Above Ground Pools. Drainage And Backfill.

Above Ground And Inground Pool Information By Edwards Pools!!

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

I bought an intex above ground 16x48. My yard is sloped but where I want to put the pool is flat. problem is years ago farmer installed a french drain that now fails(just rock base no pipe) The ground sinks along this stream line. How do I divert this water from running under pool?

Posted @ Monday, May 21, 2012 8:17 PM by Terri Z

Terri, you would need to completely get rid of the drain. That would be a lot of work so the easiest solution would be to put the pool in another part of the yard, if at all possible.

Posted @ Tuesday, May 22, 2012 7:12 PM by Nathan

Great blog....I have a 24' pool that was installed in 2011. No issues all is level. My concern is the east side which had some ground dug out that the contractor suggested be left there. I am concerned with the water that can pool there. I dug out to trenches away from the pool into the slope of the grade that goes away from the pool that are roughly 2.5' to 3' long and 6" wide.

Should I reconsider and backfill with dirt to match up to the level of the ground? or remove the excesss dirt that was suggested that I leave it? or leave it as I have it? If you have an e-mail I could send pictures as well

Thanks

Posted @ Saturday, May 26, 2012 7:44 PM by Josh

Josh, my rule of thumb is too use dirt to back fill in the overdig area around the pool. That will create a water barrier so that the water does not drop into the dug out area and flow under the pool. I would fill the area in if it was me.

Thanks for the comment about the blog. We try to be honest and straight forward with what we have experienced over the years. Get the information out so people know.

Posted @ Saturday, May 26, 2012 8:08 PM by Nathan

Oct 2010,had 24'X52" semi-inground pool dug down 42". April 2011 put a beautiful Composit deck around the whole pool., looks built in. Pulled winter cover of this April and a 5' section caved in about a foot at the bottom. Called installer and he removed the section, only to find that there appears to be an underground stream. not fast flowing a dribble, but adds up. He said this is the cause. called drainage guy he said that I have a very dense clay soil and to take the pool down dig out 2' around whole pool, put pool back and backfill with Gravel. Will this solve my problem?? Very skeptacle about answer and very frustrated.

Posted @ Sunday, May 27, 2012 11:18 AM by Judd

Hi Nathan, we were given a 24ftX48” round above ground pool. I believe it’s a Wilbur Seaspray brand pool. It was bought in 2008-09 by the previous owner. The bottom track is rusted but is still very solid. There are also some spots of rust on the outside wall at the bottom and around the skimmer. None of the rust is bad, it’s very minimal. I have read on other site’s that you can sand and paint the wall with rustolem paint and that would sole the problem. Also we have a 1 ft slope in our yard. That’s what my husband says. He was a home builder for 5 years, so I trust his opinion. We are installing it ourselves. Mainly me and my 13-14 y/o boys and some of there friends helping us dig. We have dug out the pool site 7” on the low end to have solid earth. We are going to backfill with the dirt we have dug out. We are going to use a laser level to level it. We have bought 3 yards of sand and have a new liner coming. I was planning on a 6” cove. Should I be worried about any of the things I have listed above? Any advice would be greatly appreciated !

Thank you so much for this site and the information you give!

Posted @ Monday, May 28, 2012 1:48 PM by Angela

@ Judd, I am assuming the pool you bought was designed to be buried in the ground. You said it was designed to be semi-in ground which means that it should have been built to hold back any ground pressure. I am not for sure how the installer was able to take out just the section that caved in? Was this a Kayak or some other type of wood wall pool? Without knowing completely what you have I can't say for sure, but I would lean more toward a bad install. If the pool was designed to be buried in ground, the installer should have dealt with any potential drainage issues when the pool was being built.

@ Angela, you are welcome for the site and thank you for the compliment! It sound like to me you have all your bases covered. I have seen many above ground pools with a little surface rust that we just painted over with rust-oleum. The pool could last for another 12-15 years potentially and you will get alot of enjoyment out of a free pool. Hopefully some of our installation pictures and videos have helped you, but if you do have any questions in the process, email me and I will do what I can to answer them.

Posted @ Monday, May 28, 2012 6:42 PM by Nathan

Hi,

We are purchasing a 27' X 52" above ground pool and would like to sink it into the ground about 20". We live in Arizona where the ground is very hard. Have you heard of any issues with doing this in this region? Can we just backfill using the dirt that was dug up to place the pool? Thank you so much for all of these posts...so helpful and we want the pool to last at least 10 years.

Posted @ Saturday, June 02, 2012 10:19 AM by Becky

Wow, I feel much better after reading this. I bought a pool last night and will be doing the escavation myself, with hiring a pool installer. I was told by everyone that even 6" in ground would cursh the pool, but my father has had his 18" in ground for 16 years now with no issues. He backfilled around lightly with hand shovel right to pool edge no problem. He even replaced his liner last year and all was good. As for mine, im going 18 inches with a 52 inch pool. Thanks for the real info out there!

Posted @ Monday, June 04, 2012 12:48 PM by Kyle

@ Becky, I have not heard of any issues, though remember I am from Ohio. Only issue I could see is if your pool is not designed to be buried. Most above ground pools are not, but there are getting to be a few out there that are designed to be buried if you want. You can backfill with the dirt you dig out. Just make sure that you do not void any manufacture warranties by sinking the pool if it is not designed to be.

@ Kyle, thanks for the compliment. Even though the perfect situation would be to not have the pool in the ground, nobody's yard is perfectly flat, as I stated in the blog. Once the pool is full of water you can backfill and be fine just like your father did.

Posted @ Monday, June 04, 2012 6:42 PM by Nathan

I read your advise about building up an area and have 2-3 feet out past the bottom of pool track. My question is do I need to build a retaining wall on the outside of the built up area? Thank you for your help.

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 9:01 AM by Brian

I live in Austin, TX and I just got a 24' pool installed 2 ft below ground level. The soil here is made of several thick layers of limestone and the hole had to be sculpted with a jackhammer and leveled with a 2" layer of crushed granite. Now I have the pool in the hole and a mountain of big rocks around it. I intend to use part of the rocks to raise the level 2 ft around the pool, so it will be 4 feet buried.
What kind of retaining wall should I build ?
The terrain slopes just a little about 1foot/15feet from the end of the backyard towards the pool.
After I build a retaining wall should I back fill with the heavy rocks and crushed granite or soil ?

Thanks for your help.

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 3:59 PM by Joao

@ Brian, you can build a wall if you want but it is not necessary. I would taper the dirt level back down into the existing grade and let it go. If you do not have enough dirt to make a nice grade then I would think about the wall just to help with the overall look.

@ Joao, above ground pools are not designed to be buried so you might check on any warranty issues. Is the whole pool sunk down? Are you building a retaining wall all the way around the pool? Not for sure how to answer your question because not for sure what you are attempting to do.

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 7:12 PM by Nathan

Nathan,
The warranty issue is not my concern the pool is already 3 years old. I want to build a deck with flagstones around the pool flush with the top of the pool. So I am thinking on a 4 foot high retaining wall close to the pool all way around that would be either concrete or railroad ties, and another retaining wall 2 foot high around the deck so I can fill the space between the two walls to get the deck leveled to the top of the pool. The second wall would be built with heavy limestones or gabion baskets.

Thanks

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 7:51 PM by Joao

On the four foot high wall I would use the railroad ties. They would be less expensive than concrete and since you will not see them in the end who cares what they look like. I would definitly backfill between the walls with a crushed gravel if you are doing flagstone. Will eliminate settling issues that would happen if you use dirt.

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 7:59 PM by Nathan

Great! I was a little afraid to use the ties because I have to stack 8 of them to get to 48 feet. Do you think if I overlap the ends of the adjacent sections passing a 1/2 in. rebar through them that would give more strength to the wall ? And last I woulld like to use part of the limestone to fill between the walls and compact gravel over them so I can reduce the amount I have to haul away. Do you think that it is fine ?
Thanks.

