Pool Crete for Base

by Ronnie
(Mississippi)

I have a pool kit and have thought about using pool crete for the base, but I do not know how to do this.

Should I raise the base plate and concrete blocks enough to let pool crete run under it to give me a 1 1/2 thick base? The base piece is only about 1" thick and does not allow me to have 1 1/2" of the base material. This is 24' mystique pool.

Thank you, Ronnie

Hi Ronnie.

I would not try to put the pool crete under the bottom rails. I would lay those on the firm ground and patio blocks. It is fine for the pool crete to go up the wall of the pool, above the bottom track.

A nice 6" cove could be made out of the pool crete or you could use the preformed cove. If you go with the preformed cove I would use the kind with the tape on the backside. You could then install the cove over the crete and tape them to the wall.

If you are trying to not loose that 1 1/2" of water depth, just leave a 6" ledge around the perimeter, and slope to a lower level.

15x29 Radiant Grecian Flat Bottom Pool

by Hilary
(Berrien Springs, MI)

We just recently purchased an above ground pool and are having it installed starting tomorrow. We met with the installer and he recommended a Pool Crete bottom instead of a packed sand bottom.

What are the pros and cons of using Pool Crete instead of a sand base for our above ground pool? The pool is going to be buried 32" in the ground and we don't want to have any regrets.

Hi Hilary.

Properly done Pool Crete can make an excellent bottom for an above ground pool. My only question for the installer would be could he install it without foot prints?

Most of the pools I have seen with these bottoms have a lot of footprints. It takes a while for this stuff to set up and most installers install the liner to soon. If the liner were installed like I install mine, by using this method, you would probably not have the problem. The page says expandable liner but I use this method for all the pools I build.

Expandable Liner Installation

The part I hate the most about Pool Crete bottoms is not being able to smooth the bottom out when I am changing a liner. With a sand base I can run a push broom over the base and make the area perfectly smooth. With a Pool Crete bottom you can not smooth it back out. It might be possible to resurface it with more Pool Crete, but trying to smooth it with a broom is impossible.