Above Ground Pools. Drainage And Backfill.

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Above Ground Pools. Drainage And Backfill.

Posted by Nathan Edwards

Edwards Pools, Above Ground Pools This is a subject that I discuss with many people regarding above ground pools. The majority of people looking at an above ground pool don’t think about this, and for good reason.

Why would I need to think about backfill around an above ground pool? It sets above ground right? Yes they do, and they are not designed to be buried in the ground. So what causes the issue with backfilling?

Nobody’s yard is perfectly level!

It would be nice if you could peel the sod off of the spot where you want an above ground and be good to go. It doesn’t work that way though. Of the hundreds of above grounds we have built, maybe a handful we did this with. Pretty much all above grounds have to have the hole dug down on one side to level the yard. Whether it is 6” or 26”, now you have a hole for ground water to run into. I have seen extreme cases where the yard was out of level 4’ or even 5’. At that point you really need to plan on doing some type of retaining wall around the pool.

So because of the slope in your yard, one side of your pool is setting down in the ground. Once the pool is completely full of water you need to backfill in around the pool with dirt. There will always be an over dig of around 2’ around the pool. This is the area that needs backfilled. You fill this area in with dirt, back up to the original ground level.

DO NOT use gravel for this process!!

With the dirt you are creating a water barrier for the pool. You want ground water to flow around your pool. If you do not backfill or use gravel, the water flows down into the over dig and runs under the pool. This will cause your sand to divot and wash out over time.

You want to backfill all the way around the pool. Cover up the bottom rails and plates with a layer of dirt to make the water barrier. Once your pool is installed, your installer will be able to explain what you need to do. You can now see what needs to happen with any backfill.

Why do you need to backfill an above ground pool? Because very few yards are level and you have to deal with any ground water coming through your yard. You want the water flowing around your pool, not under it.

Nathan Edwards

Tags: Aboveground Pools, Edwards Pools, Pool Construction

Comments

I have about 3 feet taken out on one side and only a few inches on the other side. I am putting in a 15x30 oval. for the side with the 3 feet taken out, can I just backfill in the whole area with dirt? I was told I probably need to do a retaining wall or leave some gap between the pool and where the remaining dirt would be. If you can backfill it in with dirt, wouldn't you run the risk of caving the pool in if you ever have to drain it? Thanks!

Posted @ Wednesday, June 29, 2011 7:21 PM by Kevin K

Kevin
If you are down in the ground 3 feet you should probably look at options such as a retaining wall. The rule of thumb we go by is if you are over 2 feet in the ground you need to think about how you want to backfill. Once you get over 2 feet, half of the pool is down in the ground and above ground pools are not designed to hold back that much pressure. Yes there is a good possibility that you can cave in the pool wall if you backfill the pool up to 3 foot deep.

Posted @ Wednesday, June 29, 2011 8:19 PM by Nathan

just had a new resin pool installed, with lotsa difficulty, now we got a trench all the way around and on the house side the pool is about 16 inches deeper in ground is it ok to backfill with the excavated dirt, and do we put plastic against the pool first or rock underneath?

Posted @ Sunday, July 17, 2011 10:42 AM by Doris Parker

Doris, if your pool is 16" in the ground at one point of the pool, it will not hurt to backfill back to the original grade level. You do want to backfill with dirt. No gravel. The purpose of using dirt is to create a water barrier so that water does not flow into the overdig area and wash under the pool, washing out the sand. If you backfill with gravel water will flow through the it and under the pool. You can put down plastic sheeting against the pool to create a barrier for the dirt. This can help prolong the life of the pool wall. Thank you for your questions and checking out our website.

Posted @ Sunday, July 17, 2011 3:34 PM by Nathan

We buried our pool all the way in the ground. I coated the outside with a quality sealer and backfilled with dirt. I connected stainless steel cables to the pool supports and steel anchors on the other end. The anchors were buried 6 ft away from the pool and will serve to support the sides, if we have to change the liner. We are in Florida, so the soil drains very well. We poured a concrete deck, all the way around the pool and most people don't realize it's an aboveground pool. We filled the pool with water, backfilled and let the dirt settle on it's own, for a week. We ran a water sprinkler, to help pack the dirt. Once the ground settled we leveled the ground and compacted the top soil. Then we poured the concrete. We have no signs of collapse, after 6 months. We are very happy with the way it all turned out and it was 1/3 the cost of a traditional in ground pool!

