Installing an Above Ground Pool

Bestway Steel Frame Above Ground - Frame Flexing in Use? 
Hi There, For the previous three years, we had a 15 foot by 30 (36?) inch intext inflatable ring pool. The pool was installed on a slope. Ground was …

Above Ground Pools and Decks 
I need to replace an existing Doughboy pool that is surround by a deck. It is 21' round, 48" high. I found the same pool with same width height and number …

Intex Pool Ground Prep 
Trying to finish leveling the site for an Intex 18 X 48 round ultra frame pool. Removed the sod. Then used a board with leveler to level the site. Then …

Upright Posts Unlevel In and Out 
Hello, I have just installed a 27 round 54 high above ground pool. After the install and I got in with shin deep water in it I noticed a few things. I …

Planning to Sink Doughboy 
From: Phoenix Arizona We are about to purchase the "Desert Spring" 16 x 52 round. My husband wants to partially sink it roughly 2-3 feet in the ground …

Above Ground Pool Leveling Questions 
We had an above ground pool, 33' round, that was up for 17 years. This past winter it leaked and the wall folded, so decided to put in a new pool that …

Partial Below Grade Install 
Hello, we are installing an 18x34 Doughboy Sapphire pool. One end of the pool will sit 20 inches below grade. We need advice on exactly how to safely …

Soft Sided Pool Ground Prep 
Hi, I'm a new and struggling pool owner. Pool arrived today and having guest in 3 weeks. The pool is a custom sized similar to Intex type pool. Soft sided …

One Patio Block Not Level 
I am installing a 28' above ground Doughboy. We had started filling it, and noticed one leg leaning in considerably. There are about 6 inches or so of …

Oval Pool Pressure Plates Don't Fit 
I am a pool tech (4 years exp.) that has been working with another pool tech (6+ years exp.) and we have never run into this problem. We installed a 15' …

How Do I Get Variable Levels Of Depth 
Ok, I am new at this above ground pool thing, Anyway, I just moved to a new house with a yard that screams for a pool for this hot summer. I found out …

Pool Unlevel and Posts Leaning 
I have read similar questions that you have answered but we are all looking for assurance or guidance. I just bought my first pool ever. I painstakingly …

Pool Hole Dug Too Deep 
Hi, We have a vinyl liner resin above ground pool which we plan to set in ground to water level. It is designed for this purpose- Clark Rubber (Aussie) …

Leveling the Ground 
Hi. I live in what seems to be an incredibly rocky, clay-filled area (compared to the install videos on YouTube ... dragging a 2x4 with a level taped to …

Oval Pool Wall Bulge at Top 
Hello, I recently returned from visiting a friend to find that my husband and his friend installed our pool while I was gone. Neither had prior experience. …

Oval Pools on Concrete 
What is a good quality oval pool that I can fit on a 20 x 30 slab. I can put support blocks for the buttress if needed but would like to keep all on the …

Bottom Plates and Rails 
Help! I am having a very hard time getting the 18 foot diameter set for my round above ground pool. When I get the rails in the plates and then start …

Pressure Plate Questions 
I bought a used 18' x 36' Lomart pool. The pressure plates were damaged. What can I use to make pressure plates out of? One pool place said to use plywood …

Top Rail Problems 
We recently bought an Aquarian 200 27' round pool from In The Swim. After installing the top rail we went on to add the ledge and the directions give poor …

Setting The Bottom Rail 
I'm thinking about pouring a concrete slab/ring level with the ground to place the bottom plates and rail on. Is this a good or bad idea? I am installing …

Doughboy Side Support Lean-in Preload 
I'm doing my third Doughboy above ground 16 x 40 (I'm 70 years old) In new design "Com-Pac II", the side verticals lean in about 2 inches at the top. …

21' Round AGP Installed Incorrectly 
Hi, I have read thru your Q & A pages, and they have helped with so many things, thanks so much! My problem is my husband and I put up a used 21' pool …

Install on Slope - Retaining Wall or Backfill 
We are planning to hire someone to install a 28' Sharkline Matrix AGP this spring. Our pool site is on a slope. I have attached photos of the proposed …

Intex Questions 
We purchased an Intex rectangular pool 32' x 16' x 52". We had someone install it. During installation, after the pool was filled, 2 straps broke. I believe …

Click here to write your own.

