A cavat for anyone buying a new pool

[slhalufska]

I've got a question I hope someone can answer, like yesterday! I just had a fiberglass pool installed this weekend. I researched the product, including the manufacturer & the pool installer. We elected to DIY in order to save enough to get everything we wanted in the project. After muddling through many, many setbacks - excavators who backed out at the last minute, one after another and a crane that showed up with a boom approx. 15' too short, we finally got the pool in. Only problem is . . . . . it's not level. there's a difference of 3.5" between the shallow & deep ends. I spoke to the 2 installers at length during the final stages, as the level difference became increasingly evident. I insisted on speaking to the owner before relinquishing the final check. They all basically told me the same thing - it's not uncommon for a fiblerglass pool to be off like that. That you can compensate for it by building up a "tile wall" on the "off" end to make up for the difference. The water line tile goes over that & you're not supposed to even notice when done. Only problems I see with that solution are: How much tile do you think THAT's going to add to the project? AND what happens when the shallow end - the one that is 3.5" HIGHer than the deep end - is kept full enough for the spa jets & skimmer? Seems like the deep end will get flooded, which may result in water seeping down between the outer wall of the shell & the earth below the concrete deck! . I'm thinking that this is NOT a good thing. I don't want to jump to any conclusions without the facts. My deck is scheduled for deck & form next week, but I'm really feeling like the pool needs to be drained, lifted & reset in a more level base before finishing the project. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks

[mbar]

I have a fiberglass pool, and the pool is level. I would go back to the people that excavated it, and find out what went wrong. I never heard of "building a tile wall to compensate" that's rediculous! I would make sure it is fixed before you do anything around it - even if you have to get it raised by a crane again - because if you don't fix it now - you will never be able to fix it, and a good fiberglass pool should last a lifetime. I have mine for 7 years, and it is just as good as the first year I had it put in. Don't let them talk you out of having it fixed. Of course this is my own opinion, I don't know the leagal aspects of what you can do. Best of luck, and stick to your guns!

[waste]

I fully agree with mbars' assesment of the situation, get it right before! the deck goes down. Speaking of which, aren't you rushing the deck? If you pour it next week, without proper settling/ compaction, the 3.5" won't be noticed by anyone trying to get across the cracked and sunken deck I can appreciate that you want the project done NOW, but this is a lifetime investment and getting everything done correctly will save you tons of headaches in the years to come.

Congrats on the new pool!