Posted @ Thursday, July 28, 2011 7:36 AM by John Curtis

John,
Thank you for reading our blog and your comment. It sounds like you went the extra mile to make sure you could bury your pool without having problems. I am happy that it worked out for you. In Florida with the sandy soil you do have good drainage which helps in be able to do what you did. With the tiebacks and the anchors it sounds like you are set. In saying that though as a pool professional I would not recommend completely burying an above ground pool. From my end of it, it voids any manufacture warranty and is not engineered to withstand that type of pressure. I am glad it did work out for you and wish you continued good luck with it.

Posted @ Thursday, July 28, 2011 5:37 PM by Nathan

In reading the above, I am wondering at what point one needs to forget backfilling and use a retaining wall. My ground is out of level by 28 inches. Is that too much for a dirt backfill? That's easily half the depth of the pool. Thanks.

Posted @ Saturday, July 30, 2011 3:38 PM by Mike

I am having landscapers build up one side of yard and cut a hole into the other half of the yard where the pool will go. The concern is building a pool on land that has been built up (about a foot and a half) Retaining wall built around 3/4 of the pool area. Should I wait to put the pool in and have dirt settle or can the landscapers compact the ground and add qp to tamp it and level it?

Posted @ Sunday, August 07, 2011 9:14 PM by Robin

@ Mike. If you are out of level 28 inches you are right on the verge of needing to look at a possible retaining wall. My rule of thumb is 24 inches. If you are more than that in the ground you should really look at a wall.

@ Robin. If you have the landscapers compact the dirt you will be okay. I have built up low areas up to 2' with no issues. The key is to push the fill material at least 2 feet if not 3 feet out past where the bottom track for the pool is going to set. DO NOT have the pool setting right on the edge or there is a good chance that you can get some settling. As long as they push the fill dirt out far enough and make sure it is compacted you will be okay.

Posted @ Tuesday, August 09, 2011 2:48 PM by Nathan

I am installing an above ground pool. the only place for it is where I had a huge tree stump. I have removed the stump and all the roots that would have been under the pool and had to dig down about 2 foot below where the pool will sit. I now have to fill the hole and compact the soil. the soil is made up of sand stone which breaks up really easy and clay and dirt. Should I use a plate compactor or rammer/wacker to firm the ground and should I firm the 6 inches at a time. thanks shaun.

Posted @ Wednesday, August 17, 2011 5:27 AM by shaun

Shaun, thanks for stopping by our site and reading our articles. The wonderful tree stump and root issues. Sounds like you have done a good job getting rid of them. As far as filling in the hole, if your fill dirt is clay mixed with some sandstone and you compact it, you will be fine. Many times when we have had to dig out roots and stumps I use my Cat skidsteer to compact the dirt back in the hole, and it works just fine. Either the plate compactor or the rammer/wacker will do a fine job for what you need, and if you do it in 6" lifts it will be plenty solid.

Posted @ Wednesday, August 17, 2011 6:39 PM by Nathan

We have a rectangular pool with 20" dug out on the one side sloping down on two other sides to somewhat level on the opposite side. Do you just backfill with dirt matching the existing slope all around, or do you install any type of drainage tile around it before backfilling? Thanks.

Posted @ Monday, September 12, 2011 11:22 PM by David

Thanks for stopping by David. My rule of thumb is 24". If you are less than that you would be okay to backfill with dirt to match the existing slope. You can install drainage tile if you want too. We normally would not install it. When backfilling with the dirt, that gives you a water barrier around the pool. The dirt will not let the ground water flow through it like gravel would and you do not want to use gravel. So to put in a drainage tile is completely personal preference and will not hurt anything, but it is not imperative that it is done.

Posted @ Tuesday, September 13, 2011 4:45 AM by Nathan

Good to know about your blog i like it.
Thanks for post.

Posted @ Monday, January 09, 2012 12:13 AM by In Ground Pools

Glad you like our blog.

Posted @ Monday, January 09, 2012 7:03 PM by Nathan

We just installed a 15x30 and it's almost 3ft in the ground, what type of retaining wall do you suggest, We are also in Fl

Posted @ Thursday, February 16, 2012 7:58 AM by Scott

Scott, what type of wall you build would be based on personal preference. If the wall is going to be seen you probably want to go with some type of landscaping block that will look nice. If were you need to build the wall is going to be under a deck that is built around the pool, I would utilize the posts for the deck and set them so you can drop some scrap lumber in behind them to form a "wall". Cheapest way to go if it won't be seen.

Posted @ Thursday, February 16, 2012 4:22 PM by Nathan

I am putting an above ground pool in ground. Can you please tell me what the ration sand/cement should be. thank you.

