remove old pool

[poobear]

I have small pool an jaccuzzi in a house I am looking at buying in Hua Hin that I want to decommission and back fill sith gravel and dirt. Does any one have any experience to share with getting rid of an existing concrete pool.  thank You

[nobodysfriend]

It depends on the building quality of the pool . If they used a lot of steel to build it , it will be difficult and expensive to remove ... may be keep it as a fish pond ?

[Grumpy one]

Partially demolish to below ground level, put a couple of holes in the bottom and back fill with any rubble you have.

It only needs a small layer of dirt or sand on top

Cheap and easy

[Tropposurfer]

1 hour ago, Grumpy one said:

Partially demolish to below ground level, put a couple of holes in the bottom and back fill with any rubble you have.

It only needs a small layer of dirt or sand on top

Cheap and easy

Yep I agree with Grumpy.

 

If you don't have the bucks to remove it entirely which is the optimal solution then as Grumpy suggests.

 

Make sure the holes in sides (low down) and bottom are decent sizes (I'd say 200 to 300 mm diameter) so the water can flow away without settling and collecting in the remnants of the pool.

 

If you fill the pool with ruble of different sizes, compact with a compactor plate, then geo-fabric cover to separate the topsoil from the rubble so it won't slump so much.

i.e. As the coarse fill settles the soil will want to work its way down through the large pore spaces of the rubble. Geo-fabric over the rubble before adding the top-soil will stop this and prevent slumping.

Light compaction of the soil as you lay it down also helps prevent slumping later.

Only lightly compact the top layers of the soil and leave the level a bit proud. 

 

If you're going to remove a metre down the sides (which is a reasonable depth to remove the sides) and go to the trouble of punching decent sized holes, a sufficient number of them, might as well pay the extra and have the whole thing broken up and removed. I'd suggest just break 300 mm off the sides in nowhere enough of a demo ratio.

 

If you've got access problems then the lighter demo work option with a compressor and big jackhammer will do the trick in quick time. Trying to bust up a steel reinforced pool is hard work with small underpowered tools.

 

Personally I would never leave any of it behind, unless you consider others ideas of a pond and converting with landscaping, fish, decorative boulders, rocks, aquatic and boundary plants.

If you go this way you could install a water spout fountain to agitate the water surface and provide nice tranquil sound. 

 

If not to the pond idea ... personally I'd remove the lot, but thats just my old school-pedantic Oz builder preferences speaking.

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by Tropposurfer

[HighPriority]

7 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Yep I agree with Grumpy.

 

If you don't have the bucks to remove it entirely which is the optimal solution then as Grumpy suggests.

 

Make sure the holes in sides (low down) and bottom are decent sizes (I'd say 200 to 300 mm diameter) so the water can flow away without settling and collecting in the remnants of the pool.

 

If you fill the pool with ruble of different sizes, compact with a compactor plate, then geo-fabric cover to separate the topsoil from the rubble so it won't slump so much.

i.e. As the coarse fill settles the soil will want to work its way down through the large pore spaces of the rubble. Geo-fabric over the rubble before adding the top-soil will stop this and prevent slumping.

Light compaction of the soil as you lay it down also helps prevent slumping later.

Only lightly compact the top layers of the soil and leave the level a bit proud. 

 

If you're going to remove a metre down the sides (which is a reasonable depth to remove the sides) and go to the trouble of punching decent sized holes, a sufficient number of them, might as well pay the extra and have the whole thing broken up and removed. I'd suggest just break 300 mm off the sides in nowhere enough of a demo ratio.

 

If you've got access problems then the lighter demo work option with a compressor and big jackhammer will do the trick in quick time. Trying to bust up a steel reinforced pool is hard work with small underpowered tools.

 

Personally I would never leave any of it behind, unless you consider others ideas of a pond and converting with landscaping, fish, decorative boulders, rocks, aquatic and boundary plants.

If you go this way you could install a water spout fountain to agitate the water surface and provide nice tranquil sound. 