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 8:23 PM by Joao

Nathan,
I ask about a wall because I have dug down about 3 feet on one end and raised the ground about 2 1/2 feet at the other end. My concern is the tapered end being washed out over time by the weather.

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 8:56 PM by Brian

@ Joao, don't run the seams together. Overlap them by at least a couple feet minimum. Tie them together with rebar and you should be good. Using the limestone as part of your backfill will be fine. Just lay any bigger pieces in so you do not have and voids.

@ Brian, I was thinking 12"-15" that you had built up. With it being 2 1/2 feet I would look at doing a wall at least half of the way up.

Posted @ Wednesday, June 06, 2012 4:59 AM by Nathan

Nathan

My plan is to build a wall with cross ties about 2-3 cross ties high. Thank you for your help. Your advise and website has been very helpful in this journey of pool installation. Keep it going.

Posted @ Wednesday, June 06, 2012 12:36 PM by Brian

I have 2 questions. I am in the process of filling a newly installed 43x21 ft oval above ground with water. The grade around the pool at its highest is 33". could I get away with creating a slope in that 33" drop off with fill dirt instead of using a retaining wall. It would slope 3-4 ft long into the pool wall, which would be backfilled with 2ft of dirt, so the grade would be 33" down to 24" toward the pool. Also, you mention backfilling up to 2 ft, but I've heard 12" max from the pool seller(Watsons) and the installer said 16". I live in Ohio. I would love to be able to do 2 ft but want to make absolutely sure I can.

Posted @ Thursday, June 07, 2012 11:35 AM by Scott

I am pouring a slab of concrete that will be the foundation for an above ground pool. Should the concrete be completely level or have a slight slope for runoff?

Posted @ Thursday, June 07, 2012 3:17 PM by Mark

@ Scott, I think what you are wanting to do is perfectly fine. The whole pool is not down in the ground that far right? That is just the highest point at the 33". I have seen hundreds of pools back filled higher up than two feet. My rule of thumb is two feet, any farther and you should start thinking a wall. If we lived in a perfect world your yard would not be any farther out of level than twelve inches and you would not be worried about it. Last time I checked we did not live in a perfect world.

@ Mark, I would make the slab as flat as possible. You want the bottom track and plates to be as close to grade as possible. If you start sloping it, one side of the pool will need to be built up a little to keep it level, and then you run into settling issues.

Posted @ Thursday, June 07, 2012 4:29 PM by Nathan

Nathan,

Thanks for sharing your experience and advice. I am putting a 14’ x 48” round pool in a small back yard. My yard is terraced, and we need to back fill the low side. About half the pool needs to be over the filled area which must be raised about 16”. We have sandy fill dirt and packed it at 8” (water & tamp bar). Should I rent a vibrating compactor to do the top layer? My big issue is that I want to build a low retaining wall about 6” from the pool frame. It will have some corners and curves. My planed dimensions are 18” high, 7” wide, reinforced with 16” mesh made of 3/8” rebar. The footing will be 12” x 4” with 3 runs of 3/8 inch rebar and vertical bars every 16” (tied to the 3 runs, extending up to build the wall around. Do you think this will keep the fill back, being so close to the pool edge (6”)? Any comments about compacting the fill dirt?

Posted @ Friday, June 08, 2012 2:46 AM by James

James, sounds like to me that you are doing everything just fine. You have compacted your fill in layers which is good and should be fine. The wall is close to the pool but with the way you are building it you will be okay.

Posted @ Friday, June 08, 2012 4:54 AM by Nathan

Nathan,

Thanks a lot for your advice. Currently the retaining wall will require 92 ties to go around, skipping the section of the skimmer and water inlet. To reduce the cost of the retaining wall, can I backfill 2 feet to level the hole around the pool to the ground level of the lot, and then build a 2 feet high wall ? If so, since I do not have enough dirty, which kind of material should I buy to backfill ? Thanks.

Posted @ Friday, June 08, 2012 8:15 AM by Joao

Joao, I would not back fill the entire pool up 2 feet. It is not really designed to hold back the pressure. If it was just a small section of the pool, you would be okay, but not the whole thing.

Posted @ Friday, June 08, 2012 4:02 PM by Nathan

Hi there. I read all these comments and I think the answer might be in there somewhere. ;) We just had an AGP 21'/52" installed. One side is about 48" in ground on one side due to slope. Back side ground level. The high side is closest to the walkout patio in which we are building a deck which will cover the gap from the pool to the grass. Do we need to back fill that gap on the high side under the deck a little bit? Due to pressure I would think not. We will back fill the back and sides a little. Thanks.

Posted @ Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:05 PM by Lisa

Lisa, I would backfill 6-8" on the backside that will be covered by the deck. You want the dirt to create a water barrier so ground water will drain out around the pool and not run under the pool and wash your sand out. Other than that it sounds like you are doing the right thing.

Posted @ Thursday, June 14, 2012 2:55 PM by Nathan

my problem is i have a 15 by 30 above ground pool and its 30 years old but i think its still in pretty good shape to put in a new liner. but i had three pool guys tell me no. well last night i went out and bought a new liner and this pool guy i just talk to told me he wouldn't do my liner because i filled in the deep end. i was having so many complications on finding someone to install it i thought filling in the deep end will fix the problem and this guy told me he wouldn't even touch it. everyone i talked to just told me to put the dirt in the hole and i kept walking on it trying to compact it down. i had 9 tons of dirt delivered and we use about 7 of it. i have been using the sprinkler to settle the dirt and we just added the sand now because we thought we were done. i have friends that said they will install it but i rather have a profession pool guy do it. i know the dirt might settle a little more but i thought when they install the liner over the months the liner still is in the process of stretching so i thought it wouldn't hurt. the liner is a over lap one. the pool guy recommended maybe waiting a year to see if the dirt settles anymore and try next year. he said also i should of did 6 inches of first and than put some roto mill concrete in and than add dirt again , no one else told me to do this. I'm sure i don't have roto mill spelt right but that is what it sounded like he said. I am so frustrated i cant even see straight. The pool guys also said they didn't like how there was two spots of bad rust of rotted out but my liner lasted for 14 years and there were other rusted spots like that, that they put some type of metal sheet over it and it did fine. can you please answer some of my questions and i am glad i found your website.

Posted @ Thursday, June 14, 2012 5:17 PM by diane

Diane, I would have to agree with the other pool guys. With a pool of that age you are really taking a chance. You can put sheet metal over the rust spots but you still need to think about the age of the pool. What you are doing to fill in the deep end will definitly need to settle some more. With something like that you really need to compact it in lifts or you will be asking for problems. I personally would not mess with putting a liner in because I think it will be a waste of money. Pool is too old.

Posted @ Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:30 PM by Nathan

Thank you so much for this site. It is a life saver to us who have poor installers that tell us nothing. We had our pool put up today. The installer seemed in a rush and didn't give us any info. It is built in on a slope and is in about 3ft on the high part of the slope. I read the info packet I was given that says to backfill only 12" high. Thanks to your site and the great info I now know I need a retaining wall. He only left us a 1ft area around the pool to work with. My questions are with what and how would we build a retaining wall? How close to the pool can we put it? And if there is a small gap between the retaining wall and the pool can it be filled in with dirt? Thanks again for the wonderful site and helping us all with our questions!

Posted @ Thursday, June 14, 2012 9:28 PM by Jennifer

Jennifer, if you are planning on a deck I would use that to help with a retaining wall. Sink your posts for the deck in the 1 foot overdig area and then use some scrap lumber to stack in behind the posts. That will create a retaining wall for you to hold back the ground. Finish off with your deck over the top of it and you will not see the gap. If you are not doing a deck, then you would look at some type of landscape block to build a wall. I have had people use old railroad ties. With only one foot to work with it will be a little tough. That is one of the reasons we do this website is for the info. A little pre-planning help from where you bought the pool and your installer would have helped you out a bunch. That's what we have found out over the years, especially with above grounds, is that the pool store just wants to sell you the pool and basically tell you good luck. It's sad but it happens everywhere.