Posted @ Thursday, February 16, 2012 9:50 PM by john

I am not clear on what you are asking. Above grounds are not designed to be put in ground. I think you are talking about the bottom material for the pool though. We use a straight sand mix. Fine mason sand. The sand/cement that I think you are referring to would be a vermiculite mix. You hand trowel it in on the bottom. Sets up hard but is still soft enough that you can repair it if need be. What we use comes premixed in 40 lb bags. You don't need to figure out the ratio. Just add water. Hopefully this answers your question since I am not exactly for sure what you are asking.

Posted @ Friday, February 17, 2012 5:52 AM by Nathan

Nathan, I am truely impressed by your page and all the info. you have made available. I have an 18' round above ground pool that was installed 5 yeras ago by "profesional installers". Long story short my son and I were forced to take it down in order to avert a disaster. In reading all of the above none of the slope issue was addressed when they installed it. I put a level on the pool while they were there and told them that it was 3" off on one side. They said it would settle and level out. Just bought new liner and some other parts and look forward to the install that I will do myself with my son and my neighbor along with "Nathan's" page. Thank you so much for this page. Harry

Posted @ Saturday, March 03, 2012 11:53 AM by Harry Carrasquillo

Harry, thank you for the kind words. I hear the stories like yours all the time. I am glad you have found our site informational and wish the best of luck on your install. Of course if you have any questions feel free to contact me. Edwardspoolnathan@gmail.com

Posted @ Saturday, March 03, 2012 12:42 PM by Nathan

I have 20 ft round above ground pool,and have been working on growing grass in yard. With the kids splashing water out of pool,I am wanting to surround pool 2ft out with landscape timber and backfill with rock to prevent water from killing grass. What should I do to stop water from draining to under pool/liner?

Posted @ Tuesday, May 01, 2012 9:29 PM by patrick selba

My above ground pool is under ground from 16" to 10" all around pool. I am going to backfill with dirt slopping from pool to ground to have water run from pool, then top off with gravel. I was wondering if this would be too much presure on pool wall when changing liner down the road? Also will the dirt against the wall cause it to rust? Would you spray a water repellant on wall before backfill. Thank you.

Posted @ Thursday, May 03, 2012 12:42 PM by SCOTT

Scott, you should be okay only being in the ground that far. I would put minimal amount of gravel on top though. Over time the dirt will settle and compact and when you drain the pool to do a liner change it will stay in place. If you put a lot of gravel on top though that will shift and settle when you drain the pool and cause the wall to push in. Over time the dirt will cause the pool to rust. Even if a pool is not down in the ground though they will eventually rust. You can do a water repellant that might help slow down the process. I have had customers put plastic sheeting against the wall and then backfill against that to help with rust issues also.

Posted @ Thursday, May 03, 2012 6:57 PM by Nathan

My above ground pool is about 20" deep on one side. I backfilled with 10"-12"I of clay and the rest limestone. I plan on pouring a cement patio around half of the pool. Is it safe to just pour right up to the pool or should I build fourms a certain distance from the pool. Thanks for the blog.

Posted @ Saturday, May 05, 2012 6:26 AM by Russ

Russ, I would not pour your concrete against the pool. It is a little extra work but I would set forms back a couple of inches. You can follow the shape of the pool with the forms but I would not pour against the pool. The other thing you might think about is having put 8-10" of limestone around the pool as part of your backfill. With that much gravel, when you have to drain the pool at some point down the road to change the liner the gravel could cause your wall to push in. Dirt will compact and settle over time and stay in place, the gravel even though it compacts will roll when the water pressure that is holding it back is taken away.

Posted @ Sunday, May 06, 2012 6:24 AM by Nathan

Thanks Nathan, I am a little concerend about the amount of limestone; however, a ran out of dirt and have about 20 tons of limestone sitting around. Lets hope for the best.

Posted @ Sunday, May 06, 2012 8:18 AM by Russ

Great site! I just paid to have my backyard leveled for a 24'above ground pool and built a 44" retaining wall on the high-side to hold back the dirt. When he leveled the property, he built-up the low end about 6-8" with soil and compacted it with the bobcat but the pool will sit about 10" away from where the ground starts to slope again. The ground slopes downward about 14" over a distance of 6' and worry about the pool causing the slope to fail. If I put in a second retaining wall to level the slope on the backside of the pool,do I fill the area with crushed rock or dirt? How much distance do I need between the edge of the pool and where the ground starts to slope? Thank you!

