We got a very late start this summer with our pool construction. I really wasn't too high on buying another pool. I bought one, a small 12 ft round about 11 years ago and I remember all the digging involved and I hated it. Mostly due to a severe back problem. So my wife goes out a few days ago and buys a huge 18 ft round pool and I was speeches. Lol. I said I hope you hired installers for this one because the last pool I dug out almost put me in the hospital. So she says nope. She thinks that her and my 23 yr old son can dig it all out, level it, finish it with sand, tamping it and then building the damn thing in one day. I fell over laughing so hard. So anyways, the place where she bought the pool said all their assemblers we're booked up for the rest of the summer. So I guess I've been volunteerd to do it all again. Thx fam!
I came here looking at how to build and use a water level to do this same job. I am a first timer and out of all the videos I have watched im going with your way because it seems the most straightforward, simplest, and cheapest. And most importantly I get the least anxiety thinking of doing it your way LOL. Im going to pace myself out over around a month and hope to have the pool up by June.
I finally have the pool up now. My estimation in the video was spot on and I ended up removing 44 wheelbarrows of dirt. I had no idea how many small rocks my clay contained and no matter how many I removed there was no end to them. So I ended up laying 1,000 lbs of mason sand (4 wheelbarrows worth) over the clay in order to keep small rocks from puncturing the pool liner. This added $51 of cost to the project. If I have to redo this project at a future house then I will for sure be renting a bobcat. I had no idea I would be digging up 44 wheelbarrows of dirt for just 5 inches of soil at the highest point. But if you want to do it for the cheapest and you have the time then doing this project by hand over a month is very feasible, plus it makes for a great workout. I may end up shooting one or more videos as I wrap up this project. Life is very busy so I try to shoot these without having to do any editing unlike my prior TH-cam videos. I plan on adding river stones around the pool to hide what is exposed of the tarp that goes under the pool and to make the whole thing look better. I need to also build a flagstone walkway to the pool entrance and a wooden housing for the pump and salt chlorine generator.
I think a lot of people find this out the hard way. Removing a couple inches of New England rock infested top soil is serious work. Especially when you run into rocks to big to lift without machinery
@@garrettscott9427 I'd love to see the rest of your project - we are trying to get the pool up this weekend but we've underestimated the work it'll take! We too want to do the river rock and I'm curious how you'll do that. More videos would be awesome! Thanks!
@@balcomhomeschool9135this project was by far more work than I had imagined it would have been. Well worth it though! I went to purchase the river rock a week ago and they were out of stock and won't get any in for a while due to quarry issues. I am wanting the project to be finished before I do a final video, so it could be a month or so.
My girl and I got a pool decided I would install it myself…..3 weeks into labor and I’m officially 2inches out of level after being almost 2feet from my low end to high end! Anyone planning to do this yourself just picture whatever you imagine your dirt pile to look like then multiply it by 10….I’m sitting on 14tons of dirt for a 18ft pool
Looks like you and I are doing exactly the same thing.. It's allot of work but has to be done.. Mine is in shade though so it's going to be cold.. But ya You won't need to compact, the water will do it for you. As long as the legs are level you should be good, they are more important than the bottom actually.
Im about to start levelling the ground. Initial plan was to build a wooden frame, dump sand into it and level sand. But in comments there's a lot of advice it will shift with weight on. So I shall dig. But then some sand will come on top of it. My question is: can I use a tamper? I really cant afford to either rent or purchase a roller/jumping jack. Also, Im in UK, and every webpage is asking if I got/need training for the equipment. MOst likely that's not free either. So. Tamper- yes/no?
@@garrettscott9427 wow great, thank you for such quick response!! This is literally cheapest solution, maybe my parents have one as well! I only have a 12ft pool but wanna do it properly as I have neighbours about 50 meters down the slight slope we live on. Cant risk a structural collapse.
