Above Ground Pool In Irrigated Yard

by April
(Chandler AZ)

Hello! So far this site has brought me the most comfort...

So aside from the fact that I measured wrong and started the above ground pool project in a spot that apparently infuriates my husband...... here is my problem:

We irrigate bi-weekly. I read in one of your other Q&As that you have built a birm around the pool and also a "birm platform". I was going for the birm platform. 12 tons of dirt and 13 hours later I realized I had measured wrong. Ok....get more. That was when I called my husband to "laugh" at how stupid I felt. That's when I was informed that it was the wrong place.

So tomorrow morning the crew is coming back out to fix this issue. It will be Sunday....Monday is irrigation day. They are bringing more dirt and also willing to move what they have already delivered.

We live in Arizona and it is steaming hot. Do you recommend the birm around or the birm platform? I had 6mil plastic covering the first platform to go under the tarp that comes with the pool. I wanted to be as safe as possible for weeds, erosion, gophers etc.

So now that I have to start over, I kind of like your birm around idea, but how do you prevent the birm from washing away? I also have a lot of 15 and 18 inch bricks I was going to use around the platform to hold down the plastic. My husband will not want to excavate away

the grass, so how to I get rid of the vegetation? Still use the plastic and the tarp which will kill the grass until which time we decide to take the pool down?

Most importantly, where can I find pics of this? I am sure I a not the only person in the country who has done this, but I get nothing no matter what I search for on Google images. I am desperate! Help!!

Hi April. I'm sorry I can not help with photos. I have set pools on a raised area many times but none that I photographed.

Grass can grow through plastic, 2' or birm and then the liner if not properly dealt with. I would spray the ground with Doomsday before putting down the plastic and dirt. Just before the pool gets assembled I would treat the raised area again and use more plastic.

When installing a pool on a raised area you need to make sure you have about a three foot ledge all the way around the pool. This ledge could then get landscaped in a way that would prevent it from washing away. The biggest mistake people make is setting the pool to close to the edge of a built up area.

When using a raised area it is not necessary to use a second birm. Once the pool is installed it is good to cover the bottom rail with a little dirt and then your landscape plastic. Put rocks over the plastic and a border around the outside of the birm and it should all stay in place.