One Side Doughboy Leaning Bad 
I have an 18' X 34' Doughboy where one side is leaning – in a sense starting to turn an oval pool round. I have included a crude side view drawing. Best …

Proper Pool Depth 
We had a 27ft round 54 inch high pool installed. The installers didn't seem to know what they were doing. When it was all said and done the water level …

Kayak Pool Installation 
I have bought a used Kayak pool. Our backyard is all clay soil. I live in Maine so it will definitely freeze in the winter. It was recommended that …

The Posts Are Leaning 
We installed buttress free oval pool 12 x 24. Before we added water to the pool, the vertical post were perfectly straight. When we filled the pool, …

Question About Installation 
I love your site!! It has been so very helpful!! My husband and I are installing a 24' round Doughboy. We have rocky soil and while digging for the patio …

Leveling Question For Sears Pool 
Hello, I am in the process of installing a 15'x 48" pool I purchased from Sears. I got the pool assembled and was filling when I noticed that one side …

Out of Level 
We are installing an 18' round 52" high wall above ground pool. Throughout the process we were meticulous about keeping everything level. The ground …

Oval Pool Installations 
We just had a 15 x 30 oval resin/steel pool installed 2 days ago. As we were filling it, we noticed the vertical uprights were spreading as the pool filled. …

Pools In Ground 
We are thinking of installing an above-ground pool in ground. I have researched this quite a bit on the internet and it seems you have the most information …

Pool Base Material 
Hi, we're installing a 21' pool. We've removed the sod & have a 12 inch difference from one end to the other. We built a wall the circumference around …

Wet Ground Installations 
We are waiting to have our 18'X 33' Doughboy AG pool installed. The ground was prepped and close to level. Rain stopped the work. The ground is wet. Not …

Replacing Pool With New One 
I am replacing my old pool with a new one. The old pool was up for well over 10 years so the base is hard with just a few inches of stone dust on top that …

Pool Sinking 
We installed a 12x24x48 oval pool a number of years ago. Within the last two years, one side has significantly dropped about four inches. We have a "sink-hole" …

Pool Cove And Foam Base 
I was reading some of the posts and would like to go with a 1" foam base for my 27'AGP. I have purchased the snap in pool cove already, so my question …

Killing The Grass and Weeds 
I need to know if I can spray weed killer/grass killer after sod is removed? Will this affect pool liner bottom? Will be putting 24 foot round pool up …

Side Braces Lean 
I had a 15' x 30' Esther Williams installed last fall and the pool wall is creased on the straight sides at the bottom. The walls are bowed outward a lot …

Intex Issues 
We have an Intex 14' x 36" above ground round pool which I have installed but have not done a good job of it.(if only I had found this site before) Now …

DIY Oval Pool 
First of all, many thanks for this valuable website. My husband and I are experienced DIYers. We have built barns, porches and garages. I had originally …

Above Ground Pool In Irrigated Yard 
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 …

Above Ground Pool Upright Heaved Up 
The upright has heaved up and caused the top rail to separated from the wall around the upright. It has separated only a couple of feet. Can I dig down …

Doughboy Leveling and Deep End Questions 
We just bought a used 16x24 foot Doughboy oval pool and we are about 5 inches out of level. We are going to do a deep end but the ground in the middle …

Pumps & Filters 
Hello again. I am slowly but surely completing the install of my 16X32 Doughboy above ground pool in the ground. I'm doing it myself with the help of …

Vertical Post Questions 
I'm in the middle of installing a 27' 52" round above ground pool and I got a little ahead of myself. After filling the pool to 2" below skimmer I realized …

Dirt Or Rock For Above Ground Pool Backfill 
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 …

Blocks and Intex Pools 
We purchased an Intex 15 x 48 Metal Frame above ground pool. My husband and son were so excited to get it up they didn't take into consideration the leveling …

Click here to write your own.

