Rounding the Corner... Install Completed 7/27/13

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Casey

Casey

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Apr 16, 2007
12,934
SW PA
Pool Size
17000
Surface
Fiberglass
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Jandy Aquapure 1400
Well Guys... This should be super exciting! I know I'm excited to get a new pool but also to see how this build goes. I've got a HUGE hill thus making this a challenge and add enough excitement to make sick! :mrgreen:

My plans in the next few days are to look into permits. Gotta have those dang things and rail road ties. I do believe that is what hubby and I will be using to secure the hill. So how about some pictures and a little info on this soil that I have gotten to know in the last 3 years.

Okay, so the Garage. This is a brand new structure built in the last 6 years or so. Hubby bought the house in 2009 and the garage was newly constructed. I hate how the siding is on the sides but that's a whole nother thread perhaps on a diffrent board all together. Ok... so here we go!!!

This is a pic looking at the back of the garage. This will have a boardwalk going to the pool. Hubby says we need it to keep out feet clean so we aren't picking up dirt and taking it to the pool! I love you Honey! :mrgreen:



This is the same view looking towards the house.


In the above pics, the 3-4 ft of dirt is new up against the garage. The people who built the garage sold hubby the house. They did not fill it in. It was not filled in until May of last year. So this tells me that the ground is pretty stable and you can't get a shovel into it at all! Now, before I shoot myself in the foot, it could always prove me a liar! Lets hope it doesn't!

Ahhhhhh... the hill I hate to mow! Notice the two Bosses in the back? They want to know what I'm up to? Well, It'st not their yard! :mrgreen:



Looking up at pool site. Yeah... I need a retaining wall.


The garage is 24ft wide.




So this is my *pool site*. :shock: My initial plans are to make the pool level with the floor of the garage and dig the hillside out. Hubby wants the pool higher. I can't go up the hill too far because of power lines along the road and I can't go past the garage because the driveway is a right of way.

Pool specs:
24ftx54" Sharkline Venture from Pool Supply World
25 g Portifino liner from Pool Supply World
DE pump bought off Craig's List last summer!
Bunch of odds n ends to make it go! lol
I'll be hitting Dave up for a TF100. :mrgreen:

Any comments welcome.
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Hi, Casey,

How ya' doin'? That is a MAJOR undertaking. Just eyeballing it from the pics, it looks like you might have a drop of 6 feet or more in that hill. Building a retaining wall from disturbed soil out of railroad ties would be a MAJOR cost and you probably would get few engineers to say it will work. A railroad tie retaining wall probably shouldn't exceed three feet in height and then they often fall over anyway if a proper footing and drainage system is not placed underneath them. Major, major DIY project or very expensive to hire it out.

Is that hill as high as it looks?
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

I measured the low side by eyeballing the high side of the garage and I believe I came up with total of 4.5 feet. What I was thinking and hubby too, was going up about 2 ft with the retaining wall and terracing the high lot a bit to accomodate a deck. The width of the yard is about 27 ft in all. I also have planned to use plants such as rhododendrons and evergreens to help in holding back this hillside. It's a big project. This I know! :shock:
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

I will also need to add atleast 2 deadmans to the wall starting with the 2nd course.

RR Ties are $8 tie for recycled ones.
12 inch stakes/nails.
drainage pipe.
landscaping fabric.
gravel.
rebar. (Wondering on diameter? Jim/Hubby says 1.5")

Hubby says the wall will only be about 20 ft long because our yard is higher in the middle than on the ends.

All excess dirt will be used to level off the bottom of the right away/yard.

Dave, I do believe the RR Tie wall is cheaper than the block retaining wall. Personally, you're tire wall is awesome :mrgreen: but Jim is like Ehhhhhhh.... NO! :thumbdown:
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Well, if it's only 4.5 feet, I think you have a plan but it sure looks higher than that. I just finished a long (about 100') RR tie wall and it 5 courses high (about 3')

Mine sits on a 12"deep French drain to carry away the water. I probably have less run-off issues than you (where does the rain off the street above go?) so you'll have to make some careful plans to handle the water on a slope like that.
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

It runs the lip of the road. :goodjob:
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Well, should be an interesting project, all I'd like to add is get the retaining wall done properly, that's a significant amount of earth to hold back and safety is always #1.