Posted @ Monday, May 07, 2012 10:18 AM by Noel

My husband and I just installed an above ground 24" round pool. Our first time. It's almost full of water now, but the water level is off by maybe three-four inches will this be a problem? Should we drain the pool and level the one side? It's not much really, but curious if there will be any long term effects. Thanks

Posted @ Monday, May 07, 2012 7:05 PM by Tracy

@ Noel. I think you will be just fine with the way your excavator dug your hole. I have done many just that way and they are fine. If you do decide to build a wall I would do 4" gravel on the bottom to allow for drainage and then have the rest dirt.

@ Tracy. I would drain and level the pool. You would probably be okay but because their will be more pressure on the one side, if you get a little wave action going from jumping in the pool it could possible cause the wall to collapse. At that point you have a real mess. I would try to get it to within 1" of level.

Posted @ Monday, May 07, 2012 8:03 PM by Nathan

hi,,,we just had our 28 foot pool installed and one side needs a retaining wall ,,but the rest of it goes from a little fill to what looks like alot of fill,,is it ok to fill it all back in with dirt so i have ground all around the pool and not a huge hole,,,some spots its deep,,is it ok to put dirt around the pool like that,,,my ground was very unlevel from the start,,they took from one end to build up the other side,,,now that side where they took from has a pretty big hole in ground,,,i dont know what to do.,,

Posted @ Wednesday, May 09, 2012 7:52 AM by terri

Terri, my rule of thumb is two feet. If the pool is farther down in the ground than that you need to look at some type of wall. You can backfill the area in with dirt up too two feet and be okay.

Posted @ Wednesday, May 09, 2012 7:06 PM by Nathan

I posted a question about a week ago about backfilling a round my pool no more then 16" slopping away form pool wall and the put pea gravel on top. You said that should be ok but not to put too much gravel. Is 2" too much or should I go with less? This is a great sight, thanks for your advice.

Posted @ Friday, May 11, 2012 10:24 AM by SCOTT

Scott, two inches of gravel will be okay. That makes for a nicely landscaped pool, without putting too much pressure on the wall when you need to drain the pool.

Posted @ Friday, May 11, 2012 12:23 PM by Nathan

We put up an oval pool (10'x15') on a flat spot of ground. We circled the pool with sand putting about 6 inches sloping away from the pool wall. We have block outside the sand to make a blockade. We are getting some flooding and am wondering about the sand being ok or not.

Posted @ Tuesday, May 15, 2012 9:25 AM by Joni

Joni, it is not a good idea to backfill with all sand. Sand will allow ground water to drain through it and eventually under the pool. You are better off to use dirt first to make a water barrier and then put a little sand on top as a landscape effect.

Posted @ Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:52 PM by Nathan

We had a 24' round pool installed in our backyard. Our back yard is very steep. We had to have one side dug down 50 inches. I built a retaining wall on that side but it is 12 inches away from the side of the pool. Can I fill this gap with dirt to keep out spider, frogs, leaves, etc.?

Posted @ Saturday, May 19, 2012 9:31 AM by Jack

Hi, I'm in the process of replacing a liner on a 28ft round Doughboy. My pool was orginally 4ft to deep end 6ft. I now want a pool 4ft to 5ft in the middle. How much dirt do I need to go up on the inside of my pool for the cove? Also how much dirt should be on the outside wall from the bottom? It's been many seasons since we have used it.

Posted @ Saturday, May 19, 2012 3:48 PM by Wendy

@ Jack. I would not fill that area in with dirt, that would be making having built the retaining wall useless. You can back fill around the very bottom of the pool up 6-8" but I would not fill in the whole thing. If you back fill in the whole 50", your pool is completely in the ground and will never hold back the pressure. That will void your warranty also.

@ Wendy. If you want to go from 6 to 5 feet you would need to fill in 12" of dirt. On the outside wall of the pool you want to at least cover up the bottom rails and blocks that the uprights should be setting on.

Posted @ Saturday, May 19, 2012 8:39 PM by Nathan

Hi Nathan, Thank you for your response to the question about the 28ft Doughboy. Maybe I need to clarify a little. I need to know how many inches the earth cove should go up on the inside of the pool and how many inches should I go up on the outside of the pool for dirt seal and support? I watched the video you made but didnt hear any specifics.

Posted @ Sunday, May 20, 2012 8:04 AM by Wendy

Wendy, thanks for the clarification. I wondered about that because I wasn't sure. We build a cove on the inside that is 4-6" high on the wall. On the outside you will back fill with dirt about the same. Could be a little higher depending on your grade situation.

Posted @ Sunday, May 20, 2012 11:51 AM by Nathan

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Above Ground And Inground Pool Information By Edwards Pools!!

Above Ground Pools. Drainage And Backfill.

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