Sand and J-hook Liner Question 
I'm building a 27' 52" round pool and don't have enough sand. The instructions called for 2" of sand which I have with 1' pavers under each post flush …

Sand On Outside Of Above Ground Pool 
I have installed our 18ft AGP and all is level and functioning. Currently there is about a one foot space all the way around the outside wall which is …

Installing Intex Ultra Frame Pool 
We just finished leveling our ground to install the pool and ended up having to dig down as little as 1 inch and up to 6 inches into the ground around …

Installation Problems With An Above Ground Pool 
We had an 18x33 Swim and Play Westminister pool installed last year- 5/2010. The soil base was firm and leveled. This pool has 4 post each side with pressure …

Solid Pool Base 
Is it better to put a 24' above ground pool on sand or clay? I've heard sand can shift and make divits causing a greater potential for the liner to rip. …

Oval Pool Installation Problems 
Hello again, I wrote to you last month about my new pool looking funny after install. Oval Above Ground Pool Looks Funny Now there are deep craters …

Pool Bottom Rails 
Does the ring/track that the wall sits in need to be at ground level? I've placed them on 8" pavers and leveled them to within .25". One side of the …

Dirt Against An Above Ground Pool 
I have a 27' round aluminum above ground pool with a fan deck & 15" walk around with stanchions to support them. It was installed 3 years ago & I am finally …

Oval Above Ground Pool Looks Funny 
Hello, I just had a pool installed by an installer 3 days ago & was wondering why my 15x30'x54" oval pool (Aqua Leader Influence) is like a peanut-ish …

Buy A New Pool Wall 
Our Doughboy pool had "ice damage" this year - which buckled the walls - Doughboy says this is not covered under its warranty. I want to replace just …

Looking For Sears Pool Manual 
I have an old pool from Sears, model 71-38302 Rega (Atlantic). I am missing installation manual sections 3 and 4, manual #1920294. I tried Sears and Atlantic. …

Above Ground Pools and Pavers 
I was looking to buy a Zodiac above ground pool to put in my back patio. The material that we used for the patio is brick in a harringbone pattern on top …

Above Ground Pool Deep End Problem 
Thanks for answering questions about pool installation. I have read every page here at least twice to make my install go smooth, but alas, I have a dilemma …

Leveling Ground For An Above Ground Pool 
How do I level for a 15 foot round by 42 inch deep above ground on clay dirt? We used to have Intex 12' by 36" and there was a 3 inch difference from …

Moving Pool With Walk Around Deck 
Hi, we are getting my parents pool that they bought from National Pool and Spa in 2001....We do not know what kind of pool it is called...all that my mother …

Leveling For an Intex Pool 
We built up one side of pool and filled, it looked perfect. The ground has now settled on the opposite side and is down on that side like 4 inches. My …

Side Braces On Oval Pool 
My friend is giving us a 15' x 30' above ground pool. We came home to measure where we were going to put it up. Because of the kickers we do not have …

Concrete Pad Under Pool 
On a 24 ft round above ground pool how big should I poor the concrete pad and how thick? The pool also has a 2 ft walkway all around. We are going this …

Replace or Fix Liner 
I have a 28' above ground pool with a 6.5' deep end. This winter, perhaps I didn't winterize it proper this time, but the liner developed a giant rip …

Century Above Ground Pool 
I'm torn between buying an 18 x 52 verse a 24 x 52 Century above ground pool. We have the room, just wondering if I'd be happy with the 18'? The dealer …

Build Pool Without Liner 
I'm getting ready to install my first above ground pool, a 15x30. My ground is almost level and I will start building soon. I plan to work when the weather …

Making Pool Smaller 
I have a 24 foot round Aqualeader Concerto which I'm trying to bring down to an 18 footer. Is it possible to remove some of the upper and lower rails to …

Bad Installation Questions 
What are some signs to look for to suspect that a pool is unstable and may be a candidate for collapse. I have just installed a 27x48 and filled it with …

Pool In Ground Backfill 
We just had a pool put in yesterday and about 1/2 the pool is about 2ft and less under ground. Part of that area will be deck and the other part I have …

Oval Pool Base 
Hello, we are installing a 15 x 30 oval Doughboy type pool. The ground has been leveled. We are on a tight budget and are considering using some type …

Click here to write your own.

