Tag: deck

Vinyl Liner Pool Building – Leave it to the Pros

Have you ever wondered about the best way to build an in ground swimming pool?  Have you been thinking about getting a swimming pool but are concerned about the cost involved in the build of it?  Are you really wanting an in ground swimming pool but are hesitating because you think that it will just cost too much?

Well let me be the one to tell you that the best way to go about building your very own vinyl liner in ground swimming pool is to let a professional do it.  I know that this may not be something that you want to hear or read in this case, but it is something that I think is worth really knowing.  I am aware that there are several places online where you can obtain a vinyl liner in ground swimming pool kit and build it yourself.  However, in my opinion building your own vinyl liner in ground swimming pool is never a good idea.  There are so many aspects and components that go into a vinyl liner in ground swimming pool that it would be very easy to miss a step and end up with something that you will not be happy with.
As a pool builder I am aware of all of the problems that can arise when installing  a vinyl  liner in ground swimming pool.  If you do not know what to do in order to effectively deal with these problems then they can turn into larger problems and before long you have spent far more money than you had anticipated.  At that point you might as well have just paid to have the pool professionally installed to begin with.  To make this point even clearer I want to go through the process of the build and point out areas in which problems can arise.
The Dig:
By the time I get to this point I like to have a very clear plan in place for the pool.  I will have already laid out the pool in the backyard so I know where everything will go.  You have to realize that unless you have an excavator or backhoe of your own you will need to rent one.  When renting something like that, time is money.  You don’t want to be wasting time trying to figure out what goes where while digging the pool.  Once I start that thing up I will want to just power through it until the pool is dug.  One of the key components of doing this right is to have someone checking the depth the entire way.  Getting the depth of the pool right is very important.  If too much dirt gets taken out then it will cost even more money to get it back to where it needs to be because you can’t just put the dirt back.  Loose dirt will settle over time and under the weight of the water in the pool.  If that happens then there will again be a large expense involved in repairing it.  Stone will need to be brought in and placed in the hole to bring the bottom back up to where it needs to be.  In my opinion the dig is quite possibly the most important part of the entire pool build.  It will dictate the quality and ease of the rest of the build.  If it is off by a little, then more work will need to be done, more money will need to be spent, and more time will need to be spent working on the build.  When digging the deep end of the pool I usually always dig it a foot or so deeper than what it needs to be just so I can add stone for proper drainage.  Around here there seems to almost always be ground water that collects in the deep end.  The amount that collects will change depending on location, but it is almost a sure thing that there will be ground water.  Ground water is another aspect of the installation that a builder has to address.
There are a couple things that I do to combat ground water issues.  I almost always install a sump pit just off the deck area of the pool.  This sump pit will allow the homeowner to remove water around the pool at any given time.  In most cases they will just leave a sump pump in the pit and allow it to use its float to turn itself on and off as the water level raises and falls.  Another thing that I will do is install a drain in the deep end of the pool.  This is where that one foot of stone will come into play.  A very simple way to do this is to use a piece of flex pipe.  Simply drill some holes in the line, smaller than the stone of course, coil it up, and bury it under the stone.  From there the line will be ran up the side wall, under the wall panel, and up the trench with all the other plumbing lines.  This will allow the home owner, or the service tech the ability to pump the water out from underneath the pool.  Usually though it is enough to just drill some holes into a five gallon bucket and bury that in the stone and use that to pump water out of until it comes time to do the bottom and drop the liner.  At that point, I will drop the liner and fill the pool.  The weight of the water in the pool will, in almost every case  be heavy enough to keep the ground water away.  Think of it this way, if the ground water has nowhere to flow to then there will not be a problem.  Again there are extreme cases in which the pressure from the ground water is strong enough to counter the weight of the water in the pool.  If that happens then there is a strong possibility of the liner floating.
Again This is another reason why it is best to allow a professional to install your swimming pool.  Ground water is an issue all in itself, but throw a liner in there and you can end up with a bigger problem.  I have seen a liner float so bad that it ended up needing to be replaced.  The key is taking care of the ground water before the liner gets to the point where it is being stretched out around the main drains.
The Build:
