How To Install An Above Ground Swimming Pool

Nosotros take installed over 5,000 above ground pools over the years and we ordinarily hear a few clients ask if they could do information technology themselves.  The short answer to that is yes.

But, you do need the right equipement and the right instructions.

The manufacturers of the to a higher place grounds like Aqualeader and Zodiac do a great job at manufacturing them.  But it would be a stretch to say that every model comes with instructions on how to assemble (non quite like Ikea furnature).

Our goal here is to requite yous a 10-step overview on how to install an above ground puddle yourself.

Now before you get started on reading the steps, know that this is ane of the ways to instal.  Every builder adds their own style.

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Step 1: Find Space for your Pool and Beginning Clearing

Your first step is decide where you want to install your swimming pool.  We highly advise yous do this first exercise before chosing your pool size.  Insert a steel rod where you desire the center of your puddle to be.  By taking the pool size and dividing by two,  you can use use a measuring record from the center rod and make a circle.Take a rope or an extension cablevision and lay information technology down to visually meet where the pool will terminate upward.

Make sure there are no obstructions in that area.  Also determine where your pool equipement will be.  It is recommended that your equipement stays within 4 feet of the wall (do confirm the distance requirements based on your local regulation and by-laws).  This puts less pressure on your pump.  We have many clients that request to have the equipement set much further away.  Just remember that aboveground pool pumps are gravity fed.This means it must be lower than the hole where the skimming water output is.

Once you lot know and you have marked where the pool and the equipement will be, information technology'due south time to get your easily dirty.

If you are on grass, then use a sod cutter (one tin can be rented for the day for under $100).  Remove the sod in all the areas your identified where the pool will go.  Start with cutting 1 actress foot around the puddle.  Exercise the whole circle effectually to start, and then make lines beyond the centre, and remove everything within.

Pro Tip: If you cut the sod in long streeks, yous can curl them upwardly and use them later effectually the pool area to create a smooth elevation around the areas y'all had to dig.

Once the sod is removed, with the help of a transit level, you start offset making sure that major areas are level within i inch.

There are 2 schools of idea.  One says your should build up the lower areas with actress dirt.  Others say you should dig down.  If yous find yourself on a very unlevel surface, then I would turn to professionals since you could encounter some drainage or wash-out issues.  But if your backyard is reletively flat, then we have institute it best practice to dig down the areas.  The logic is considering nosotros want the pool to be stable.  You will want your pool base to sit down on the area that has had at least 1 twelvemonth to settle in, equally opposed to loose dirt that was compacted.

So if yous do like us, start excavation and bring the dirt to a corner or the firm.

Stride 2: Build Stone Dust Base

Once you have a clean surface that is mostly level, you tin start to bring in rock dust.

Lay down at least ii inches of the stone around where the pool wall will sit.  Be sure to read the specification of your pool make and model, since every manufacturer has slight differences.

Pro Tip: If you wanted to build upward your pool, you can increase the thinkness of the stone dust in the lower areas.  Merely don't go over eight inches.

The Circle should be at least 1 pes wide, with the verbal circomference of the puddle beingness in the centre.

Your outset round of leveling should be within 1/4 inch (aye, nosotros nonetheless use the regal system).  We have this tool we use on the crew at Campbell Pools which allows the states to gear up it down on the base and with the transit, we expect at the measurements on the tool.  Yous can do the aforementioned with a ruler, but it will be pretty low.

Using a rake, make sure your level everything around the base, ensuring that the area where the wall volition sit is the almost accurate.

When y'all are within 1/4 inch all around, bring in the compacter.  Do utilise a garden hose to lightly spray the stone dust to forestall grit and to better the furnishings of compacting.

Simply it doesn't stop there, that was round i.

Now that everything is compacted, you demand to measure again.  Become around the pool and this time, bring everything within 1/8 inch (or iii.175mm for metric).  and you measure out admittedly every area where the wall will sit down.  This will ensure your pool volition be level and stable.

Annotation: Many successful installations practice not use this level of preciseness.  In our case, we have a very high standard for installations.

Once you have added or removed the stone to make everything so precise, use the compactor one more time. Once your done, leave the compactor within the pool, you will need it after.