Posted @ Friday, June 15, 2012 5:21 AM by Nathan

We have a new 18x52 above ground ultra. We worked for hours leveling the ground but as it filled it was obvious one end id 2-3 inches higher than the other. Will this be a problem????!

Posted @ Friday, June 15, 2012 11:49 PM by Damon

Damon, yes you could potentially have a issue. That 2-3 inches could possibly cause the pool to collapse if people are swimming and you get enough water weight to hit the low side. That being said there are plenty of pools that are a couple of inches out of level and have never had a problem. I personally would re-level it just to be safe.

Posted @ Saturday, June 16, 2012 11:03 AM by Nathan

Sweet site, I have been searching for questions like this. We are wanting to put up a 18 round. My ground is off level 27 inches. I was wantin to build a retaining wall on the low side and backfill it in the get it level with the high side. Question will that be to much weight for the wall to hold. The wall was going to round with the pool but 3 feet wider than the pool. Should i put drainage tile in the low area where im going to back fill.

Thank You.

Posted @ Monday, June 18, 2012 8:29 AM by Eric

Eric, thanks for the compliment. As long as you fill in with gravel behind the wall, you should have no issues. That is pretty high to be building up, but as long as you compact the fill and put in drainage tile so water cannot build up, you will be okay.

Posted @ Monday, June 18, 2012 1:56 PM by Nathan

Nathan, Thanks for all of the great info. I live in Illinois and I am considering burying an above ground pool about 20-24". What brand pools would you recommend. I know doughboy has a line of semi-inground but they require a sand/cement mix to be poured around the pool, I disagree with this method. I would rather set a vapor barrier at the base and along the pool, backfill with clay, and vapor barrier at top to flow water away from pool. I figure if the pool is alumimum and resin or steel coated resin then the corrosion would be minimal. Patrick

Posted @ Tuesday, June 19, 2012 9:13 AM by Patrick

Patrick, unless if the pool you are looking to bury is made for that I would not recommend burying it that far. If you have too because of slope issues in your yard, that is a different story. We do the Ultimate pool as an above ground pool that you can sink down. The page is on our site. That pool is designed though to be buried and then you do not need to worry about your backfill. We do pour a concrete collar around the base if we sink them down to give the stability we want. You can take a look at one on our Edwards Pools facebook page that we just did. Don't know if there are any dealers in your area but for an above ground that you want to sink they are the way to go.

Posted @ Tuesday, June 19, 2012 3:34 PM by Nathan

Hi. Thanks for a great website... very informative. I had a 30' above ground pool that was at the end of it's life (we put an axe through it). We were going to fill in the hole (excavated to about 18" deep on one side due to the yard not being level). My wife has talked me into reinstalling another. This time we down sized to a 24' above ground, like the rest of the world :) We have the new concrete blocks (16) installed and leveled using a transit. They are within 1/10" all around. The pool tracks are in and we are about to drop the new sand in our hole. My question is... we didn't dig down into the old sand all the way down to the clay base and now I am second guessing myself. Should we have done this? The blocks and of course the bottom pool wall track is laying on the sand. The sand seems pretty tightly packed though. Should I move forward with the install or should I yank it all out, dig out the sand, and start over? I plan on repacking the sides of the pool, especially the dug out side, with soil, as it was done on the previous install. Thanks in advance for your help.

-Joe

Posted @ Wednesday, June 20, 2012 7:52 AM by Joe Jet

Joe, thanks for the compliments. Go right ahead with what you are doing. I have built many replacement pools while leaving the old sand right in the bottom. Sand packs very well any way and with the water weight from the old pool having packed it down you will be fine. On a side note, do you know how many people I talk out of buying 30 and 33 foot pools. I tell them, really you don't need a pool that big, trust me.

Posted @ Wednesday, June 20, 2012 5:39 PM by Nathan

Good day Nathan. As with most of these posts, the majority of my questions have been answered. The remaining question I have is in regards to the back fill issue. The high spot of my yard has been excavated 23" down with the slope going to level on the low side of the yard. I've seen that your rule of thumb is 24" is fine for backfill. My question is if that will put too much pressure on one side of the pool and ultimately shift the pool slightly. The pool is 33'x54". I have no problem with building a retaining wall on the high side of the pool. If a retaining wall is needed, do I back fill between the retaining wall and the pool to keep the sand base from eroding out from under the pool. Thank you for you time and assistance with these matters.

Posted @ Friday, June 22, 2012 10:56 AM by Donnie

Hi Nathan:

I live in FL.. I want to bury a 9' X 52" deep, round AG pool - 2' deep. My small yard is flat. Will I only need to dig approx. 11' diameter x 24" deep.. Set the pool, then backfill with dirt -or should I backfill with a slurry mix for wall stability? Also, will the remaining 28" that is above grade need any sidewall supports? I want to build a deck around the pool - so if you recommend some sort of supports above grade, they will be concealed by the decking. Your thoughts?

Posted @ Friday, June 22, 2012 3:02 PM by Bonnie

@ Donnie, you will have no issues with the pool shifting. The water weight will hold it in place. If you do decide on the retaining wall, yes you want to put a little backfill in between the wall and the pool. Only being 23" in the ground, you will be fine to backfill right against the pool though and not have to build a wall.

@ Bonnie, yes that is the size hole you will need. Burying a pool straight down when you do not need to can void the warranty. You might want to check on that. Most above ground pools have side supports as part of the pool. Don't know what type you have but it should have them already. Backfill with dirt not a slurry mix.

Posted @ Friday, June 22, 2012 5:08 PM by Nathan

i have an 18' aboveground pool and have dirt backfilled in around the sides. the low end is about 5 to 6 inches under dirt....should i have coated this with rustproofing before backfilling?

Posted @ Monday, June 25, 2012 6:40 PM by nicole

Nicole, you could have but I don't think it makes much difference. Most above grounds are hot dipped and coated with rustproofing material already. I have seen it done both ways, and have not noticed that putting another layer of rust protection helps.

Posted @ Monday, June 25, 2012 6:50 PM by Nathan

Hi Nathan. Really like your blog. Wish I had read it before installation! I have will need a retaining wall on the high side of the slope as it is 36" to the grade. I was told to put in corrugated plastic drain around that side of the pool and fill with gravel. You recommend dirt 6-8" up the pool which makes more sense as a water barrier. Should I put in the corrigated drainage pipe, if so, what do you recommend? Thanks.... Mark

Posted @ Wednesday, June 27, 2012 8:39 AM by Mark beard

Mark, you want to use the dirt as this will create the water barrier. If you put in gravel any ground water will flow through the gravel and under the pool. Once you do the dirt, then lay a corrugated drain tile around covered by a little gravel you would be okay. Do not fill in with a lot of gravel because when you have to drain your pool at some point the gravel can cause the wall to fall in.

Posted @ Wednesday, June 27, 2012 1:20 PM by Nathan

Hi Nathan, awesome blog. I wish I could send you pics of my install but I will try to explain it. I just had a 27' 54" round above ground installed and I am ready to backfill. My backyard slopes and the low side was filled in with 27 ton of crush and run gravel. I plan on building a retaining wall on this side. It's about 28-30" out of level. I don't think my pool was designed to go in the ground so how do I go about backfilling the high side because it seems like over half the pool will be underground after I finish backfilling it. Also i want to install a drainage system because of the rain water that travels down the slope, what would work best? I hope I explained this in a way that makes sense and thanks for all your help.

Posted @ Wednesday, July 04, 2012 8:28 AM by Delton

Delton, sounds like to me that some of your grade issues should have been addressed before the pool was built. You say the low side was built up two and a half feet, which is where you are building the wall to hold that in. Then the other side of the pool is still going to be in the ground halfway if I understand you right. My rule of thumb is too not backfill over two feet up the wall if possible. If you are going to be around that on the high side then go ahead and backfill with dirt. This will take care of any drainage issues with ground water. The dirt will act as a water barrier and funnel runoff around the pool. You can do a french drain around the topside if you want, but I don't think it is necessary.