This part is not necessarily that difficult.  It is a matter of bolting the panels together in the right locations, and installing all the proper bracing.  The hard part comes when it is time to level them.  Again this is where a good dig comes into play.  I have seen digs that were so spot on that very little had to be done in order to get them level.  On the other hand I have seen digs that were so far off of where they needed to be that the crew had to spend an entire afternoon leveling the pool.  I have seen this part of the build done a couple different ways.  Typically the walls will be completely put together before leveling the pool.  Then using wooden blocks and shims the panels are brought to the correct height.  I have also seen crews use pavers to level their pools.  In this case they would put down a paver and get it level and then set the panel on top of it.  I suppose either way works, but to me it makes more sense to build the walls first and then level them.  It seems that leveling pavers first just adds more work, because even after the walls were finished being built they went back and double checked the levelness of all the panels anyway.  I have never been one to tell someone how to build a pool, I just know what works best for me.  Once the walls are level, square and all the plumbing has been ran, then it is time to pour the concrete footing or collar.  After the collar is poured I always double check the levelness just because in some cases the weight of the concrete can cause the panels to sink a bit.  Once the wall panels are level I always straightened the walls.  The best way to do this is to use turnbuckle braces.
The Backfill:
I would always allow the concrete footing to set up overnight and then return the next day to run the electrical conduit.  This part may require the need for an electrician.  The building codes differ from place to place, so builders always check and make sure they are following all building codes that apply.  This is yet another reason it is best to allow a professional pool builder to build your pool.  Many people are unaware of what the building codes are and if they are not followed it could result in a fine.  Obviously that would cost money as well.  Anyway, once I get all the conduit ran around the pool where it needs to go, I would then begin backfilling the pool.  Some people backfill with dirt, however if I am intending on pouring a concrete deck around the pool then I will prefer to backfill with stone.  I know that I could use deck braces to support the weight of the deck, but that would not help with the dirt settling around the pool and leaving voids under the deck.
The Deck:
Once the pool is completely backfilled then it is time to prep for the concrete deck.  For this I will again plan out what the deck should look like.  By that I mean shape.  Next I will lay down a layer of stone, and get it all to the appropriate height.  The concrete deck of the pool should be about four inches thick and it should have fall.  This means that the farther away from the edge of the pool the lower the deck should be.  This will allow any water to run off the deck away from the pool.  When I have the stone at the right height in all the proper locations,  I will then form the deck using concrete forms.  Once the deck is completely formed up, I will use rebar to create a grid within deck area.  This will help to give the concrete strength.  Once all the rebar is laid out within the forms it will all have to be tied together.  When that is finished it will then be ready to pour the concrete.  Pouring the concrete really does require some technique.  Not everybody has the skill needed to do it right.  If it is not done right then it will look bad and once it cures it will look bad forever unless it is busted up and re-poured.  This is another reason why it is important to have a professional install your pool.
The Bottom:
The bottom of a vinyl liner in ground swimming pool is something that requires a lot of technique and labor to do properly.  Usually it is done with either a sand/cement mix, or by using vermiculite.  Either way the process of doing a bottom on a vinyl liner in ground swimming pool is a challenge.  Perhaps I am just a bit of a perfectionist, but I have seen some bottoms that were in pretty rough shape.  The idea is to get it as smooth as possible.  I can assure you that anything that happens to get underneath the liner will be easily felt from inside the pool.  I don’t know why exactly, but for some reason even the smallest piece of debris under the liner feels like a rock from inside the pool.  Anyway with a good crew and the know how, an average size pool bottom will take anywhere from three to four hours to complete and get the liner in.  Again if there is ground water in the pool, obviously it will have to be dealt with when the time comes.  Once the bottom is finished it is time to install the liner.  This is a job for a few people.  Liners are large and typically have some substantial weight to them.  They need to be sucked back into place by using vacuums, and then all the proper holes will need to be cut for the main drains, returns, lights, skimmers, and anything else.  Again this is something that is best left for the professionals.  A hole in the wrong spot could result in the need for a new liner, or a patch/aka eyesore.
Like I said, there are several places where a vinyl liner pool kit can be bought online, however the cost of hiring a professional pool builder would be worth it.  A professional will have the experience and know how to deal with any issues that may and will likely arise throughout the building process.  Not to mention all of the permits needed will be obtained by the builder and all of the liability will be on the builder as well.  If anything were to go wrong then it would be up to the builder to handle and correct it.  When it comes to building vinyl liner in ground swimming pools I think that it is best left up to the professionals.
For more information on in ground vinyl liner swimming pools please check out my other blog posts.