Help with Expandable Liner 
I own a 28' Doughboy pool, and have purchased an expandable liner for it, problem is, there are no directions,. It says it is expandable up to 72". I …

Oval Pool Without Instructions 
I have a second hand yard sale 15x30 oval ovation pool with no instructions, I have plenty of rails for the bottom, small and long, not sure where they …

Liners Too Tight 
Recently I purchased a Doughboy 24ft above ground pool used. We tried to use the liner that had came with the pool and finally decided just to buy a new …

Pool Wall 
I just installed a 27' AGP. After it finished filling with water, I noticed that the wall was buckled a little bit in a couple of places. I took pictures …

Liner Replacements 
We have a pool that is up. We need to replace the liner, how do we lay out the new liner? Thank you, Tina Hi Tina. I would do it like the illustrations …

Problem With AGP In Ground 
We just finished burying a 12 x 24 foot oval pool 2 1/2 feet down. We filled it and all was well....we thought. Yesterday my husband backfilled it and …

Oval Pool Ground Prep 
Hello, I have an 18'x33'x54" above ground pool. Last fall I had my cousin come in with a backhoe and excavate the area. I had 4 yards of sand delivered …

Aboveground In Ground 
I love the section on putting your above ground pool into the ground. Was wondering though that since we live in Ontario Canada and the winters here can …

Intex Pool Leveling Problem 
I have an Intex 24'x52" metal frame soft side pool and I live in Florida where the only substrate is just soft sand. There were no plants or anything, …

Doughboy Pool Cave In 
We had a 16x32 ft. doughboy pool professionally installed in ground on a 11/2 ft. grade to skimmer end leaving 6 inches above ground on the high side. …

Blocks Under The Uprights 
Is it a good idea to use blocks to set the plates on, and if so how should the blocks be positioned under the plates? Thanks Hi Patrick. This page …

Pool Not Level 
I have never owned an above ground pool before so I have a few questions. We bought a 15'X42'' Intex pool, we put it all together and started filling the …

Skimmer And Hose Leaks 
I have a 27foot round above ground pool and have small leaks coming from the skimmer basket. I have the double sided gasket sandwiching the steel wall …

Bottom Plate to High 
First thing I want to tell you is we love this site and find it very helpful! Our question, we just installed a 27'x52" round AG pool, it has resin bottom …

Top Rails Not Fitting 
I am having problems getting all of my top rails on properly. I am installing a 15x30x54 Bermuda pool about 2 feet into the ground. There are 3 rails …

Main Drain for AGP 
I am waiting for my new 18 ft Trevi pool to come. I would like to know if I have to install a main drain or can I bypass that step. Hi Cindy. I have …

Above Ground Pool on Wood Deck 
We want to buy an 18' x 4' foot round above ground pool for our backyard, one problem is our back yard is slanted so I thought about building a wood platform …

Roundness and Liner Install 
I just put up the wall for a new 27'x54" pool today and will be doing the pool base and liner tomorrow. At first the wall was nearly a foot away from …

Wall Bulging at Bottom Track 
My 27' round above ground pool was installed yesterday. Today I have noticed that the steel wall is bulging outward at the extreme bottom right near the …

Walls Buckle When Filling Pool 
Can someone please help, we have a 27 foot round above ground pool. When filling with water, at about 1/4 to 1/2 full, the walls start to buckle so we …

Bottom Rails and Footplates 
I am just beginning to put up a new 27' round pool and having a hard time rounding up the bottom rails, or even getting them to form a complete circle …

Sand for Above Ground Pool 
What type of sand do I use under the liner of my pool, beach sand or a clay sand mix??? Hi Diane. The correct name for the sand to use under an above …

Pool Pump Location 
I am sinking a 54" round 24' AGP and would rather the pump/filter sit on the deck side, with the pump stuck at 16" above water line. Can I do this, or …

Rectangular Pool Installations 
I was wondering how to go about setting up a pool I disassembled. It's frame work is made up of eight pieces of U channel steel. They bolt together to …

Semi Inground Pool 
I am installing a 15x30 BERMUDA 54" pool in the same foot print as an in ground pool that was removed. The previous pool was demoed and the concrete decking …

Click here to write your own.

