I have an above ground pool.Is it ok if one side is 3 inches deeper than the other?

Question

My pool is 18 ft.by 4ft.We have had %%% getting the ground level.And now that it's filling up one side is about three inches deeper than the other.Three inches is'nt much but the book said the ground had to be level.Any one else with this problem?

Answer 1

Ideally, you need the walls level for structural integrity as well as looks. 3 inches may not sound like much but when you have it filled and look at it...you aren't going to like it. Even an inch looks horrible. Even more so if this is a pattern liner. It also puts extra stress on the buttress members on the downhill side. ( I'm assuming this is a metal walled above ground and not something like an EZ set). If it's just the sand bottom itself and not the walls, bottom and top rails that is out of level, that's not really a huge issue and won't impact the pool structure itself at all. It'll just be a place for debris to settle.

If it is top rail, walls and bottom rail that's out of whack, you may decide to start over and this time rent a laser transit from your local tool rental. 30 bucks for a days rental, easy to use and you'll get your bottom rail level to 1/32nd of an inch around the entire perimeter. After that everything else ( putting up the walls and securing the top rail) will be level as well. You can also use the transit to find high and low spots on your sand bottom and level those too. If you do it right you won't have issues down the road. Letting something like this go and just keeping it as is could potentially be an expensive issue later on. I know the kids are probably mobbing you to get it filled so they can get in, but you're wiser to rectify this. It'll be worse if you're unlucky enough to have a wall collapse when it's filled as it stands now.

Answer 2

You have a very slight slope in your yard. When filling, allow for the 3 inches, or you'll lose water when jumping in.