Im the biggest fan of Harbor Freight. With that said their levels cant be trusted. With that said, Im sure it would have been sufficient for a job like this. Excellent video
I've done this but I am frustrated, I've used the 2×4 with the level attached to it and spent 2 days gradually going around and around and levelling (digging or adding soil as I go), now it's done and I swear it's not level, the area is going down on one side, I did keep the level level all the way around. What went wrong?? ..warped board maybe? To see it uneven is irritating especially after all that work, I don't want to put the pool up like that
It is hard to not get a warped board from the hardware store. I have to go through a pile sometimes if I want to find one that is really straight. Sorry that this happened to you!
If that bubble is in the middle then you probably be ok. A small bit out of level wont kill the pool. It can be deceiving looking at it and seeing it looks unlevel but it is. Good luck
I had no idea how rocky my clay soil was. No matter how many rocks I picked up there ending up just being more and more. I ended up putting a 1/2 inch or so layer of sand down. I tried compacting it with a plate compactor and it didn't do anything. Sand already sits very compactly, so maybe just leveling it out if you do use sand. One of those drums that can be filled with water and rolled around could also help pack the sand down if you really want to.
We have a terribly not flat small yard. We found one of the only places we can get our pool and there was an 11 inch difference in the depth of the water from 1 side to the other. Emptied it all out started over. We're doing very similar technique except moving the higher side to the lower side and flattening it down. We know it's not ideal. But it's about all the work we're willing to do. We are already exhausted and can't believe how expensive and time consuming this has become.
And what do you do when you can’t afford to rent a compactor ?? I got out the dolly with the big wheels on it put a few bricks on it and walked around in circles!!!
good question! I think it was somewhere around 44 wheel barrows of dirt. Way more than I imagined. Quite a few hours. I just did a little here and a little there, so hard for me to say. If you have as much dirt as I did then maybe consider renting a skid steer!
We are digging out for an 18 ft round. So actually dug out 21 ft all the way around. My back yard is exactly the same shown in this video. ( Quite high on one side and very light digging on other side. We plan to use 1 and 1 half yards of sand. Hope that helps
Why remove the dirt why not buy a yard of soil for 30$ and drop it in. Tamper it down and just level it. It just seems like adding would be easyier then removing
Adding dirt is a big no no. Sure, you can tamp it all you want but once the pool settles in you can get high and low points since hand compacted or even using a vibration compactor will never be as compact as the existing soil.
I think if you use the inflatable ring top pools to compact the soil every time you get ready to put it up over the summer it'll be fine in a few years. I agree with you. Dirt costs too much to just rip it out and toss it.
We got a very late start this summer with our pool construction.
I really wasn't too high on buying another pool.
I bought one, a small 12 ft round about 11 years ago and I remember all the digging involved and I hated it. Mostly due to a severe back problem.
So my wife goes out a few days ago and buys a huge 18 ft round pool and I was speeches. Lol.
I said I hope you hired installers for this one because the last pool I dug out almost put me in the hospital.
So she says nope.
She thinks that her and my 23 yr old son can dig it all out, level it, finish it with sand, tamping it and then building the damn thing in one day. I fell over laughing so hard.
So anyways, the place where she bought the pool said all their assemblers we're booked up for the rest of the summer.
So I guess I've been volunteerd to do it all again. Thx fam!
Only just got to the fan motor part and 👍 ..I had to smash that like button 🤣
Mankind never ceases to amaze me with their genius and ingenuity. Thanks for helping us dummies 😂🤣
I don’t have any machinery either, and it’s a lot of work… But I know in the end , the pools will look fabulous ❤❤
I came here looking at how to build and use a water level to do this same job. I am a first timer and out of all the videos I have watched im going with your way because it seems the most straightforward, simplest, and cheapest. And most importantly I get the least anxiety thinking of doing it your way LOL. Im going to pace myself out over around a month and hope to have the pool up by June.