How to get your backyard ready for your staycation

The backyard staycation.  This is the newest trend among Americans.  This is the idea that you can put your money into your own backyard to transform it into a place where you and your family can spend your summers rather than spending money on expensive vacations every year.  The idea is to transform your backyard to accommodate the needs of your family.  This typically includes a place for relaxation, a place for entertaining, and a place for recreation.  At this point you may be wondering where to start.

I would recommend going about this as if you were packing up a truck for a big move.  Start with the larger items and then move to the smaller items.  This way you know exactly how much room you have to work with after the big things.

A common item that people often get is an in ground swimming pool.  As I have stated in many of my posts, I recommend going with a vinyl liner pool.  For more information on vinyl liner in ground pools check out my other posts.  To save time and space in this post I am not going to get into the reasons why today.  I think that an in ground pool represents the biggest part of the staycation project.  It will likely take up the most space in the backyard, and will likely be one of the higher end costs in the project.  I have also written about the best way to go about deciding on the style and size of the pool in another post.  If a backyard staycation is something that you are seriously considering  I think that it would benefit you to read through my blog as it contains a lot of information on in ground pools in general as well as vinyl liner pools specifically.  An in ground pool will act as a place for recreation for you and your family and friends.  Next I will tackle a place for relaxation.

This can be incorporated into the design of the pool, or you can have it designed to be separate from the pool.  Basically you will want a patio area for sitting and relaxing.  I have noticed a lot of people will incorporate an outdoor kitchen, or a large grill in their patio area.  It all depends on your personal preferences.  In theory you can have all of these components connected to each other or you can separate them almost as if they were different rooms in your backyard.  This will all depend on the space available and how much you are willing to put into it.  Personally I think that I would prefer each area to be somewhat isolated from one another.  I would do this through the landscape design.
Ideally I would have my relaxation area separate from the pool area, and the entertaining area separate from the relaxation area.

Lastly we come to the entertaining area.  Will this be another patio area with a fire place, or would you prefer a grassy area?  It is all up to you on how you want to entertain.  I have seen a lot of examples in which there are multiple levels of patio that represent the different areas.  Typically the pool area will be at the lowest level.  I find that Pintrest is a very good place to get ideas for your backyard staycation.  For the purposes of giving my readers a good place to start I want to give you my ideas on the way I would go about a backyard staycation at my own house.







The Pool (Copied and Pasted from my post title “My Ideal Swimming Pool”)


The design:

Free Form Style Pool

This part is really up to personal taste and backyard space.  My back yard is big enough to accommodate any size pool really so for me it comes down to the style.  I am partial to the free form pool.  I tend to be drawn to the curves and organic layout rather than the basic geometric rectangle pool.  I am not one to be too flashy so I would probably go with a smaller pool probably along the lines of something that would fit into a 16’x32′ space.  There are endless possibilities in regard to the shape so for that I would want to sit down and draw it out.  Did I mention that I am married, so naturally that would affect the design.  In the end we would come up with something that we are both happy with, but as long as she is happy I am cool with it.  Anyway that is a general look into the design I would choose.