 

If not to the pond idea ... personally I'd remove the lot, but thats just my old school-pedantic Oz builder preferences speaking.

 

Pretty much agree but I'll add "depending on what you want to do with the area"

If you just want to plant grass over it, then 300mm off the sides is fine.

personally I wouldn't worry about the geofabric I'd just fill it with the rubble and fill sand with top soil over.

Maybe you want to build over it ?

[unheard]

2 hours ago, HighPriority said:

personally I wouldn't worry about the geofabric I'd just fill it with the rubble and fill sand with top soil over.

But then it would take many years for the soil to settle.

Wouldn't it be a better option to use soil (if cheaply available in the area)

instead of the rubble as the filling material?

[HighPriority]

7 hours ago, unheard said:

But then it would take many years for the soil to settle.

Wouldn't it be a better option to use soil (if cheaply available in the area)

instead of the rubble as the filling material?

By rubble I mean the broken sides of the pool.

As per the excellent advice above, knock some holes in the base and IMO sand would be fine, water it in as you fill then the topsoil.

You may need to top dress with soil again after a few weeks or months, but there won’t be major work required.

[steven100]

easy ......  get a machine in ...  20TMistusbishi or backhoe ....   

Truck some fill ... waste, rock in ....  fill it in and compact ..... compact top 12" more ... add sand , dirt on top ... compact again then turf.

 

job done .....    few thousand baht ... 

[poobear]

Thanks everyone for the replies especially the specific equipment

 

. Due to tight access to the pool concern and damaging my existing walkways and driveways one solution could be to make a deckover with a  small sump pump in the pool to remove any accumulated rain water. I have a small square pool and jacuzzi. The frame would be done with galvanized beams and composite decking, the sump pump would hooked to the light circuit in the pooland the sump would drain up  into existing drains.  

 

The third solution witch I am activly pursuing is don't buy this house with the pool but another down the street. Thanks all

[poobear]

In this case, our client chose to build a rectangular step-up deck set completely over the free-form pool. We framed the deck conventionally with galvanized steel joists that rest on the pool edges and span its 16-foot width, and we finished it with ChoiceDek composite decking and a matching composite skirt around the perimeter. To provide access below the deck, we added a hatch. 

DECKOVER

  DECKOVER

Since rainwater accumulates in the pool beneath the deck, we always include a sump pump placed over the pool drain. The pump is powered by an electrical circuit that once powered the pool lighting and is activated by an automatic pump controller of our design. The controller turns the pump on when water rises in the bottom of the pool, expelling it through the pool’s skimmer return line. We added a powder-coated aluminum Alumawoodpergola for shade at one end of the expansive deck, using the deck structure for support.

 

[HighPriority]

You’re well versed in putting attractive decks over the top of old swimming pools, so what’s the point of the thread ?

[poobear]

The point of the thread is to gather information on how may be able to solve the problem I have with an unused pool in a property I am considering buying.  The point of my last two post is to share some information that I found on the internet that may solve my particular problem and/or help another member in the future with an alternative idea than those presented. A picture is worth a thousand words. Take what you need and leave the rest.

[KhunLA]

Deck over option is a big NO.

 

Fill in and cover with dirt/grass or crete it over and use as additional patio.  Or you'll have constant 'maintenance' to control the water level accumulating, algae/mold & a horrendous mozzy problem.

[Gulfsailor]

16 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Deck over option is a big NO.

 

Fill in and cover with dirt/grass or crete it over and use as additional patio.  Or you'll have constant 'maintenance' to control the water level accumulating, algae/mold & a horrendous mozzy problem.

I agree. Plus you’ll face another risk. During heavy rain periods the ground water level rises. Without water in the pool, the entire pool structure will float up and break everything in its path. 

[Saanim]

Why not to keep the swimming pool?  Others pay big money to procure it, you get it free. Then, make a use of it, it's good for your health.

 

Spending money for demolishing to get an area for some flowers or another mess?