I finally have the pool up now. My estimation in the video was spot on and I ended up removing 44 wheelbarrows of dirt. I had no idea how many small rocks my clay contained and no matter how many I removed there was no end to them. So I ended up laying 1,000 lbs of mason sand (4 wheelbarrows worth) over the clay in order to keep small rocks from puncturing the pool liner. This added $51 of cost to the project.
If I have to redo this project at a future house then I will for sure be renting a bobcat. I had no idea I would be digging up 44 wheelbarrows of dirt for just 5 inches of soil at the highest point. But if you want to do it for the cheapest and you have the time then doing this project by hand over a month is very feasible, plus it makes for a great workout.
I may end up shooting one or more videos as I wrap up this project. Life is very busy so I try to shoot these without having to do any editing unlike my prior TH-cam videos. I plan on adding river stones around the pool to hide what is exposed of the tarp that goes under the pool and to make the whole thing look better. I need to also build a flagstone walkway to the pool entrance and a wooden housing for the pump and salt chlorine generator.
I think a lot of people find this out the hard way. Removing a couple inches of New England rock infested top soil is serious work. Especially when you run into rocks to big to lift without machinery
@@garrettscott9427 I'd love to see the rest of your project - we are trying to get the pool up this weekend but we've underestimated the work it'll take! We too want to do the river rock and I'm curious how you'll do that. More videos would be awesome! Thanks!
@@balcomhomeschool9135this project was by far more work than I had imagined it would have been. Well worth it though! I went to purchase the river rock a week ago and they were out of stock and won't get any in for a while due to quarry issues. I am wanting the project to be finished before I do a final video, so it could be a month or so.
My girl and I got a pool decided I would install it myself…..3 weeks into labor and I’m officially 2inches out of level after being almost 2feet from my low end to high end! Anyone planning to do this yourself just picture whatever you imagine your dirt pile to look like then multiply it by 10….I’m sitting on 14tons of dirt for a 18ft pool
Same here. I have so much dirt, clay, and rock dumped it looks like I made it al the way to China. Still not level.
Looks like you and I are doing exactly the same thing.. It's allot of work but has to be done.. Mine is in shade though so it's going to be cold.. But ya
You won't need to compact, the water will do it for you. As long as the legs are level you should be good, they are more important than the bottom actually.
Leveling seams like a pain!! I'm wondering how much is a concrete slab going to cost. 🤔
Between 4 or 5 thousand bucks if you have it poured and finished.
$1500.00 to $2000.00 DIY pour.
Not leveling for a pool but I am leveling to create a backyard patio behind the garage with pavers...this method should work beautifully
What did you end up doing with the pocketed areas? I have so many
Im about to start levelling the ground. Initial plan was to build a wooden frame, dump sand into it and level sand. But in comments there's a lot of advice it will shift with weight on. So I shall dig. But then some sand will come on top of it. My question is: can I use a tamper? I really cant afford to either rent or purchase a roller/jumping jack. Also, Im in UK, and every webpage is asking if I got/need training for the equipment. MOst likely that's not free either. So. Tamper- yes/no?
A tamper will work well with sand. I tried using a plate compactor and it did not go well. I later switched to a tamper.
@@garrettscott9427 wow great, thank you for such quick response!! This is literally cheapest solution, maybe my parents have one as well! I only have a 12ft pool but wanna do it properly as I have neighbours about 50 meters down the slight slope we live on. Cant risk a structural collapse.
Why not move dirt from the high side to the low side. You would be moving half as much dirt and no surplus. Use a plate compacter
Im the biggest fan of Harbor Freight. With that said their levels cant be trusted. With that said, Im sure it would have been sufficient for a job like this. Excellent video
I've done this but I am frustrated, I've used the 2×4 with the level attached to it and spent 2 days gradually going around and around and levelling (digging or adding soil as I go), now it's done and I swear it's not level, the area is going down on one side, I did keep the level level all the way around. What went wrong?? ..warped board maybe? To see it uneven is irritating especially after all that work, I don't want to put the pool up like that
It is hard to not get a warped board from the hardware store. I have to go through a pile sometimes if I want to find one that is really straight. Sorry that this happened to you!