Posted @ Wednesday, July 04, 2012 4:49 PM by Nathan

just installed 15x30 oval above ground pool, one side of pool and north end is 42 inches down, creating large pit in ground . am going to place a retaing wall and french drain around pool. can i also backfill deep side to prevent water from washing under pool? my yard really slopes from north to south, and small slop from west to east(backside).

Posted @ Wednesday, July 04, 2012 4:56 PM by pat

Pat, yes you want to backfill with a little bit of dirt to prevent washout under the pool. You don not need to be real high but just have graded so the runoff catches and flows out around the pool.

Posted @ Wednesday, July 04, 2012 5:01 PM by Nathan

Should you use Rustoleum on the outside of the pool for extra protection on the pool wall before back filling, or is that not needed?

Posted @ Friday, July 06, 2012 7:53 PM by Curt

Curt, you can if you want too, but it is not necessary. The wall and other pool parts are already coated with a rust proof material.

Posted @ Friday, July 06, 2012 8:02 PM by Nathan

I've been reading all your blog posts hoping to find the answer to my dilemma and may have it but wanted to check in to be sure? We are planning to install an 18' round above ground pool in my small backyard that has a slight slope (<24"). my husband is planning to bios up a 20' square with landscape timber, topsoil and sand to level the space. Then he plans on placing topsoil around the landscape timber to help keep them in place, along with posts through the timbers. Will this hold up the 18'x48" pool? Should we consider a dip in the middle to alleviate pressure on the side(s)?

Posted @ Sunday, July 08, 2012 11:53 AM by Leanne

From what I have been reading from things you already replied to we should be able to backfill our AG pool- I think we are just under 2feet. My question is what about corrosion of the pool wall? will it rot under the soil? Is there any concern or extra precautions to take when replacing the liner further down the road with a pool that is 52" backfilled 2 feet? Thank you so much.

Posted @ Sunday, July 08, 2012 3:19 PM by erin thomas

I have searched and searched for answers and finally happened accross your bog, Thanks. OK, I think I already know my answer but not what I wanted to hear. I bought a Westminister II. 27' x 54" deep. I want to bury it almost all the way in the ground. I live in Louisiana and my yard is mostly clay in that area I think. I know the warranty only covers it buried up to 18". I so want this to look like and inground pool and in the vacinity it is going will look aweful with a high wall. I see this done all the time and people have no problems. But with me if it can go wrong it will. Can not build a retaining wall around it. Is there anything you think I can do to bury this at least 36"??? Do they really collapse if burried and backfilled with more clay and dirt?

Posted @ Sunday, July 08, 2012 5:42 PM by Glenda Goodwin

Thanks so much for your expertise. I bought a Westminister II 27' x 54". I had planned to bury pool. I live in Louisiana and we have lots of clay in our soil. I so desperately planned to bury the pool and deck around it. The warranty only covers it burried 18". Do they really collapse? Even if I backfill with clay? Help?? Don't want a 36" wall right out my back door? I can not build a retaining wall. A friend is coming with his backhole to escavate this week?

Posted @ Sunday, July 08, 2012 5:50 PM by Glenda Goodwin

@ Leanne, yes that should hold up the pool. Most of the pressure is going to be pushing down on the ground not out on the wall so you should be okay. Try to compact the fill as good as you can or you can get some settling under the the pool.

@ Erin, yes there is the potential for the pool to rust. Above grounds are coated with rust proofing to help with that though. On average most above ground pools will last 18-20 before they start to rust out. At that point most people say, well we got our money out of it, and the kids are going, lets tear it down. You should have no issues down the road with draining the pool if you are 2 feet or less. The dirt will settle and compact over time and when you drain the water it will hold its shape.

@ Glenda, yes I know above grounds are buried all the time. They are not designed structurally to hold back ground pressure though. If you go up to 36-40" you would probably be okay, but I would not recommend it. As long as the water is in the pool you will be good. When you have to drain the pool down the road for some reason though there is a good possibility that it will collapse.

Posted @ Sunday, July 08, 2012 5:57 PM by Nathan

My husband just purchased a Heritage 15 x 30 above-ground pool. He started by building up the low end of the yard with first dirt & rocks, ran his dump truck over it all & then added about 2" of gravel on top. Building the pool this way voids the warranty but I am very worried about someone getting hurt. He assured me that the ground is tampered down enough and I read a comment above about landscapers building up an area but I believe it was only 2". Our lowest end is build up 8". In your opinion, is this safe for the pool construction. thanks

Posted @ Wednesday, July 11, 2012 10:54 PM by Renee

Renee, you will be fine. Building up 8" with compacting it in like you said your husband did will give you know problems. Depending on situation I have built up the low side 12-15" before. The whole key is getting the dirt compacted, and I think your husband has done that.

Posted @ Thursday, July 12, 2012 5:00 AM by Nathan

We have a 24' above ground round pool and just noticed that the water level it higher by the skimmer area vs the opposite side, about 5" inches. I also noticed that the ground underneath the skimmer area has a slope in the grounds liner. You walk and feel the lower wall area and it dips. Is this caused by water overflow ( with kids splashing etc/ water overflowing above skimmer level) is his an issue. We purchased ome with pool but hink its been here for about seven years. also pool is partially connected the deck (skimmer side). Thanks

Posted @ Thursday, July 12, 2012 7:13 PM by Lee

Lee, your pool was just built out of level it sounds like. With the dips in the bottom, it is probably just the fact that the ground itself under the pool was not level. It could be caused by water overflow if the pool was not backfilled properly. If that is the case, rain water over time could be some of the issues with washout also.

Posted @ Friday, July 13, 2012 5:00 AM by Nathan

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING OURSELVES A 22' X 52" ABOVE GROUND POOL. WE HAD GRAVEL IN THE CURRENT LOCATION WHERE WE ARE INSTALLING THE POOL. WE REMOVED MOST OF THE GRAVEL AND PUT SAND DOWN. HOWEVER,NOW THAT WE ARE STARTING TO FILL THE POOL THERE IS WATER ON THE TARP OF THE
WHERE THE POOL SITS? WE CAN NOT FIGURE OUT IF IT IS DUE TO THE POOL LINER LEAKING OR IF IT IS BECAUSE IT IS NOT LEVEL? IF IT IS NOT LEVEL DUE WE NEED TO START ALL OVER AND LAY MORE SAND DOWN? OR, WILL IT EVENTUALLY LEVEL IT SELF OFF? THE POOL IS WITHIN INCHES OF OUR GARAGE SO I DON'T THINK THAT THE WALL OF THE POOL CAN COLLAPSE. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE WATER LEAKAGE? THANK YOU DIANE

Posted @ Monday, July 16, 2012 6:49 AM by DIANE

Is it alright to backfill 14" or so in an area with heavy frost? Soil is a mix of clay and silty sand. A local pool company (who deals in my brand of pool) said no, it would void the warranty and the backfill would prevent the pool from moving properly during a frost heave.

Posted @ Monday, July 16, 2012 2:26 PM by Jon

@ Diane, if the pool is not full and running over the top, the only way for it to leak is to have a hole in the liner.

@ Jon, normally I would say you are okay to back fill the 14". Your local pool company knows the conditions in your area though, and if they say no you should listen to them. I would ask them for a better explanation than the ground heaving. Every above ground pool I know of needs to be back filled, and there are a lot of them in cold climates.

Posted @ Monday, July 16, 2012 7:00 PM by Nathan

I called a second pool company and they told me the same thing - no backfill and no fill placed against the pool, even against the channel. They told me to install a drain pipe between the retaining wall and the pool wall. So, if I were to dig that area out and install a drain pipe, what would I do with it once the retaining wall ends (ie: once the pool bottom meets grade)? If I just terminate it, wouldn't the pipe just fill with water? Wondering if I should trench the pipe out somewhere and stick into a leach pit filled with crushed rock or am I okay to just cover the ends with cloth and bury under gravel at the retaining wall end?

Posted @ Tuesday, July 17, 2012 7:57 AM by Jon

Jon, I would trench the pipe on out into a leach pit. That way you know for sure that the water is getting away from the pool. You would probably be okay to end it at the end of the wall, but to be safe I would run it on out.

