How do I get my soil-filled pool back into operation?

[roger.malmberg]

Hi, I have bought a house with a pool full of soil. The previous owners did not want it anymore and filled it with dirt. It is now a big flower bed.

We have had thoughts about fixing it up. I would like to get some tips what to think about? What can we do ourself and what needs to be done by professionals?

It is a 9 meter long inground concrete pool and they drilled a few holes in the bottom before they filled it. All equipment is taken away. Pipes are probably still there.

Looking at the tiles it looks like we would like to replace them with another surface/tile. What is recommended?

Ciao Roger

[ameijers]

Chuckle. I've seen that on a few houses around here. A big concrete patio with a pool house, and a concrete-edged flower bed. Odds are they did more than drill a few holes, or the thing would be a swamp whenever it rained. You're basically starting from scratch here- frost heave has likely cracked the old gunnite walls, and the pipes are probably full of rust and crud. But having said that, step one is to dig out all the dirt (by hand, so you don't break whatever is left down there), and pile it somewhere, to see exactly what you do have. Once the dirt is out, a pool contractor can tell you if anything is salvagable, and the cost to get it going. My hunch is they will tell you to rip it all out and start over. You then get to decide if you want a pool that much, or if you should just bust up the visible concrete edging, drop it in the hole, and put the dirt you saved back in there.

aem sends...

[C & E]

Knock off the concrete protruding from the ground and put this foolishness out of your head. Pools are like boats. Two of the happiest days are the day that you buy them and the day that you get rid of them.

[Harry K]

Right on! I see more houses with filled in pools than I do with operating pools. My BIL bought a house in a project. Every house on his street (both sides) were built with pools. Only one still has one working. Most have been buried so there is no clue they ever existed.

Harry K

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Wed 24 May 2006 07:10:33p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Harry K?

It really depends on where you live. Here in AZ old pools are frequently resurrected. Of course, most pools here are in year 'round operation.

[Froggen]

Hi, I live in Melbourne Australia where we don't really have a proper winter. I have not had any snow during my seven years down here and the temperature is "never" under 0 degrees.

What is the main reason for getting rid of pools?

Do you know anyone who has resurrected one that I can email?

Ciao Roger

[ameijers]

Pools are a hole in the ground you keep filled with money, a sailboat for landlocked people. They are fun, but unless you have teenage kids you want to keep a close eye on, they are awful hard to justify for the 3-4 months a year the swimming seasons lasts in a large part of North America. People without the cash flow to just have 'the pool guy' do all the upkeep tend to get disillusioned with them. I personally know several households where, once the kids flew the nest, the parents within a few years said the hell with it and had the pool ripped out. A lot depends on the climate and how far away public swimming holes are. Where I am, you literally cannot drive

20 minutes in any direction without passing a lake with a public launching ramp and/or swimming beach, and the 'unheated' swimming season is only 100 days or so, so pools aren't that popular.

aem sends...

[Steve B]

"Froggen" wrote

Some ideas:

The time required to keep one functioning. The effort required to keep one functioning. The cost required to keep one functioning. A person does not swim enough to justify the cost or labor. The space is more desirable as, say a garden, or a barbecue or horseshoe area.

I liked my pool. But, I would never have another. The one next door at my vacation rental property is a draw, and houses with pools rent at a higher rate than those without pools. I did have one in my own back yard, and had it filled in for a 1,000 sf expansion of the house. It had to be backfilled, compacted, and tested many times for it to be acceptable to the inspectors. Major PITA, major cost.

Just some ideas.

Steve

[Phisherman]

"Froggen" wrote

I when I was looking for a house to buy, I was almost ready to buy until I saw a swimming pool in the backyard. I would have bought the house if the owner agreed to remove the pool. A pool may increase insurance costs and property taxes, but I'm not sure by how much.

[Oren]

For some folks it's older age. They love the house and the area, but cannot/will not move, nor are they able to care for the pool. At the same time "dollars" (a favorite word) are limited by folks on fixed income. They may have enjoyed the pool for many years and as the nest emptied, they plant flowers in the previous pool.

I've seen this in Las Vegas... but pools are great for us at 112F this summer.

Oren "My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Fri 26 May 2006 10:28:30p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Froggen?

You've had lots of suggestions with reasons, most reasonable.

I don't really know the climate in Melbourne, but the climate here in AZ is

*meant* for pools. The majority are probably used year 'round, and I'm sure all are used 3 seasons out of 4.

In most areas of the US this isn't the case and pools are winterized for at last half the year. Startup for the season is messy and costly. Repairs after winter are often needed, as well.

In year 'round use or areas where they don't have to be shut down, ongoing maintenance is neither that costly nor time-consuming.

[dave]

do you have to drill holes in bottom before you fill it with dirt what if you dont