Protecting The Cove From Washout

by Ross
(Minneapolis )

Hi, We bought a 24' round Doughboy and am installing it on a slope. The grade changes about 26" over 28 feet. In looking at Doughboy instructions they recommend extending the flat area 6 feet beyond the edge of the pool to the downward side and slope side, and I assume all the way around.

I can do this but how do I make sure water does not wash any sand away from under or near the pool with the gulley washer rains we get in June here in Minnesota? I want to install this pool just once and not have it move on me from repetitive hard rains.

Many thanks! Ross

Hi Ross

Your first line of defense against a cove washout would be using the preformed pool cove.

Around the outside you have many options. I see no problem in backfilling with dirt around the area that is sunk into the ground. It sounds like rust might be a concern so you could coat the wall with roofing tar first.

You could also use retaining walls to control the ground around the pool. When doing this I still recommend packing some dirt, and then landscape rock, around the pool. Slope the ground away from the pool so it is not constantly sitting in a puddle.

More elaborate setups have been done with drain pipes buried in the ground if you want to go that way. Basically, dirt packed around the pool is far less damaging than a pool sitting in water.