The Deck:

Beautiful Decking

I have seen all sorts of decking options for vinyl liner in ground pools.  A lot of people choose to use pavers around their pool.  For me this wouldn’t work well.  I am more of a concrete type guy, however there are some things that I would do to give the pool more of a high end look.  To begin I would start with a 1′ stamped border all the way around the pool.  The color of the concrete would have to be chosen with my wife of course.  Then I would utilize a slightly different color to give the pool some contrast, and again my wife would help with this.  I have also seen a lot of pools that have some grass around them, and I really like the look of that so perhaps I would try to include it in my pool as well.  Again keeping with the organic look of the pool, the deck would also have to be free form with plenty of curves.  I am not a big fan of the “cookie cutter” type pools where your pool looks strikingly similar to your neighbors.  I like to have some aspect of originality without going over the top with it.

The Patio

Japanese style garden

This portion of my backyard staycation would preferably be at a different physical level than the pool itself, and I would use it as a place for relaxation.  I am a big fan of having this area somewhat isolated from the pool area through the use of landscaping.  Take a look at the photo to the left.  Notice how they used some evergreens to separate the patio area from the rest of the yard.  I also like the way that they used paving stones as the patio rather than going with standard concrete.

I happen to find traditional Japanese rock gardens to be very aesthetically pleasing so I would likely incorporate that type of design into my patio area.  The photo to the right displays some traditional Japanese garden ideas complete with a koi pond, and Bonsai.  This would be ideal for me because I have been working on a Japanese maple for a couple of years that would look amazing in this type of setting.  I find koi ponds to be very relaxing and for me this would be a must have.

Entertaining Area

I would prefer this area to again be separate from the other areas, and preferably on yet another level.  This is where I would have my outdoor kitchen and fireplace.  I would again have a patio area with plenty of seating.  As far as isolation goes, I think that I would prefer this area to overlook the pool, that way if anyone were swimming I would be able to supervise without having to look around anything.   The photo to the left is a very nice representation of an outdoor fire place.  However I would choose a different color brick to use.  The idea is to have these three components separate from one another, and yet tie them all together through color and style.  Obviously if you were to have three areas within the same backyard that all looked completely different you may lose some of the continuity.

Another way to go would be to just have a fire pit with some seating around it.  The photo on the right will give you a good idea of how nice a fire pit can look if done properly.  Although the fire pit looks really nice I think that I would still opt for the Fire place.

Next I think that I would want an outdoor kitchen.  This is a place that would have a grill, sink, refrigerator, and counter space.  It would serve as a place to prepare food and drinks for your family and friends.  These come in many different styles so choosing one that suites your needs and tastes would not be too difficult.

These are just my personal tastes and what I would want in my own backyard.  The next step would be to come up with a design that would incorporate all of these components and look really nice.  From there you would want to come up with a design for your landscaping.  One way to do this would be to hire someone.  Many landscaping companies have the know how to do something like this.  The other option would be to design it yourself.  For that I would definitely recommend searching around on the internet.  I know that you can find a lot of examples simply be googling it.  Another website that I find to be very helpful is Pintrest.  There you can collect many different examples and store them on the site itself.  Another site that is quickly growing in popularity is Houzz.  This site allows you to browse through projects that have been done and create a project book where you can keep all the information you want for your own project.

For more information on in ground swimming pools and vinyl liner pool specifically check out my other blog posts.  You can also find more information on these types of backyard projects in my blog, and ways to go about getting started.  As always if anyone has any comments or questions please feel free to share.

 

My Ideal Swimming Pool

There I am

I have been installing in ground pools for quite some time now, and I think that gives me a pretty good idea about what components would make for the best in ground pool.  Today I just want to give my readers my personal opinion on what I think would make a great pool.  Everything that you are about to read is my personal opinion based on my experiences as a in ground pool builder and service technician.  Obviously that goes without saying that you may feel differently about certain aspects of an in ground pool.  If I were to build a pool for my family today this is how I would do it.