Retaining wall for above ground pool 
My 24' round Muskin pool wall rusted out after 15 years of being partially buried into a hill. I took it all down, and am now building a retaining wall …

Sink An Intex Soft Sided Pool  
Can I sink my 18' intex soft sided pool 2' in ground if I use 1/4" plywood sections as a retaining wall? I plan on using 3'x 4' sections of 1/4" plywood …

Problems Installing Top Rails 
When I put in the wall on an oval 18x33 above ground pool the wall shifted, after we built up the coves, as a result one upright pad is only half on the …

Pools Without Instructions 
We have received a pool from a friend, they only put it up once, and lost the instructions on how to install or assemble a Sand Sun metal frame pool size …

K-D pool in ground 
We have a 20' x 48" 15 year old K-D pool in which the middle band just broke. We financially can not afford to spend money on a new pool and would like …

Liner too Small 
I have just installed a second hand above ground pool, I have just finished fitting the liner and it seems like it has to stretch at least 300mm either …

Stretching a Flat Bottom Liner 
I bought an INTEX 24' x 52" Above Ground Metal Frame Pool. Can I "dish" the bottom any as long as the sides are level? This isn't specifically an expandable …

Tree Roots under Pool 
The ground has a slope, therefore I am digging one side down approx 2 ft. to make the ground level. In the process of digging, tree roots are everywhere! …

Support Posts Lean 
How do I straighten out support posts that are either leaning into or away from the pool? I have 2 posts that are doing that very thing, one in and one …

Wall Foam for an Above Ground Pool 
Do you recommend using wall foam when installing a used pool? Hi. Wall foam can be such a pain to install I prefer not to use it. It interferes with …

Deep End Dug Too Big 
I purchased a Sharkline "Tahitian" 18'x33' oval pool and ordered a deep end liner. Now I find that the vertical support legs (where the straps attach) …

Pool Wall Too Short 
Do you have any helpful hints on putting up a wall on an above ground pool? We are having trouble, we sat it in the track and came up about 4 inches …

Make Bottom Rails Round 
We are in the process of setting up a used 18' round pool. We put down landscaping blocks to set the ring on and put up the side walls, but we're having …

Pool Installation Question 
My husband is putting up our Aqua leader 24' above ground pool....ugh!!! The instructions tell us to use a firm, solid surface. He has prepared the site …

Ground Prep For a 27' Pool 
I am almost positive, that I made and error in preparing the ground for my 27' Above ground pool. The Initial Hole was dug too deep, and then filled …

How to Install Above Ground Pool? 
We purchased a used 15x42 metal pool. We are trying to install. We have leveled the ground with masonry sand, put the bottom (circle) rail together and …

Oval Pool Deep End 
We are installing an 18'x33' above ground pool with a deep end and we are wondering if we can use the regular patio block installation or if we need to …

Deep End Questions 
I am digging a hole for a 21' round above ground pool and I am digging the middle out about 2 feet. I was wondering what the proper slope is from the …

Lomart Pool Directions 
Can you please help me find the instruction manual for an 18 x 36 Lomart above ground pool? Hi Matt. Parts lists and pool instructions are found in …

Used Pool Installations 
I just purchased a 2 year old pool in good shape. I would like your opinion on a couple of things I'm planning on doing before and during the install. …

Above Ground Pool Bottom Rail 
How is the pool wall attached to the track? Or is it just pushed down into it? Right now I am in the process of taking down an 18' round above ground …

Digging a Deep End 
I have several questions. In 2005, we had a 24' Doughboy Mystic Garden above ground pool installed. The walls are 4 foot tall. At that time we choose not …

laser level to install above ground pool 
I will be doing my install this weekend. I live in Maryland. A friend lent me their Dewalt laser level with tripod and shaft before going out of town. …

Pool leveling question 
I am thinking about an above ground pool 54 inches high and 18 foot round. However, my yard is not level. From high side I drop over 10 inches every …

Pool Installations 
What is a ballpark estimate for 27'- 30' AGP install with a ground slope of 1 foot in 30 feet. ie: labor/materials? Planning a pool and need an idea of …