Crushed Granite For Pool Base

by Elliot
(Suisun City CA)

Can I use decomposed granite? Is it as good a low spot filler as crushed granite? Also, after I machine plate tamp my pool site and then it rains a few times, will the rain mess up my plate tamping work? (12' ABG site)

Hi Elliot.

The decomposed granite should work just as well as the crushed granite, they are very similar. Rain is great for further packing the granite, the more the better. It's always good to do a final grade just before the pool installation, but no, the rain should not hurt the packed pool base.

Doing something like this around the outer edge of the pool is a good idea also, especially since you already have the granite. This is a big help for keeping the ground solid during the rainy seasons.

Granite Dust Has Been Used For AGP Base

by Darrell
(U.S.A.)

In replacing our 27'AGP due to fallen tree, a pool contractor used granite dust as the base, claiming it was better than sand. Now 8 years later, I am having to replace the liner due to rotting along the bead.

Doing the job myself and researching, I am reading conflicting opinions about granite dust. The contractor used 1/2 foam on top of the granite dust.

Will 1/8 "liner armor" be sufficient to protect the replacement liner from the granite dust or should I lay down a layer of play sand underneath the 1/8 foam, or use 1/2" foam? Or should I get rid of the granite dust completely and if so, why?

Thanks very much for your time and response!

Darrell

Hi Darrell.

If the base was adequate I would not change a thing. The granite dust was used as a leveling aid and the foam was used in place of the sand. There is nothing wrong with this.

There is no reason to make any changes unless you were not happy with the pool bottom. If it was rough, or uneven, then you may want to improve on it.

You could lift the foam and re-smooth the granite and then replace the foam. Or smooth the granite and install the pad you are talking about. Either way is just fine.

What your installer originally did sounds about right to me.

Limestone Base

by Ted
(Lafayette, La)

Great site, very informative. I have a question regarding what to use as a base. I am planning a 21 foot round Sharkline Venture after winter this year and have been looking at all kinds of information from websites regarding installation since it will be my first DYI pool. Selling the 15 foot Intex metal frame after one season.

I had planned on using the pool liner pad and then pool cove after putting about 2 inches of sand compacted with hand tampers, in that order, but I read where you don't like using the pool liner pad if the sand has not been compacted by prior weight of water or using on a hard surface, concrete, etc.

I am going to purchase a V-bead liner so as you have already pointed out, I will have to walk around on top of the pool liner pad which may leave footprints in the sand underneath and no way to tell there are footprints until the weight of the water is pushing down on the liner.

My ground is going to be nearly level so after removing all grass and roots I will have a firm dirt base, Southern Louisiana, so then I thought about using crushed limestone like in the youtube videos from abovegroundpools.com.

Where they used the 1/4 pool liner pad on top of their compacted crushed limestone then they did sand coves instead of foam pool coves.

What would you think of crushed limestone for base, then the 1/4 pool liner pad, then the foam cove, we have crushed limestone readily available in Louisiana and for area coverage it would be worth the money over sand if it would be more stable than sand, just not sure if 1/4 of foam padding is soft enough on the feet and whether or not the crushed limestone is safe over a period of time for vinyl liners, because I am sure 1/4 foam pad with the weight of the water will smash directly into the limestone base.

Thanks, Ted

Hi Ted.

I think the limestone base would be fine for under 1" or 1 1/2" foam sheets but I would be concerned with just putting a thin pool pad over it. I guess I share your concerns. It would have to be packed really good, and raked really smooth.

Even so, I would want a layer of sand over it. If you know you are going over the top of the sand you are best to use a very thin layer and pack it solid. This would keep footprints to a minimum.