What type of pool:

Beautiful Vinyl Liner Pool

To begin, I would decide on what type of in ground pool to install.  I have personally installed vinyl liner pools as well as one piece fiberglass pools.  I have yet to install a concrete pool and I am not all that interested in doing so.  For me I think the best route would be to go with a vinyl liner in ground pool.  I would be too concerned about having a one piece fiberglass pool pop out of the ground if I ever had to drain it down for any reason.  In all honesty that is a very real threat when it comes to one piece fiberglass pools.  There are also plenty of photos online that will back up that claim.  The expense in repairing something like that would be too great for me.  In addition to that I really do like the idea of being able to change the look of the pool simply by changing the pattern on the liner.  In regard to the concrete pool, I feel that it would just cost too much.  Traditionally a concrete pool is a symbol of social class.  With that in mind builders are able to charge more.  In addition to the high initial cost of the install I am very aware of the fact that concrete cracks.  It is just a matter of when and where.  There is no preventing it.  At some point it will crack and it will loose its aesthetic appeal.  I don’t know about you but if I am spending a large amount of money on something, I want it to look as good as possible.  That being said I feel that to get the best bang for your buck the way to go is with a vinyl liner in ground pool.  You will get a pool that is structurally sound and won’t leave you wondering how to repair a crack in the bottom.  In addition to that they are very aesthetically pleasing and can be made to fit any back yard and personal taste.

The design:

Free Form Style Pool

This part is really up to personal taste and backyard space.  My back yard is big enough to accommodate any size pool really so for me it comes down to the style.  I am partial to the free form pool.  I tend to be drawn to the curves and organic layout rather than the basic geometric rectangle pool.  I am not one to be too flashy so I would probably go with a smaller pool probably along the lines of something that would fit into a 16’x32′ space.  There are endless possibilities in regard to the shape so for that I would want to sit down and draw it out.  Did I mention that I am married, so naturally that would affect the design.  In the end we would come up with something that we are both happy with, but as long as she is happy I am cool with it.  Anyway that is a general look into the design I would choose.

The Deck:

Beautiful Decking

I have seen all sorts of decking options for vinyl liner in ground pools.  A lot of people choose to use pavers around their pool.  For me this wouldn’t work well.  I am more of a concrete type guy, however there are some things that I would do to give the pool more of a high end look.  To begin I would start with a 1′ stamped border all the way around the pool.  The color would have to be chosen with my wife of course.  Then I would utilize a slightly different color to give the pool some contrast, and again my wife would help with this.  I have also seen a lot of pools that have some grass around them, and I really like the look of that so perhaps I would try to include it in my pool as well.  Again keeping with the organic look of the pool, the deck would also have to be free form with plenty of curves.  I am not a big fan of the “cookie cutter” type pools where your pool looks strikingly similar to your neighbors.  I like to have some aspect of originality without going over the top with it.

The equipment:

Paramount’s 6 Jet Swing Sweep System

Swimming pool equipment has come a long way.  We now have all sorts of things available to use on our pools to give use the best possible swimming pool experience.  So with that in mind I would certainly utilize modern technology in my pool.  To begin I would install the Swing Sweep system by Paramount.  This will allow me to spend more time enjoying my pool and far less time actually cleaning it.  This system uses what are known as SwingJets to push any debris down to the specially designed main drain where it will be removed from the pool.

 

Jandy Versa Plumb System

As far as the equipment at the filter pad goes I would use a Jandy pump, filter, and heat pump.  Jandy has specific pumps, filters, and heat pumps that work with their Versa Plumb system.  The Versa Plumb system is basically a pre-determined way of plumbing the equipment.  It comes with all the necessary pipe and fittings to do so.  The benefit is that it increases efficiency and hydraulics.  This will allow me to save money in the long run.  In addition to that I would use an Ultra UV and Clear O3 from Paramount as a way to clean the water itself.  This will dramatically reduce the amount of chemicals I will need to put in the pool.

