Dirt Or Rock For Above Ground Pool Backfill

by Valari
(Canfield, OH)

We are installing a semi in ground Oasis pool by Sharkline. We are putting it 3 ft in the ground. We do have the pump and filter system for an in ground pool. My question is what to use to backfill the pool? Some people tell us to use all rock while others tell us to use the dirt from the hole. No one seems to give us a straight answer. This is an aluminum pool, so I would think that it should be able to hold up to either being used. Any help would be appreciated.

Hi Valari. Glad to hear you are using an in ground filter system. You will not be disappointed with that decision. I have used above ground systems and in ground, there is no comparison.

As far as the backfill goes, use anything but rock, or sand for that matter. You want to backfill with something that will pack solid.

There will come a time when you will want to drain the pool to change the liner. If sand or rocks were used to backfill, they will not have packed. The result is that as soon as the pool is drained the wall will collapse.

You want to use something that will pack solid in a year or two. Usually the dirt that came out of the hole will work. That's not always the case in the case of clay or overly sandy dirt. It's a judgment thing, but make sure the backfill will pack solid.

Aluminum walls are very susceptible to corrosion. They may not rust the way steel walls do but they do corrode. I would coat the wall with roofing tar before I backfilled the pool. We do this for steel walls also, to extend the life of the wall, but I would definitely coat an aluminum above ground pool wall.