Sand Not Compacted By Installer

by Jason
(CT)

My family recently had a pool put in and the people we had install it didn’t do a great job.

There are big divots in the sand underneath the liner, even a screw on its side under the liner which feels like its going to come through any day now and near the cross brace (its a 15x25) I can literally step into a hug divot between the beams.

Okay, the installers screwed up. But what do I do now? I purchased some underwater patches but that’s only a band aid. I'm thinking the liner needs to be taken off, maybe replaced, and the sand underneath needs to be addressed, right?

How do you cover those cross beams underneath with enough sand that the weight of the water doesn’t push through the gaps?

It's really sad, we waited FOREVER for the town to get the permit ready and had to spend a fortune for surveyors and alternate septic tank location.

Groan. I'm enjoying the pool but I feel it won't last long.

Hi Jason.

An uneven bottom should not be a problem safety wise, I mean, it should not collapse. The liner will probably not last as long, cleaning over lumps and pumps will take its toll on the liner.

What you want to watch out for are the sink holes around the brace assemblies. You do not want the liner coming into contact with the sharp metal edges of the channels or straps. If this is happening the pool should be drained immediately.

The only reason sand would be sinking around the braces would be because the installers did not pack the dirt in well enough. The brace assemblies should be back filled with dirt and sufficiently tamped. Extra sand is used to cover the pressure plates, and plenty of it, but the braces need to be set in packed dirt.

You might want to keep the liner in the pool for as long as you can stand the lumpy bottom or for as long as you think it is safe. It is possible to drain, smooth, and refill with the existing liner but using a new liner will usually give you a better job.

Comments for Sand Not Compacted By Installer

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Jul 27, 2011
 Stop and fix it
by: Patty

I am a beginner, but a perfectionist so i would drain it and fix their mistakes:

1) check for perfect level.

2) use a foam cove from pool supply store

3) level sand removing any sharp objects. I spray with water so it compacts and use a push broom to get level and divot free.

4) use a "gorilla" pad from pool supply store over the sand and under liner.

5) fill the pool.

I stopped assembly of mine this week to fix 2 small holes "right". I purchased 20+ mil (real liner) patch material 14 inch x 36 inch on eBay for $6 and will get vinyl adhesive from pool or home provident store. It is in the plumbing section in a can with an application tool in the jar.

Hi Patty

I like your way of thinking, do it right, at least at some point in time. They may want to get some use out of the pool while it is still hot and fix later.

A perfect level is a great idea, they should measure down from the top rail while the pool is full. Measuring from the top rail to the top of the water all the way around the pool would give them a very good idea of what to do when it's empty.

The foam cove and pool pad are both optional for me, they have their pros and cons.

Aug 19, 2011
 Bad Installation lies & excuses
by: Sharon

I have also had a horrible, "professional" installation performed on my pool. It appears we have similar problems, I feel your pain! I have been fighting with the installer & The Great Escape for 3 months now to get this fixed correctly.

They did not level the supports, they tapered them towards the center so they would be straight when it filled up. That was not a manufacturer specification at all, they were supposed to absolutely level. My rails were never level,they drilled their own holes. They were supposed to add & compact crushed stone around the structures, but they did not, (apparently they did not fill and compact them w/ anything but sand) so now we have huge sinkholes on the sides of brace assemblies (sounds like the problem w/ your pool.)They also did not use enough sand to cover the metal components and rocks adequately. I have screws, rocks, supports, straps poking through my liner.

My installer & The Great Escape are telling me that this is "washout", even though my cove is still intact & this happened on both sides (right after we filled the pool) & they made all of these mistakes. Ridiculous!

Anyway, they are supposed to supply me with a new liner (you should demand one also) come back & dissemble my pool & re install it per manufacturer's specifications this time (like they should have the 1st time,duh). My pool is still not fixed. We have been going back & forth on the new contract for 3 months, but hopefully this will be resolved soon or we go to court. Your installer & pool supplier should fix your pool also.

Here are the pics of my pool & the results of the incorrect installation.

http://tinyurl.com/BadPoolInstall

Sorry, I know how bad & stressful this is. Good luck to you.

Dennis, is there any way that this IS "washout", especially with the cove being intact still & happening on both sides at every support right after the pool was filled? (There are pictures in my link above.)

Thanks for your help, again. Sharon

Hi Sharon

This is a sloppy install, not washout. And even if it was, a properly installed pool does not washout. They did a bad job and I hope it gets fixed the way it should be.

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