AquaLink RS One Touch

One last thing that I would do is install an automation system by Zodiac to complete my ideal swimming pool.  With Zodiac automation I can control all the aspects of the pool from the comfort of my home.  Think of it like a thermostat on the wall.  From there I can adjust the temperature of the pool, the speed of the pump, and I could even change the lighting.  In addition to that I could also get the iAquaLink which would allow me to do all of those things from my smart phone.  There are so many things that can be done using this automation that can make your pool your own backyard oasis.

These are just some of the things that I would do if I were installing a pool in my own backyard.  Throughout the years I have had the privilege of working with some of the best products on the market.  What you have just read is a combination of the best of the best that I would certainly use on my own pool.  The purpose of this post is simply to give my readers an idea of what is out there for their pools, and what I find to be the best.  For more information on vinyl liner in ground swimming pools check out my other blog posts.  For more information on Paramount Pool Systems check out their website at http://www.paramountpoolsystems.com/ You can find more information on Zodiac/Jandy at http://www.zodiacpoolsystems.com/

Backfilling With Dirt – Pros and Cons

 

It is not all that uncommon for a builder to use dirt to backfill a pool.  Traditionally this is not the best material to use for backfilling a pool.  The reason being is that the dirt will settle over time.  Typically when the pool is dug, it will be dug about three feet wider than the actual width of the finished pool.  The over dig is what allows the builders to run the plumbing and electrical around the pool to the proper locations.  This over dig will be the same depth as the shallow end of the pool.  When the pool is backfilled with dirt, that over dig area around the pool is very susceptible to settling.  In fact it is almost definitely going to settle.  So what happens to the concrete deck or pavers around the pool when that dirt settles?  Well the worst case scenario would be that it too will settle, leaving you, the homeowner with a huge mess.  The other outcome, depending on if the builders used deck supports, will be large voids underneath the concrete that will have to be filled in.  That means that it will be up to you, the homeowner to either fill it in yourself at a small cost, or pay someone to come in and do it at a higher cost.  Either way you will have some extra work to do or have done after your pool is complete.  So what is the best material to backfill with.

I have found that when a pool is backfilled with a non-compressible stone, like pea gravel or stone chips then the over dig area is far less likely to settle, and if it does it will probably be so minuscule that you won’t be able to see it.  Now you may be asking yourself, “why would a builder backfill with dirt over stone?”  It really just comes down to cost.  Obviously using the dirt that came out of the ground when they dug the pool won’t cost them anything, whereas bringing in a couple dump truck loads of stone will cost much more.  In my opinion this is something that should be made clear in the planning part of the build process.  Many builders will use this as a selling point.  For instance lets say you have been talking to a couple different builders, and the first one gives you a quote for the cost of your pool and installation. This will allow the second builder to quote you a better price by using dirt to backfill.  It may not be a whole lot but a pool builder is in the business of getting business.  If by telling you that they can build the same pool for a few hundred dollars cheaper and you accept it then they have done what they set out to do.  They can choose to let you know how they can do it cheaper or not, that part is up to them.

Deck Supports Around Pool

On the other hand some builders may argue that backfilling the pool with dirt is a perfectly acceptable way of backfilling as long as they take the proper precautions.  By proper precautions I am referring to support.  Most in ground vinyl liner pool manufacturers make deck supports and other bracing that is designed to assist in supporting the weight of the concrete decking around the pool.  Some builders rely solely on those supports to hold up the concrete.  Another possibility is that the builder has the mindset that they are doing exactly what needs to be done to build the pool.  They understand that the deck supports are designed to support the weight of the concrete and if they use them on the pool then there is no need to backfill with stone.  At that point they have successfully done their job and if the dirt under the deck settles after the completion of the pool then it is not their responsibility to add more dirt.

The reason I bring this up is just to make you aware of it.  If you are thinking about having an in ground vinyl liner pool built then I want you to know what to expect.  That way you can ask questions before hand and possibly prevent a unexpected surprise after the pool is complete.  You can always insist that the builder backfill with stone.  It may cost you a bit more money but that is money that you would be spending anyway after the dirt settles to fix the grade around the pool.  Most builders will be happy to accommodate your request.  After all if it gets them your business, and adds a little more cost to the project then I don’t see why they wouldn’t.  However if a builder tries to tell you that the dirt will not settle then you may want to look into having another company build your pool.  They may say that they are going to compact the dirt so that it will not settle, but in reality there is no guarantee that compacting will absolutely, 100% prevent the dirt from settling.