Posted @ Tuesday, July 17, 2012 5:11 PM by Nathan

We just installed a 30ft x 54" round pool this past weekend. I am currently in the process of filling pool. I unfortunately was the lucky one with a small hole/defect in the liner winner. This was patched by the pool installers. As I am about to start the backfill process, I was curious about perforated tubing. I am about 16 or so inches deep on my of my sides of the pool. I was advised to put this tubing under the dirt before I backfilled. I guess I dont understand how the tubing will work if I am going from deep to higher ground. Suggestions? Also, after letting the backfill dirt settle, is it a good idea to place rubber or plastic around the pool and place rock on top of it for a nice landscaping look?

I am also off an inch with my leveling too---hasn't been a good week at my house so far. Can't wait to enjoy it though!

Thanks.

Posted @ Tuesday, July 17, 2012 6:44 PM by Kevin

Kevin, you can put in perforated tile if you want. It can help with draining water from around your pool. Back filling with dirt will do the same thing though. The dirt will be a natural barrier to funnel any water around the pool. You can use landscape rock to give the pool a nice look. Don't put more than a couple inches though, or it can give you issues down the road when you need to drain your pool to change a the liner. I am curious as to why your installers patched your liner instead of getting a new one from the manufacture if it was a "defect" in the liner.

Posted @ Tuesday, July 17, 2012 7:02 PM by Nathan

That was my question, and they said that had to go step by step before replacing the liner all together. Not happy but don't know what else to do. It was a pin hole/pen hole size. Hope it works. The pool is filling now, so if it continues to leak, they will be hearing from me again. Installation isn't cheap!

They recommended a perforated tube/hose because I am going to be back filling 16 inches. Not too expensive so will do both as it wont hurt anything.

Thanks. Recommend plastic under the rock after back filling completed?

Posted @ Tuesday, July 17, 2012 7:10 PM by Kevin

Drives me crazy when I hear stories like yours. It's a brand new liner. Manufacture will give the installers a new liner at no cost if it came from the factory that way.
I typically would not put plastic down, but it will help with weed control and certainly won't hurt anything.

Posted @ Tuesday, July 17, 2012 7:26 PM by Nathan

I am installing a 12X24 above ground resin pool beside my deck. There is about a 10"-12" slope away from the deck over the width of the pool. I do not want to drop the high side the full 10-12 inches because it will be too low in relation to the deck. I know the manufacturer says to dig down and not build up, to create your level surface but I have to think it can be done with the proper technique and materials. What would you recommend to bring the low side up.....layered sand compacted with industrial packer/wacker? How far out should I go with the shoulders or mantle? If I can do this it would also partially alleviate the backfilling issue that everybody seems to be dealing with.

Posted @ Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:24 PM by Barry

Barry, yes you can build up the pool with the proper technique. Whatever material you use, push it out past where the pool will set by 2-3 feet. Don't try to stop it where the edge of the pool will be. Once the pool is finished you can grade the slope back into your yard. I have used dirt with a lot of clay to build up, concrete sand, and what I call grits. Pea size crushed gravel with dust in it.

Posted @ Wednesday, July 18, 2012 4:42 AM by Nathan

I live on a slope down front to back but have a fairly level backyard area 40 by 100. I have a very steep downward slope going downward that meets this level ground. I would like to put an above ground 18 foot pool. I would dig out a chunk of the hill such that half the pool would be ground level and the bottom half wood be totally or near totally above ground. At the upper section that totally below ground I have a small 3foot paved walk way which is level and exits the lower back basement exit and patio of my house. So if I walked out of lower patio I could walk to the upper level with ground section of pool. So the pool would be installed fully underground tapering down hill to an almost or totally above ground position. The tapering would run about 12 feet top to bottom. I have a septic tank and leech field about 100 feet below where the pool would be. I want to do a proper pool and installation . One that is built to last and avoid problems. What advice can you offer. I really would appreciate. The family is wanting this bad and I am looking for a proper install. Thanks

Posted @ Saturday, July 21, 2012 12:47 PM by Chris

Chris, unless you build some type of retaining wall around the side that is completely buried, you will have problems. Above ground pools are not designed to hold back any back fill pressure, not to mention you will void any warranty.

Posted @ Saturday, July 21, 2012 5:48 PM by Nathan

I just had an above ground pool installed its 24 feet and it needed 19 inches dug out to level I paid to have it installed but now I have to backfill the pool myself which stinks because some of my ground is clay but I don't know what to do with the leftover dirt? Plus when I got in the pool the bottom is'nt smooth at all it feels like the surface of the moon and in someplaces there are considerable depressions I expected it to be much smoother plus the piles of dirt surround the pool and the back where it was level is a mud pit and the ground got all tore up I didn't realize most of my yard was going to get trashed. I paid over 1100.00 for the install and I'm really disappointed what should I do?

Posted @ Sunday, July 22, 2012 9:50 AM by Terri

We are in the middle of installing a 32'x16' used Doughboy pool. We just installed the walls and just realized that the ground around some of the pool is lower than the ground by about 8". Therefore, we have concerns that any heavy rains will wash out the sand under the pool and cause the walls to cave in. The ground around 75% of the pool is pretty level with the main, virgin ground. Should we build a swale? My relative told us not to back fill any dirt against the walls because it will cause wall failure and also rust out the walls. (we could use plastic against the walls or some kind of laquer though). Thanks so much for your help as this has been a very stressful, long project!

Posted @ Sunday, July 22, 2012 1:49 PM by Mary Jo

@ Terri, at this point probably not a lot you can do. Most above ground installations do not include any back filling. Typically that is the homeowners's responsibility. As far as the bottom being rough, I see alot of pools that way. Take a look at our video showing how we do the bottom, and maybe you could have your contractor come back and redo it. Worth a shot

@ Mary Jo, yes back filling the pool can cause it to rust out, but typically it will be 15-20 years for that. If you don't back fill ground water will eventually wash out the sand and give you problems.

Posted @ Sunday, July 22, 2012 3:10 PM by Nathan

Responding to our recent blog today about back filling around our pool, which has a difference around (3 sections only) of about 6". You said that the pool may begin rusting in 15-20 years. Our pool that we are installing is already 10 years old. Could we put laquer on it or maybe cover the outside bottom party with the old pool liner? Also, how do you level the sand in an oval pool before you put the liner in?? Is it necessary to have the sand compacted? If so, how do you compact it without renting expensive equipment? Thank you for your help! You are a life saver!

Posted @ Sunday, July 22, 2012 11:07 PM by Mary Jo

Mary Jo, I am thinking new pool. Yes I would put down the old liner or some type of plastic against the wall before back filling. That will help against rusting. Leveling the sand is something that can be done different ways. We have done so many, that we can eyeball it close. We use the hard edge of a broom to skreet it flat before we finish brooming it. Watch our video that shows us doing the bottom in a above ground pool. It's a round pool but an oval is the same concept. It is a good idea to compact the sand if possible. You can get a hand tamper, usually 8x8 or 10x10 and tamp the whole bottom. Wet the sand down some so that it compacts. Will take some time but better than renting equipment or not doing it.

Posted @ Monday, July 23, 2012 4:43 AM by Nathan

Our 24' aboveground pool collapsed, and we've just (this past weekend) had another installed in the same place. We have been having major problems with the setup and filtration connections. The new pool is 4 inches higher than the old pool leaving a big gap between the rim of the pool and the deck the old pool was resting on. Also the new pool now sits about 6 inches away from the deck leaving a huge gap between the ladder and the pool deck. Both issues are safety hazards. Caan anyone suggest a fix? The pool installer said to use 2X4s, but the pool is round and that doesn't sound like a practical fix. Can you help? Thanks!

Posted @ Monday, July 23, 2012 12:14 PM by Ellen

Ellen, your problem is the same one that everybody who replaces a pool with a deck runs into. The new pool will not fit back to the deck perfect, and you end up with gaps that you can not do any thing with. I alway's build the new pool at least 2 feet away from the deck. This allows the space needed to add to your deck and build it back up to match the new pool. With only six inches to work with it will be tough to fill in the space.

