Excavating and receiving my 12'x24' this weekend. I'm Ready!... I hope

[zephans]

Thanks Dennis. I guess I need to find out what kind of blocks to get. I'm printing out the installation guide this morning for good "break-time reading" .

FYI: Confirmed excavator will be John Deere D35 with 18" or 24" bucket. There is option to get bigger "cleanup bucket" ~35" but I want to make sure I can dig. The rental rep said I can attach angle iron (or other long flat bar) to the excavator's thumb then drag it to level out the site once material is removed. I'll need to get the angle iron though. (I'll probably just do that Saturday ~noon as a break-time project once I get a chance to see how it will work.)

[bkwudz]

Good luck. I thought about installing my 15 x 24 a few years ago, and as a contractor i am sure i could have got it done. But after closely watching the crew that installed mine, i know for sure that i could not have done it as quick or trouble free. They were done in 5 hours and the install was dead on perfect. They worked like i machine, one guy clearing the site with a bobcat, one assembling pool frame pieces, one guy working on the filter and then onto other tasks. Our install was $900, i just question how much your really saving doing it your self, if you didn't have to rent a machine for $500 i could definitely see it, but then again we all like to play with large earthmoving equipment every now and then

[hrsdennis]

Bk, What a thing to say to someone about to tackle such a big project on his own.

I do have a couple of opinions on that line of thought. I do in a few hours what a first timer would take from three days to three weeks to do. I walk into many disasters that took weeks of hard work only for me to say I will have to take it all down and redo correctly. It is just not for everyone.

If an experienced installer can be found at a reasonable price then that would sure be a good option. That is hard to find in all areas.

A do it yourself project is in many situations the way to go. And I figure that if this forum is on standby it is no longer a do it yourself job, it’s like lets all do it. We do make a difference.

I spent several days fixing my wife’s sewing machine, many years ago. When she got it back from the shop the repair man advised her to never let her husband touch the machine again. If I had had a forum to go to I could have done it right, I’m sure I could have.

I remember my first garage door opener, the install price was sixty dollars. Three days later I had installed it myself, saved the sixty and had that great pride that I did it myself.

My backup truck is an F250 with nearly three hundred thousand miles on it. It has never been in a shop. So it takes me half a day to change a water pump when a shop could do it in forty five minutes, no one touches my truck.

I’m just saying, I have total compassion and understanding for those that hire and those that don’t.

Zephans, the blocks needed for under the braces are just standard patio pavers. They can be 12 x 12 or 8 x 16 at about 1 ½’ to 2’ thick.

Have a good weekend, don’t forget the pics. Dennis

[CanuckPool]

I totally agree with you Dennis... everyone has a different level of handyness, I installed my garage door opener too, its so darn easy and fun, and saved a few bucks. Decks, fences, pretty much anything with wood is good too. But I take my hats off to someone who wants to install a pool themselves for the first time, thats courage! Things can go great, but things can go horribly wrong, and the best laid plans can take 3,4 even 10 times longer than expected, especially when you find out you need this tool or that material, trips to the hardware store can eat into your day BIG TIME.

zephans I wish you luck and hope everything runs smoothly... and that you don't run into any thing "difficult" while you are digging.

[CanuckPool]

I didnt see where you alotted time to install your equipment/electrical/gas/plumbing? or is it a lot easier on an AGP?

[NWMNMom]

Our best advice on pool building is ALWAYS reasearch and NEVER rush.

[matt4x4]

What it boils down to is each and everyone's abilities, but more so, each and everyone's proper judgement of their abilities!!!
My in laws keep thinking there isn't ANYTHING I can't do - a nice thing for someone to think of you, however, the way I see it is they just haven't asked me to do something I'm unable to do - a VERY BIG DIFFERENCE!
Deciding whether or not to build my own pool was a daunting task at first, once I looked it all over, the hardest part seemed to be getting the liner in right - to this day, I feel that it still is the hardest part of the job - getting something level isn't hard given the right tools, setting up the wall isn't hard - it's somewhat physically demanding, but not hard, installing the equipment - probably the easiest part of the job for me because I like messing with mechanical stuff.