Planning - How To Remove An In-Ground Swimming Pool
Measure twice and cut once, right? That's what all the smart old-timers tell us. Let's discuss the things you should think about before "digging in" to your pool removal project:
- Season: What time of year is it? Is it rainy in the spring or fall in your area? It's best to avoid those seasons then as it's no fun trying to run a machine in a mud pit. Are your winters very cold? Once the ground freezes you won't be able to dig through it with the small, rental-sized machines. We decided on the fall since it is fairly dry in the northeast and it's a good time to put grass seed down so it sprouts next spring.
- Permits: If you live in an area that requires permits then you'll need one to remove a pool. Pay a visit to your permitting authority and see if they have a document that lists the requirements for pool demolition. This was helpful in our case as we found out the inspector wanted no larger than bowling-ball sized pieces of concrete to be used as fill. Knowing that ahead of time saved tedious work re-breaking the concrete chunks.
- Other's Schedules: If you need fill or a rental (or borrowed) machine will they be available when you're planning your job and for the length of the job (in the case of the machine)?
- Source of Fill: You'll need about 100 cubic yards of fill (or 5 tandem/tri-axle dump trucks worth) to fill the pool. Do you have a source? If not, call around to supply yards that offer topsoil (you'll need that too anyway) and ask if they have fill available. If not, ask if they have "tailings" which are the 1-3" diameter rocks that get screened off during the topsoil process and are generally cheap. Also, check craigslist as people are always trying to get rid of fill on there. If you go the craigslist route, however, make sure the fill is "clean" meaning it didn't get removed from around a leaking underground fuel tank. You don't want that stuff in your yard!
Ready to get started? Let's find out what tools we'll need