Posted @ Monday, July 23, 2012 7:10 PM by Nathan

We have an intex 14 x 42 above ground. We are about 2 1/2 inches from level. We are going to drain it as soon as we get back fom a trip. There is some popping with the supports, not loud and not a lot of activity. Just floating and some easy swimming. Will it be okay for a few more swims, since we would like to drain when we have more time and patience to do some more leveling?

Posted @ Tuesday, July 24, 2012 3:18 PM by Yvonne

Yvonne, I don't deal with Intex pools so I really could not tell you one way or the other. I would think if it has held this long that it will be fine. I would be gentle while in the pool.

Posted @ Tuesday, July 24, 2012 3:52 PM by Nathan

We are installing a 15-ft above ground pool 24'' below the ground.

We put in 4-inch drainage tile around the perimeter of the pool.

We were going to put pool sand 6-12-inches over the plastic drainage tile and then fill the rest with dirt up to ground level.

Is this appropriate to do We live in Ohio. Thanks, TZ

Posted @ Thursday, August 02, 2012 11:21 AM by Tom Zablotny

I have a question: I am purchasing a 18x33 pool, 54" deep. My backyard is, for the most part, level. I want to sink the pool in the ground 2.5' so the decking will not be so high. Ground is hard and has much clay. It is my intent to dig the depth with a 1.5' over-dig. I plan to place 4x4's in the ground to (later) use as deck supports. I plan to use treated boards for the retaining wall completely surrounding the pool. From there...I am putting 1.5' feet of back-fill leaving 1' and placing a weeping tile which i can then run out to a bed. Is this a good procedure of should I simply back-fill the entire 2.5' depth of the hole? I would like to bury it 3' but I am afraid to!

Thank you for any assistance!

Matt

Posted @ Thursday, August 02, 2012 1:45 PM by Matt

@ Tom, yes that would be fine for drainage around the pool. You might be voiding any warranties on your pool to sink it that far though.

@ Matt, sounds like you have the bases covered. I wouldn't go any farther in ground either. Even with making a retaining wall out of the deck with sinking the whole pool down you could have some issues. The one thing I would look into would be any potential warranty issues.

Posted @ Thursday, August 02, 2012 6:06 PM by Nathan

Nathan, thanks for the information and sharing so freely. We just had a 33' round installed and I was advised by the installer to put drainage around it. I think your advise (and experience) makes much more sense. One side is 24-26" deep, and our soil has a lot of clay. I think I'll go with some vinyl sheeting and just backfill with the original dirt. Thanks again!

Posted @ Sunday, August 05, 2012 8:47 PM by Chuck

Just had a 24ft round installed with one side needing backfilled up to about 2 ft. When backfilling with topsoil do i need to tamp it or just leave some extra for settling? Was going to use some plastic sheeting against the pool for extra protection or doesn't that really help? Also wanted to put some decorative stone around it, like maybe 2 or 3" is that ok? Great site btw! Thank you!

Posted @ Tuesday, August 07, 2012 2:31 PM by Brent

Brent, I would just let the dirt settle naturally. If you put the sheeting against the pool it will help some. Don't put any more than 2-3 inches of stone around it. Get to much and when you have to drain the pool it could cause you a problem. Thanks for the compliment!

Posted @ Tuesday, August 07, 2012 7:13 PM by Nathan

Nathan,

We are installing a 24’ round pool…I was reading the blog and you keep mentioning a retainer wall…I am not sure what this would be and where it should go…I am thinking of putting plastic around the pool before I put the dirt against it to prevent rust as the pool is already 10 yrs old…also when we dug up the ground we had to raise one side of where the pool will go and I did it with sand then we are going to back fill with dirt, will that withhold the weight of the pool (it has rained 3 times so the sand is really packed in)…how and what is the purpose for installing a center drain?

Can you give me all your suggestions on how to do this the correct way I have been searching online for days now ugh 

Thank you so much for your time

sandy

shoulette@us.nlmk.com

Posted @ Wednesday, August 15, 2012 11:17 AM by Sandy

Sandy, you would only need a retaining wall if you are in the ground 2 feet or more. Depending on how far up you built the low side it should be okay with the rain helping to pack it in. A center drain is a suction outlet that is plumbed into your pump and filter system that helps to keep the pool bottom clean. It also allows for very good water turnover. We have a couple articles and a video in the rest of our blogs that explain the drain a little more, and show the install process that we do.

Posted @ Wednesday, August 15, 2012 2:42 PM by Nathan

We are installing a 15x30 52" AquaLeader Influence pool. We would like to sink it approx. 24" into the ground. Which is better to backfill with, the same dirt that was dug out, or a slurry mix? Will the pool rust at a slower rate with the slurry mix. Is the slurry mix needed at all with the 24" in the ground or is it "overkill"?

Posted @ Thursday, August 16, 2012 11:06 PM by Jason

Jason, do not back fill with the slurry mix. It will cause you problems. Too much weight for the pool to hold with the water in the mix. If you are sinking the whole pool down 24" inches I would check on any warranty issues that could come up.

Posted @ Friday, August 17, 2012 4:04 PM by Nathan

I have a huge problem. We sunk a 21' round pool. When it was installed, the hole was dug, then the pool installed right on top of the dirt. Once the pool was filled, they backfilled with left-over dirt but that dirt doesn't dry. One guy says they start from scratch, taking the pool down, and putting sand under the pool. The other guy says dig out around the pool about 3' and mix with sand and put it back. Please help!

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 6:11 PM by Judy Bishop

Judy, not for sure what your problem is. Is the pool caving in? What do you mean by the dirt is not drying? Not for sure what to tell you until I know what the problem is.

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 6:33 PM by Nathan

The mud around pool was not compacted and there was no sand or anything put under the pool. The dirt is caleche (spelling?). What we think is happening is the mud around the pool is washing under the pool because of all the rain and is making it unstable and soft. If I step in it, I can sink down about 4 feet. I'm sick over this.

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 6:41 PM by Judy Bishop

Nathan, the men told me they see where one side is caving in. I only see it sinking down about 1 inch. They want to pull the pool up tomorrow, oput sand at the bottom, level, then backfill with mixture of the wet dirt and sand mixture.

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 6:44 PM by Judy Bishop

You will basically need to start over at this point. I hate to tell you that, but you need to have a sand base under the pool for the liner to set on. This is also the problem with sinking a pool down in the ground. An above ground pool is not designed to hold back ground pressure. If your dirt was dry you might be okay. With it being mud it is to heavy for the pool structure to hold it. I would start over, but I would taper back the edge on the hole all the way around to try and relieve some of the pressure when you back fill. If you mix the dirt with sand it will still be too heavy and cause you problems.

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 7:06 PM by Nathan

Thank you,, Nathan. I wasn't sure who to believe. What should they back fill with and do they need to put up a retaining wall?

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 7:09 PM by Judy Bishop

If the pool is farther than two feet in the ground I would think about doing a wall. They can back fill with the dirt, just give it time to dry out before they back fill.

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 7:14 PM by Nathan

You are a lifesaver. Any suggestions what to build the retaining wall with?

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 7:19 PM by Judy Bishop

You can use concrete block, landscape block, even treated lumber. If you are doing a wood deck incorporate setting the posts for the deck to be able to drop lumber in behind the posts to make the wall. This will hold back the ground for you and when the deck is done you will never see it.

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 7:27 PM by Nathan

I will pass this along to my new people. Thank you very, very much. Will let you know how it goes. And thank you for such quick responses!