This is just something that I want my readers to be aware of.  If you are having a pool built it is important to understand what is going on.  That way you will know if something “fishy” going on.  I have heard of builders not coming through on what they said they would do.  In fact I personally know a guy that gave his builder a large sum of money up front only to have the builder dig part of a hole in his backyard and then take off to florida.  Unfortunately this type of thing happens all too often.  That is why you want to make sure that you are dealing with a reputable pool builder.  For more information on how to make sure you get the right builder check out my other posts with “builder” in the title.

Vinyl Liner Inground Swimming Pool Deck Supports

When I started in the field of vinyl liner inground swimming pool construction you can imagine that I had no idea what was going on.  I saw all these parts and pieces and didn’t have the slightest clue as to what they were used for.  I quickly caught on to the process and how things go together to create a beautiful inground pool.  One of the things that routinely got installed were deck supports.  Now the name of the item is also the description and is in my opinion self explanatory.

So I knew that the pools would have some concrete decking around them and that concrete is heavy thus requiring extra support.  I was taught how to assemble the deck supports and how to install them on the pool.  After that I stopped asking questions and it became common practice.  As I have progressed in my career I have learned more about inground pools and all the components that go into making them.  This includes deck supports.  I am still in the inground pool industry, however I no longer build them.  My current position is related to technical support and product specialization.  With this new position I have learned even more than I did while building pools.  I have heard of people saying that they would never use deck supports on a pool.  They say that they would rather back fill around the pool with stone little by little, layer by layer, compacting each layer of material as they go.  They might say that using deck supports around the pool is a bad idea because you don’t want to have something attached to the walls of the pool that is also attached to the concrete deck.  Why? You might ask.  The reason they say that this may not be the best idea, and it really applies to areas of the country where the ground freezes during the winter months, is because when the ground freezes and thaws it expands and contracts.  If the concrete around the pool is attached to the walls via deck supports then when the concrete moves it could possibly move the walls of the pool.  This is true, however if you install the deck support properly it will not be attached to the concrete, so when the ground moves if it moves the concrete a little it will have no effect on the structural integrity of the pool itself.  It will be able to move freely.  The idea of a deck support is to add extra support to to aid the ground in holding up the weight of the concrete.  Unfortunately if you dig a hole and then refill it, you will likely have some level of settling.

The amount that it settles can be offset by the way
you back fill.  If you back fill in layers of stone compacting as you go then you will not get much settling.  On the other hand if you back fill with dirt and don’t compact as you go then you could get a great deal of settling.  If you didn’t have deck supports and back filled with dirt then when the dirt settles it would completely ruin the decking.  Rather than having the deck supports embedded in the concrete you want the concrete to sit on top of the deck support.  What you want to do is have the stone that you lay down as a base for the concrete to be even with the top of the deck supports around the pool.  This will allow the concrete to setup on top of the deck support rather than setting up while encompassing the deck support.  This way if the ground does cause the concrete deck to move it can do so without potentially moving the walls of the pool.  This is something that I did not know while I was a builder, and never thought to ask about.  When you are trained to do something one way by your boss, and it happens to be the way they have done things for years and years, you tend not to question it, and just accept it as the proper way of doing things.  Luckily to my knowledge there have been no incidents of the walls of any of the pools I helped build moving as a result of the deck supports being attached to the concrete decking.  So all that being said, A deck support on a pool can be a very important component of the swimming pool structure depending on how it is installed.  I want to stress that they shouldn’t necessarily be cast to the side as something that is not needed.  As with many things there are certain exceptions to every rule.  If you have read this post and have any questions regarding the information within it please don’t hesitate to ask.