Step 3: Lay Down Bottom Track and Pin to Pool Specifications

Information technology'southward now time to start building the pool construction.  You will have pieces called the bottom track where the wall will sit inside, and connectors that join the track and posts sit.  Following the specifications of the pool make and model, bring the groove inside those connectors to EXACTLY the half measurement of the pool size.  (e.g.  if your 24' pool is actually 24'1", you lot need to measure 12'one/2" to exist the measurement where the groove for the wall to fit EXACTLY)

This is critical to make sure when you unroll the wall, you don't find yourself having to re-curlicue it.  You will find out how heavy that wall can be soon plenty.

Once the location of that connector is set, use a long nail or a pin to lock it in identify.  Y'all do this for every single ane.  Measure twice if necessairy.

Pro Tip: Nosotros accept steel rods we set with ankors to the wall.  We put these rods in the centre of the bottom tracks, on the outside.  These ankors will lock into the puddle wall during the build to pervent it from falling (or more presisely, kinking the wall).  A kinked wall, is a useless wall.

Step 4: Bring in Sand for Base

Our bases are built of sand.  You will need to wheelborrow in the sand within the pool. If  you are going to a quarry, the best we take seen is screened sand, slight mix of dirt.  This allows the sand to compact business firm.  Do not use the popular mortar sand, which is often used for bricklaying.

Note: You can start bringing in the sand earlier the previous footstep.  Merely make certain that you lay downwardly a piece of plywood or cardboard to protect your border.  When you are done bringing in sand, make certain to re-level and audit the area to walked over the rock dust to ensure it's leveled.

We usually bring in iv inches of sand inside for the base.  You will find yourself roughly spreading it inside the pond pool.  But do non bring it against the stone dusk circle withal.  You will need to have the wall installed before you practise that.  And then but add extra sand near the edges inside then that y'all will be able to level it later.

During pool installations with our coiffure, we usually have a few steps happening at the same fourth dimension.

Stride v: Install Strucuture Part 1

At present comes fourth dimension to unroll the wall.  Before doing so, be certain to place the connector you lot volition want to use as the area where you will commodities the wall together.  Your skimmer and render will end up near that surface area (usually at the finish of the curl).

Get some friends for this to help.  Many of them.  You volition need to unroll the wall from the inside without damaging the base.

Pro Tip:We have a steel rod that we place side by side to the starting point of the wall and nosotros tie the wall to that rod so that information technology stays in identify.  We also have a buggy with a smooth surface under it that rotates.  It makes the process so much better.

Slowly move the wall and unroll equally y'all walk effectually the pool.  Once person will need to lay information technology firmly within the groove.  Once you have completed the circle around the puddle, you will exist able to commodities the wall together.  You should now beginning to come across how your pool then going to look like in your lawn!

One time the wall is secured, you can start installing the posts on top of all the connectors.  Don't forget to remove the pins you set before.  If you lot accept a beaded liner, you lot will also be able to install the dewdrop track.  Adding this track will create much more stability to your wall.  Make sure that those tracks are installed firmly and there is no gap between each you lay downward.  Note that very oft, you lot will need to cut the final piece to make it fit.  Make certain you measure twice, cut in one case.

Stride vi: Complete the Base of operations

Remember nosotros told you lot to add together extra sand and to keep the compactor inside?  At present it's time to setup the base of the puddle.  Y'all tin can start by pushing the sand against the wall then that it covers all the stone dust.  Add together extra sand here to create a transition between the vertical wall and the ground (see picture below). Level all the sand and brand sure there is plenty everywhere.  Some people like to practice a spooning of the pool, making the center deeper and then the sides.  Notation that this can be done, merely you need to ensure that you don't over do it.  Your liner can only strech so much.  Don't go over 4 inches of spooning.

Onces y'all have done a good job at raking the surface inside into a smooth shape, y'all can use that compactor to firm up the surface.

Note:  Make sure that you did a great job raking the surface.  Once that sand is compacted, that will exist the base of your pool.  You will feel irregularities.

Start from the wall with the compactor and make cicles all the style inside.  Then make more circles all the mode back to the wall.  You will need your friends again here to lift the compactor over the wall.