Posted @ Monday, August 27, 2012 7:37 PM by Judy Bishop

Within the last month I have had an above ground pool installed,21X41 Ft. in my back yard. I live in an area where I have a huge slope. My street to the house is roughly 100, and the slope of ground is for every 10 ft. my land drops 1.5 ft. The back yard is the same. Within a few weeks we had a storm come through our area, where probably 8 inches of rain fell within a 48 hour period. The opposite side of pool started caving outwards in one area where the brace is. This was caused from a washout under the pool. I had installed mulch prior to this happening ranging from a few inches to 16 inches in depth around the dugout area of pool.Is there a way to fill in wash out under pool. I cannot see there was any damage done to the pool bottom being made from Pool-krete.Is there also a way to prevent this from happening again ? The original installer stated that they would like to poor Concrete under the bracing and the supports to strengthen.

Posted @ Friday, September 07, 2012 6:30 AM by Don Trum

Don, only way to fix a washout is pull the liner out and start over. You can try to pack dirt or sand up under the pool from the outside, and that will help some. Pulling the liner out is the only way to fix it right. You need to back fill around the pool with dirt. This will create a water barrier that will not allow rain water to flow under the pool. Using the mulch just let the water flow through it and under the pool. You can pour concrete to help stabilize the supports. If they are setting on solid ground with patio blocks under them, and you back fill properly to divert the rain water, they should be okay.

Posted @ Friday, September 07, 2012 6:47 PM by Nathan

Nathan, Thank you for the information. I will let you know how this works, after completed; we had another rain a week ago that dropped another 6" of rain. I was able to go around the pool with 20 mill. vasquine ( plastic ). and pulled the mulch way from the pool. This helped create a runoff in which I was able to divert water from.

Posted @ Friday, September 21, 2012 8:19 PM by Don Trum

Don, you are welcome.

Posted @ Saturday, September 22, 2012 7:25 AM by Nathan

We bought a 15 X 30 oval above ground pool. we where told by the installer to use 10 tons of lime dust for inside packing to sturdy the sides and bottom rails, do you have recommendations or have you heard of this and is it really necessary to do this. I would really appreciate your feedback on this issue.

Posted @ Thursday, September 27, 2012 11:01 AM by Gilbert

Gilbert, I have heard of all kinds of different things over the years. The only thing we use is sand. If you build the pool right, the sand is all you need to pack in around the sides and bottom rails. I would be a little concerned that the lime dust would potentially cause the pool to rot out quicker than normal.

Posted @ Friday, September 28, 2012 6:59 PM by Nathan

We had a 24' pool installed this past August. Our yard slopes really bad so they dug a huge hole about 3' deep on one side to level the ground. They installed the pool and put up a 2.5' retaining wall around the back of the pool. There is at least a 2.5' cleared around the pool where it's in the ground, then slopes at a 45 deg angle back up to the top. The pool installer said not to back fill because it could collapse the pool. His suggestion was to put in a french drain around the area that is in the hole, then put seed or sod on the slope back to the top. We will have a 32' deck put up that will cover up the side that's in the hole.The deck will only be about a foot off the ground and meet up to the pool. Is that a good idea? If so what's the best way to install the french drain.

Posted @ Monday, October 01, 2012 9:04 AM by Ron Benedict

Ron, you want to back fill enough to cover up the bottom rails and plates. This will make a water barrier so that ground water does not flow under the pool but around it. To install a french drain you just put down perforated drain tile so that it helps carry water away. If you do that in the area around the bottom of the pool and then build the deck to cover the hole you will be good.

Posted @ Monday, October 01, 2012 2:23 PM by Nathan

I am prepping my yard area for a 15' above-ground pool. I need to build up the lower portion about 12" at the lowest point. What is the best method to level out and protect against wash out or settling? Thanks, Doug

Posted @ Sunday, February 17, 2013 10:11 PM by Doug

Doug, if you are digging out dirt to level the other side of the pool, use that. I always pack it in with my skidsteer so I do not get any settling. If you are just building up the low side you need to use a crushed gravel covered by a 4" layer of sand. Too not have any washout you need to taper the grade out a few feet into your yard away from the edge of the pool. You can do it this way but you really are better off to dig the high side down to match the low side.

Posted @ Monday, February 18, 2013 5:48 AM by Nathan

HELP? We are in the process of installing an above ground pool, 16'x32'x52". We have dug out to sink one end of the pool down about 2 feet for level. Apparently we have hit ground water and haven't been able to dry it out enough to even finish the dirt work for the pool. This has been going on for a couple of weeks now and we are expecting more rain this weekend. HOW DO WE GET THE WATER TO STOP COLLECTING SO WE CAN GET THE POOL UP!!! HELP!

Posted @ Friday, March 22, 2013 10:54 AM by Robben

@ Robben - If you are hitting ground water, you need to stop. You do not want to set your pool on wet dirt, because your post will constantly shift, making your pool unlevel. Your pool is going to have to be above ground level; however, you can backfill around the pool, if you have room to build up your yard, without causing water to settle around your house. Good luck to you!

Posted @ Friday, March 22, 2013 12:23 PM by John Curtis

Just an update on our pool. As stated above, we buried our pool, all the way and poured a concrete deck. It has held up great. I drained it, completely, 2 weeks ago and had no problems. Installing the cabled, to support the upright posts, worked like a charm. One thing I failed to mention earlier- the manufacturer of my pool will honor the warranty, if my pool corrodes. Also, there are companies making pools, now, that are built to bury in the ground. I wish I had known, when we purchased ours, I would have gone that route. If I get 15 years out of my pool, I will be happy. My kids will be grown and out of the nest by then. I'm going to turn it in to a little fish pond and raise my own catfish and Talapia.

Posted @ Friday, March 22, 2013 12:31 PM by John Curtis

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I was afraid of that . . .So you're saying it will NEVER dry up? Luckily the yard slopes AWAY from the house. So should we put all the dirt we have dug out back into the hole and let it settle until no ground water is visible? Since there are no pipes anywhere close to this area, you agree that it IS groundwater?

Posted @ Friday, March 22, 2013 12:36 PM by Robben

Robben, John is correct. When you have groundwater you do not want to build a pool on top of it. You will only have problems. If there is no pipes or drain lines in the area it is definitely ground water. I would fill the hole back in, let it settle and build above the water table or pick a new spot if possible.

The Ultimate pool is an above ground pool that we started building last year that is designed to sink in the ground. I would check into that if you are wanting to sink the pool.

Posted @ Friday, March 22, 2013 4:11 PM by Nathan

It definitely has to be ground water. Where do you live. Keep in mind, the depth of the ground water changes. When you have a lot of rain it rises. I would stay at least a couple of feet above the water level.

Posted @ Friday, March 22, 2013 4:14 PM by John Curtis

I have a hole dug for a pool that is now gone. I am wanting to install an above ground pool in this hole. It is 16" at one end and 8" the other end. I have very sandy soft soil. All pool installer tell me you cannot install a pool after adding dirt back in the hole. But I am reading here that you can. Also, with the very sandy soil do I need drains at the 16" end. I am at a loss on how to proceed.

Posted @ Tuesday, March 26, 2013 11:58 AM by Holly

Holly, when I refer to building up with dirt it is only to level out a yard so the pool is not so far in the ground. In your situation you are wanting to add dirt and then build a new pool on top of it. That is not a good idea unless you allow months for the dirt to settle and compact. I would not worry about drains at the 16" end.

Posted @ Tuesday, March 26, 2013 4:19 PM by Nathan

We are sinking a 15x30 ft oval pool 24 inches in the ground. We live in the desert of southern Utah with sand and clay dirt. Can we backfill with this dirt or do we need to haul dirt? Also, should we add a plastic or paint or tar coating before backfill? Thank you

Posted @ Wednesday, April 03, 2013 6:59 PM by Kerry

Kerry, it is not a good idea to sink an above ground pool straight down. It can cause you issues. You can backfill though with the dirt that comes out of the hole. A coating on the pool will help some. The real issue though is potential cave in from the pressure.

Posted @ Thursday, April 04, 2013 5:53 AM by Nathan

having a 15x30x54 pool installed may 13th.the company will be doing everything from excavating to starting to fill with water. they will have to dig down approx 30 inches on high side down to nothing on low side high side slope will be against the side of pool not end can i just backfill the void or will i need a wall

Posted @ Monday, April 08, 2013 1:53 PM by ANTHONY

Anthony, my rule of thumb is if you are in the ground more than 24" you really need to consider tapering back the bank if you have the room, or building a wall.

