Wet Ground For Installation

by Dave
(Pensacola)

I have been trying to get my pool installed for about two months now. The installer keeps telling me that the ground is too wet. There is a spot covering maybe 20% of the ground along one side that is damp. The soil is darker than the surrounding soil, but it is hard enough to be walked on without leaving foot prints.

I live in Florida and the soil is a sand mixture with low compactability, but enough to build a house on. Every time it gets to the point that I want to call the installer to come take a look, I get rained on. My question is, can an above ground pool be built on ground that is damp but not soft?

Hi Dave.

It sounds like your installer is putting you off, but I have never installed pools in Florida.

In Arizona, I have used a broom to clear the standing water off a pool area, just before installation. It's a matter of knowing your soil conditions and knowing what is the best way to go.

If I had an area off ground I was not sure of I would add blocks. A wet and sandy area with blocks set under the rails and footplates works just fine. So does digging a trench around the circumference of your pool and filling it with crusher run or crushed granite.

There are a lot of ways of dealing with soft ground. You may want to get opinions with other installers or toss out a few ideas to the ones that are putting you off.

Plate Tamping Damp Dirt

by Elliot
(Suisun City)

My pool site has been wet from rain for a couple of months. If it doesn't rain for a week {it will still be damp} can I power plate tamp the site or would I need to wait another week or two?

The top couple of inches will probably be dry. The ground had a pool on it for twenty years so it should be fairly compacted already, I would think. I don't want to tamp it too early and mess it up. Thanks for your help.

Hi Elliot.

The rule of thumb we use around here is if you can walk across the site without sinking, or leaving footprints, it is fine to pack. My thought is it would probably not need much packing, if any, after having the weight of all that water sitting on it for twenty years.

Again, around here, in Arizona, the site would be good to go the way it is. But if you feel packing should be done, you kind of have to use your best judgment as to when would be the best time.