If that bubble is in the middle then you probably be ok. A small bit out of level wont kill the pool. It can be deceiving looking at it and seeing it looks unlevel but it is. Good luck
I think I did make it a little easier but you inspired me and I shared your link in thanks to you!!! For your awesome inspiration. Hackers unite!!
thank you!
Good video thanks for the help! I wanted to ask you if when you compact it are you going to put sand on top or just compact the dirt ?
I had no idea how rocky my clay soil was. No matter how many rocks I picked up there ending up just being more and more. I ended up putting a 1/2 inch or so layer of sand down. I tried compacting it with a plate compactor and it didn't do anything. Sand already sits very compactly, so maybe just leveling it out if you do use sand. One of those drums that can be filled with water and rolled around could also help pack the sand down if you really want to.
Do u leave your pool up all year or do you take it down every season?
I take it down. If you don't have very hard freezes then you could likely get away with keeping it up. Usually not recommended for this type of pool.
Well done
We have a terribly not flat small yard. We found one of the only places we can get our pool and there was an 11 inch difference in the depth of the water from 1 side to the other. Emptied it all out started over. We're doing very similar technique except moving the higher side to the lower side and flattening it down. We know it's not ideal. But it's about all the work we're willing to do. We are already exhausted and can't believe how expensive and time consuming this has become.
are you building a retaining wall?
@@garrettscott9427 We are putting bricks down under the legs for extra support but no retaining wall. At least not this year.
Better use microscope
@@billm4262
How did pool turn out after using bricks under each leg? Was pool relatively level?
@@ericmuller3339 yes it help up fine
Do you add sand under your pool? Any cover?
Due to the high rock content in the clay I ended up adding about 1 to inches of sand
And no cover except the solar one to warm it in early spring.
How do you despose of the dirt?
I kept it as large mound of dirt for the kids to play on. I then used to to fill in the pool hole when we prepped to move.
Or do you not need a compactor if you use sand ? Thankss
part one please
Sod cutter!
Do you have to have a compacter?
yes
And what do you do when you can’t afford to rent a compactor ?? I got out the dolly with the big wheels on it put a few bricks on it and walked around in circles!!!
How many hours would you guess it took you to level the ground for this? Thanks
good question! I think it was somewhere around 44 wheel barrows of dirt. Way more than I imagined. Quite a few hours. I just did a little here and a little there, so hard for me to say. If you have as much dirt as I did then maybe consider renting a skid steer!
Mattock!
Where can I get a plate compactor?
local landscaping rentals maybe? I purchased one from Harbor Freight.
How many pounds of sand did you use?
We are digging out for an 18 ft round. So actually dug out 21 ft all the way around.
My back yard is exactly the same shown in this video. ( Quite high on one side and very light digging on other side.
We plan to use 1 and 1 half yards of sand. Hope that helps
Why remove the dirt why not buy a yard of soil for 30$ and drop it in. Tamper it down and just level it. It just seems like adding would be easyier then removing
Adding dirt is a big no no. Sure, you can tamp it all you want but once the pool settles in you can get high and low points since hand compacted or even using a vibration compactor will never be as compact as the existing soil.
I think if you use the inflatable ring top pools to compact the soil every time you get ready to put it up over the summer it'll be fine in a few years. I agree with you. Dirt costs too much to just rip it out and toss it.
@@yesterdayistoday8760 is just do with it... in this Texas hot weather it’s just so hard
Nope. You remove dirt not add. Or you’ll end up with the new dirt sinking and your work will be for nothing
I agree, i put the dirt from the high wall of mine over to the low spot and the pool ended up sinking on the low point on each leg