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

[zephans]

Last year I spent lots of time lurking and posting a few times here on PoolForum.
Last week I finally ordered my 12'x24'x54" Diamond Star pool from http://www.sunenterprises.com
This week I've started manually digging my ~8" grade to get it down to <1/4" level.
This Saturday we've lined up 1 day rental of a mini-excavator (M 310) from Hertz for about $500 including tax and round-trip delivery. That ought to make digging much easier and much more fun! I could do it by hand but I estimate it would take me 5 hours of hard digging. This is supposed to be a fun project (and I'm still saving money going DIY).

This Saturday the Pool will be delivered to our curb... same day as my excavator rental. I've ordered sunshine to go with my all-day marathon too..


Here's my plan (please chime in with any thoughts!):
1. Friday: Finish planting stakes, measuring out level, and digging sample sections down to level so I know how deep to go with the excavator across entire area. Measure twice, dig once (with a big power shovel !)
2. Friday: Manually dig around sprinkler system supply lines or at least mark them so I don't whack them with the big bucket.
3. Friday evening: Read Pool installation manual and check pool forum for construction posts. Adjust rest of my plan accordingly (last-minute... I know!)
I must find the construction walkthrough hrdennis (or Mat4x4) posted some time ago that I remember reading. It was great (and probably in the sticky construction FAQ come to think of it :-).
4. Saturday (10AM?-dark?): Excavate!
5. Saturday 11AM-3PM: Receive 600+ lbs of pool (on 2 skids) from delivery truck right into my F350 pickup (2 people + emergency neighbor plan on hand to do this). Then use my truck as a wheelbarrel to transport the pool to my back yard. Excavator can probably help unload off my pickup .
6. Saturday evening/Sunday morning: Install bottom bracing and
7. Sunday if possible <TBD> Order (&pick up?) 2 tons (per sunenterprises rep estimated need) of sand/screenings, then spread it perfectly level.
Note I bought HappyBottom pool bottom and coving because this is my first major pool install and I think these materials will save me time (which is less available than money for now). I'm not planning to install any other barrier as area has been dug down roots of a well behaved grass lawn.)
8. Sunday (if possible) Level level level the sand, water it to help settle, then lay pool bottom and cove molding, and stretch liner out to start filling.
9. Start filling from garden hose and dribble in ~1gal chlorine bleach (12%?) with the water.
Investigate if getting a water truck to fill after bottom and cove molding stretched in nicely might be cheaper + faster.
10. Use starter kit Get a real test kit and start balancing out BBB from the beginnig.


QUESTIONS:
Q1: I need to find who has and can deliver screenings in North Bothell, WA (Just NW of Seattle)?

Q2: Can I use other grade of sand than screenings?
I ran acrost the recommendation to use screenings for pool foundation a while ago... need to go swimming around for that thread again. I also haven't figured out the best way of getting the sand into the back yard and into the pool frame... Perhaps best to get 1 ton at a time with my F350 on a skid pad then drive it into my back yard. (I have extra sod to cover my tracks if needed .)

Q3: Do I need to dig any deeper than level from lowest point to compensate for sand added for pool bottom foundation?
I'm digging to level from lowest corner of my pool site. I've dug that corner down ~2" to remove sod, but I'm not planning to go any deeper than that.

Q4: Do I need to use blocks under the pool frame columns?
I'll read the installation manual (and I think I recall reading a post that mentioned first-time installers should consider using deck blocks under corner columns). However for now I'm thinking I won't need them unless someone tells me it is a good idea or instructions require it. The soil is pretty solid hard-pan.

Q5: Emergency drainage planning?
I've never read anything about emergency drainage. My rec-room is about 2' lower and 20' away from the pool. I figure I'm toast (soggy toast) if the pool gives catastrophically so I'd better invest in doing construction right the first time. I can't really excavate a drain field between the two because of a huge blossoming cherry tree followed by a concrete patio.

Sorry for so many questions. It's crunch time for me.


Construction Conditions:
+ Compact hard-pan soil with occasional round rocks 2"-4" diameter.
+ Winter is mild freezing/frost "marine climate" in Puget Sound area (low 20 degree F with perhaps 1 week of snow is all we typically get each year)
+ Yard site is level to ~8". I'm fixing that to <.25" with lasers, levels, and power tools (per above).
+ Praying for sunny weather this weekend. Light showers might be involved so I've been tarping and digging when not at work this week. Overall not bad (ground >.25" is dry).

I'll post pics once I figure out how (or URL to pic site if not) sometime soon.

I'm READY! I'm also a bit nervous about what I'm overlooking for planning. Any thoughts and feedback replies are welcome. Here I go!

[zephans]

Oh yeah... I'll be checking this thread Friday, Saturday morning, Saturday noon, Sunday morning, and any time if I get stuck . Post often!

[hrsdennis]

Hi, my project for the weekend is a 16 x 32, in the ground with a 2' deep end. I will, however, be of as much help here as I can.

It sounds like you have a very solid plan. Your ground must be level, no extra digging for sand. The straps need to go across the pool at grade level.

Once the wall is up, then you install cove, spread sand and lay happy bottom.

Blocks should only be needed at the backs of the side braces.

Have a great weekend, Dennis

[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.