do I get the compactor out? Lift that bad boy over the wall? I guess I could, but you know, they make them heavy for a reason

Also, what is a good way to level/smooth the sand? 12 ft 2x4 and a lot of patience? Do you guys put in a small board to kneel on? Guess I'm looking for pointers here.

I hope to get the sand and liner in by Friday and start filling. But everything is taking twice as long as I thought so maybe not

Thanks !!!

[CarlD]

mostly it's just old-fashioned elbow grease as you have found out.

Leveling: There are a bunch of ways, but all sort of follow this:
String mason's line really, really tightly exactly 3 1/2" above the level that you want the sand. Level each line with a string level so that both are level and the same height.
Make sure your straight-edge is straight (You can look down the edge and see this). Now using the lines as guides, use the straight-edge to level the sand.

There are 88 bazillion ways to vary this method but they are all the same in principle.

[matt4x4]

Sounds like you're well on your way!
As for the compactor, you do NOT need it for compacting your sand base, really, a compactor is just needed if you are filling instead of removing dirt, and tehn, you really just have to compact so that where the wall sits will not sink.
The remaining sand is to be spread out and raked smooth, you can tamp it down but don't need to since the weight of the water will do that for you.

[kalan]

Hi, it seems that you are farther along for this tip to help you but I found the way my installers dug my pool quite ingenious. We are in an all clay area in Mich. and the installers dug the hole for the pool with a power sod cutter! they kept going around and around cutting 2" deeper each time till they hit the proper level. In my yard the end (15x30 oval) closest to the house is buried almost 18" and at the other end is a deep section. All done with a sod cutter. I never would have believed it had I not seen it. In all they hauled out 14 yds of dirt and installed the pool in 2 days. That was 14 yrs ago. Still on the same liner.
Ken

[posguy]

Do not use a compactor, it gouges the sand. I am installing a replacement liner and have found once your sand is level, dragging a push broom behind you in circular motion starting from the center and working your way out the the wall cleans up the footprints well. Someone had suggested to me to water the sand, and sure enough, if you water it well enough it creates a very smooth surface.

Anthony

[robot9000]

Okay, I have all the patio blocks in and level. As an added bonus, I found another set of stump roots at the other end of the pool I had to dig out and back fill, hand tamp the snot out of and water to settle. Now we are putting in the sand and hope to put the wall up tonight or tomorrow and liner Thursday.

Again, much more labor than I thought, but its moving along...