Good luck.
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

If it helps, I used 18" pieces of 1/2" rebar to hold in the first course and then 12" spikes to nail the remaining courses together. Somewhere around a 2" setback on each course to help prevent the wall from coming over. I didn't back fill with gravel (maybe should have) but with the wall sitting on the French drain, I think it will be adequate.
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

cramar said:
Well, should be an interesting project, all I'd like to add is get the retaining wall done properly, that's a significant amount of earth to hold back and safety is always #1.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Definitely my intention to do this right so no one swims through town. :goodjob:
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Don't forget the fence!! Can't wait to see what you do for this. That does look like a bigger hill than you are describing but that should result in a really cool pool project. Good luck. Pictures please once you get started!!

Bob E.
 

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Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

I called the borough and was given the number for the permit place. I should be expecting my application in a few days that I will take a few weeks to look at and go over (which will give me time for the yard to thaw and winter to go away). I asked him about a retaining wall and he said he will not be inspecting anything that pretains to any such thing. :shock: The only thing he is intrested in is the pool and deck. *picks jaw up* I am shocked that he said such a thing. He said that is my business and will be left between me, my plans and any landscapers I hire out, if I do. WHUT?!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND another issue I have is an alley way. I called the borough on this and it seems they can't find anything pretaining to an alley way so they went back in their books to the 1950's. I have a few neighbors who insist there is an ALLEY way which is now covered in grass for over 20 years. My current neighbor says she used to cut it and her kids would play in this yard. If there is an alley, I would have to propose a vacancy and the neighbor would have to agree to half of it or give it up. The last time I spoke to her and her husband, they were going to give it up and not fight over it so I could put the pool in. Something tells me if they find no alley, why should I have to propose anything? I'm going to ask why we can't treat it as a yard regardless of what they neighbors have stated? It's not in the books... it doesn't exsist. Let's hope and see but I shouldn't have trouble with it either way.
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Had a nice conversation with the borough today and it seems as though I don't have anything to worry about with alley wayss and such because it's not on my property. Now I have to wait for the permit, fill it out and get my excavator in for an estimate. I ordered everything today. The pool, steps, foam pads, coves, liner, test kit.... it's all on it's way! :mrgreen:
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Hubby handed me the building permit a little while ago. Looks like I have to read up on it. I think the only thing I'll have to wait for now is warm weather!
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

I've decided that I am going to put the pool as far down as I can to avoid a retaining wall. Hubby and I are going to look at this proposed plan as soon as the weather breaks and determine if it's even possible. I, along with the guy from the borough believes it is but only a tape measure will be for sure. There is no top soil here unless you count the clay.
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Looks like I'll be recieving my ladder/steps and wall foam padding from poolsupplies.com tomorrow. Looks like the pool and other things may be here by Monday from poolsupplyworld.

In other news... I've been told to look elsewhere for an excavator. I said ok. (I work with the guy)
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

The Girls (Rotty n a Boxer) told me the FedEx guy was here this morning delivering the steps/safety ladder and the wall foam from poolsupplies.com. Super fast shipping and very satisfied. One issue is that the steps and safety ladder came in 2 boxes and only had instructions for the 38" Mighty Steps and NOT the safety ladder! :hammer: I called them and they are sending me out a copy which was very nice of them. lol

Just waiting on the mother load on Monday! Hubby says we need to get floaties and rafts and pool toys and stuff! :mrgreen:
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

Since it's been very nice out weather wise, I figured I'd go put my steps and safety ladder together. Let's just say I got the steps together. I went with the 38" Mighty Steps. I don't think I should have any trouble with algae this year. I'm glad I got the 38" instead of the 30". Jim or others can navigate the steps if I want to sit on them. :goodjob:

And since it called for a rubber mallet to put together, I knew Jim had one. Least I could have sworn he did. I couldn't find it so I had to improvise. It works very well I might add! :mrgreen:


So, I have to call Leisure Living tomorrow because I got absolutely nothing but the componets of a safety ladder in the box it came in. No instructions or hardware so that's what I'll be doing in a few hours while I wait for the pool to be delivered. I'm going to make a bed on the couch and let the rotty let me know someone is at the door. She's pretty good at that. The boxer is just lazy and knows Ms Rotty handles all visitors. :mrgreen:




She won't be swimming. Heck... giving her a bath is like bathing a rare, wild, exotic gorrilla! She hates water but she's one heck of a guard dog! She'll make ya change yer pants! :mrgreen:
 
Re: Rounding the Corner to a New Pool Build

I took the liberty to take a few pics of my neighbor's yard and their pool which has been there for at least 10 years. Her husband did the pool himself and all the grading if that's what you want to call it. lol I'll just tell you right now, his is 100% worse than my yard and it works for them. Ok... on with the pics! :shock:

This is their 24'x52" above ground pool.



Here it is from the top.



Down by the pool looking into the slope.



The house beside the pool is another neighbor.
 

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