Posted @ Tuesday, April 09, 2013 5:28 AM by Nathan

i do have room to taper back the area. would this be sufficient what about the area right around the pool should i backfill it to a certain height and then taper back to a smooth transition to where everything flows around the pull thanks for your help

Posted @ Tuesday, April 09, 2013 9:28 AM by ANTHONY

Anthony, backfill up 6"-8" around the pool and taper it back. Taper it into the bank that you slope back and you will be good.

Posted @ Tuesday, April 09, 2013 1:31 PM by Nathan

Hi Nathan, We have a 33' round above ground pool with a deck going completely around the pool. The pool is in the ground about 6" on one side for leveling. At the ground level, there is 1" thick foam insulation around the base of pool and then dirt against the foam. Every year I have to crawl under the deck to rid the ground of weeds several times during the summer months. What can I put under the deck (that won't damage the pool) to stop weeds from growing? My thought was some type of gravel, but how do I install it, if that is what I should use? Thanks for the advice and the great blog!

Posted @ Wednesday, April 10, 2013 11:01 AM by Shari

Shari, weeds under a deck are hard to deal with. I would put down the mesh type weed barrier and then put your decorative gravel on top of that. Rather than using a spray that is normally the best way to deal with them.

Posted @ Wednesday, April 10, 2013 1:36 PM by Nathan

I was curious if you have heard of anyone using flowable fill as an above ground pool base? I was going to use 4" of this material to pour a level base on top of clay soils and then place a "Gorilla Mat or "Happy Feet Mat" between it and the liner. Thanks

Posted @ Wednesday, April 10, 2013 7:17 PM by Aaron

Aaron, I personally have not heard of that for a above ground pool. I have used it on a couple fiberglass pools we have set. It should work the same as putting in a vermiculite bottom for your pool base. I think it is a good idea. Let me know how it works for you if you do it.

Posted @ Thursday, April 11, 2013 6:24 AM by Nathan

I have recently replaced our "18" round pool, to match the existing deck the installers, needed to dig down about 5-6 inches. How do I backfill and with what? Dirt , rocks or the mixed stuff they pulled out of the hole. Sand, earth and landscaping rock. The contractor said to but up a landscaping edge? Please help

Posted @ Saturday, April 13, 2013 11:47 AM by Bill bailey

Bill, you want to backfill with dirt so that you create a water barrier around the pool. If you are down in the ground 5-6" backfill to the original ground level and then taper up onto the pool wall a couple inches. At ground level cover up the bottom plates and track with dirt tapered up on the wall a couple inches also.

Posted @ Saturday, April 13, 2013 12:30 PM by Nathan

Nathan,

Thank you for your time answering all these questions, I have learned a lot!

I had chosen a 15x30 oval for my yard and the surveyor said they'd need to dig 35" on the high side of the yard (where one rounded side would be) - and that 3/4 of the pool (both long sides and one rounded side) would be buried more than 12" in the ground. The salesperson at the store initially said don't bury this pool more than 12". My deposit is on the "top of the line" - resin- AGP, but they do make one that is made to be put in the ground up to 36"- for an additional $3500 which is way more than I wanted to spend!

The surveyor said I can go the "cheap way" and bolt together some 4x4" lumber and then screw thick plywood into it and put that right up against the pool (though not sure how that works on the rounded sides) or that I can build a retaining wall around the outside to help.

My question is - what suggestion if any do you have and I am confused about what gets "backfilled in" around the wood (it's not just going to sit perfectly flush to the pool), or what gets backfilled within a retaining wall - I saw you told someone else that if you just backfill dirt in the retaining wall that there's no point in having a retaining wall. The retaining wall I guess would also then be buried 35" down? Maybe I'm just ignorant in this area, but aren't retaining walls made of fancy landscape bricks? they bury these down? Can't water still seep right through them since they are angled and have gaps?

The part I really don't understand is what goes between the retaining wall and the pool? I see you've said don't put in more than 24" of dirt...? I would build a retaining wall and then fill 24" of dirt on top? Then what goes on top of that - rock? Then I still have 12" to get it to the top of my lawn? I must not be getting this very clearly! Help!

My other thinking is to try to dig up some of my yard and level it more but this could easily be a nightmare... sorry for all the questions I am just really at a stand still here and need to make an educated decision soon as my install date is in two weeks!

Posted @ Monday, May 13, 2013 9:35 AM by Julie

Julie, I am sorry that your local pool store cannot help you out more in this area. If I was doing your pool I would cut into the 35" side and use some of the dirt to build up the low end. If the pool is going to be in the ground around 12" you will be okay with the back fill. You can build retaining walls around the end that will be in the ground 35". This will hold back the dirt so that the pressure is not against the pool wall. When you do that you do not fill in the area between the pool and the wall, it stays open. You will have a gap. If you have the space the best thing to do would be to create a level spot in your yard for the pool. You can grade everything back from that too create the slopes that you want.

Posted @ Monday, May 13, 2013 5:00 PM by Nathan

Thanks for the good info on here. I have a 30ft. pool with 16" dig on back half of pool. We have had the pool leak out twice in a months time this spring. I am assuming that with all the rain we have had, that the water underneath has pushed the liner up and out of the track. At least I think. I need to backfill asap to prevent water from sitting around the pool. I can see from inside the pool the outside ground and track and blocks. So the sand is just seeping out from the inside I believe. Therefore I think this is why I need packed dirt asap around outside. I plan on putting perforated 4" with sock down first. Then trench it in pipe 50' away. Do I need to bury it 4" in a trench or can I just put it on ground and backfill 6" or so with dirt and taper it away from the pool? Of course, I will backfill more on the back side. Thanks for anything you can give.

Posted @ Wednesday, May 15, 2013 8:06 AM by scott

Scott, yes you can just lay the pipe on the ground around the pool and then backfill over it. You need to get it back filled because the ground water is washing the sand from under the pool.

Posted @ Wednesday, May 15, 2013 6:18 PM by Nathan

I'm going to spray closed cell tigerfoam insulation on the outside of my pool to help with heat loss and to make it more ridged. Its very ugly so I am giong to surround it with deck. Think I will have issues? Thanks, Eric

Posted @ Monday, May 20, 2013 8:38 AM by Eric

Eric, the only issue I see is if you ever need to take it apart. Going to be a lot of foam to dig away.

Posted @ Monday, May 20, 2013 9:16 AM by Nathan

I'm installing a 15x30 above ground. When we stripped off the grass we discovered that it was all clay with no rocks.
The one side off the pool is about 2 feet and the other side is level. I'm going to install a retaining wall. I was also going to build up the area under the pool about a foot with gravel and pack it with a packer in 6" lifts, I'm going to make sure that the gravel is 2 feet wider then the pool area around the intire pool. Now when I go to back fill can I use clay ? I know not use gravel when backfilling but thought maybe clay would be ok since it wouldnt let water drain.

Posted @ Tuesday, May 21, 2013 7:36 PM by Chad

Chad, back filling with the clay will be just fine. That will create a good water barrier so that water will not drain in under the pool.

Posted @ Tuesday, May 21, 2013 7:45 PM by Nathan

So is all the other stuff I'm doing with the installation ok then?

Posted @ Tuesday, May 21, 2013 7:49 PM by Chad

Chad, yes it sounds like everything else is fine that you are doing.

Posted @ Wednesday, May 22, 2013 7:57 AM by Nathan

Post Comment
Name *
Email *
Website (optional)
Comment * Allowed tags: <a> link, <b> bold, <i> italics
Receive email when someone replies. Subscribe to this blog by email.

Subscribe Via E-mail To Our Blog!

Check Out Our Manta Profile!

Latest Blog Posts

Posts By Category

Most Popular Blog Posts!!

Check Us Out!!

Follow Edwards Pools!

Above Ground And Inground Pool Information By Edwards Pools!!

Above Ground Pools. Drainage And Backfill.

Comments