At this point, you lot will need to smoothen out the surface inside using a cement trowel. Have off your shoes to preclude damaging your surface.  Your surface should look perfect by the time yous are done.

Step 7: Curl out and Install Liner

Time to unroll the liner inside the pool.  The trick here is to lay information technology at the heart of the pool and unroll from there.

Pro Tip: If it'due south a sunny hot day, which is the best day to install, open the liner box and open up it slightly so that your liner gets hot.  This will arrive stretchy and it will exist easier to install.

This is best done with ii people inside the pool.  Bring it over to the walls and clip information technology within the bead track.  Your friends outside should assist with clipping it all around.

Onces it'southward clipped everywhere, using your feet, try to spread the lesser to flatten and get closer to the wall.

Yous should beginning bringing in water now.  Pour in about 2 feet of h2o and stretch the liner to remove any creases equally it is filling.  If you don't remove it now, it will stay forever.

Pro Tip: Become a water truck commitment.  The Garden hose will accept lots of time to get to that first 2 feet, which is essential to completing the installation.

Pace 8: Install Strucuture Role 2

Information technology's now fourth dimension to finish the structure.  Showtime past leveling all the posts that you installed earlier.  The pieces of the top cap and posts are different for every pool, so make sure to consult with the "instructions" provided in the box.

Yours posts should somehow be lightly secured to the wall.  It's at present fourth dimension to install the top runway.  One y'all have installed at to the lowest degree 3 height rails, your friends within the pool should be able to spring out from that surface area, assisted by the friends outside.

Finish installing all the height rails and add the top caps too.  Your pool should be looking really squeamish at this point.  You are done with the major structure now.

Footstep 9: Install Plumbing Equipement

At the surface area you specifed at the start for your equipement, remove the sod and add the excess stone dust.  Level it.  We use patio stones, two of them, side by side, to install the equipment.  Level the patio stones.

We won't go into details on the plumning since all equipement is different.  What is important hither is the skimmer and the return.

For the return, take the piece that goes inside and align information technology to get within the Render pigsty.  Looking from the within, you should be able to press the piece through, giving your a clear surface area y'all can make a X cut through the liner.  Install the return firmly.

For the skimmer, bring the inside faceplate to align with the holes from the wall.  Using the screws, start piercing through to attach to the torso of the skimmer.  In one case all screws are secured, you can cut the inside of the skimmer liner and open it.

Alert: Do non drib whatever screws.  Ever.  This will pierce your make new liner.  And if you are using a drill, make sure you don't slip and "poke" the liner.  For obvious reasons.

The rest is attaching the pipes to the equiment.  If you lot are not sure about the society of equiment, merely call whatsoever of our stores, nosotros will assistance you.

Step 10: Make full with H2o and Find your Bravest Friend

You cannow go alee and fill the pool.  Yous will need to give information technology a chlorine shock as it most probable exist very green.   Make certain the pump is running so that information technology circulates the water.

But first, you need to find your bravest friend.  That could be you or even maybe your kids.  But that person can claim the title of being the bravest by jumping into the puddle every bit the beginning always!  If y'all took your water from a quarry, that water will exist freezing cold.  So claim that title and let that be the get-go of many swims.

Annotation: Don't worry, you lot volition see the temperature climb fast in the summer.  You can e'er add a heater.

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And that'show to install an above ground pool yourself

Congratulation!  Y'all have completed your swimming pool installation.  This is no piece of cake task, just nosotros give you our respect for doing and then.  If yous did employ our tips to install your own pool, we would like to know!  send usa a e-mail with pictures at info@campbellpools.ca .  Perhaps we will even accept work for you ;) .

If you lot are still looking to buy a pool to install yourself, do become a quote from us.  You lot just demand to add together in the notes that y'all desire a to install yourself.  You can request a quote by clicking below.

We hope this postal service has helped you.  If you demand clarifications or help during your install, you can always call our stores for advice.

We would like to recognise Pierre Menard for providing the pictures in this post.  Him and his crew have been installing pools with Campbell Pools for over 20 years.  I have learned everything from him as my mentor to write this mail service.

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Source: https://blog.campbellpools.ca/how-to-install-an-above-ground-pool-in-10-steps

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