Filling in old swimming pool--some metal content

A neighbor has an old pool which is really poor condition and would like to just fill it in and use the space for something else. Question is, what is the cheapest and easiest way to fill a big hole in the backyard as far as labor and materials? Preferably a do it yourself job, no backhoe available. Just a pickup and some wheel barrows. It's 8 feet at the deepest and about 12 x 20 ft.

I was considering sections of corrugated steel culvert pipe surrounded by rock and gravel but I'm no civil engineer.

ff

Reply to
ff
Loading thread data ...

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:17:47 GMT, ff put forth the notion that...

I just got through doing this to my own pool. First, you have to jackhammer a nice big hole in the deep end for water to drain out. In my case, I next filled the deep end with a 30 year collection of old electrical crap, motors, bicycles, tires, and everything else I wanted to get rid of but the kitchen sink. Then I had a local building material supply yard bring in several truck loads of what they called "junk fill," which was basically floor sweepings of sand, broken bricks, and a little gravel... whatever falls out of the scoop when they're dumping it in trucks. This stuff is cheap, and it compacts to 100% simply by running a hose on it as you're spreading it around.

I did this mainly because I already had a local building inspector on my ass about all the electrical crap (which is now resting quietly under the dirt), and I figured there's gotta be a law somewhere that says you can't bury your old electrical crap in the bottom of your swimming pool. I figured what the inspector can't see won't hurt me. After that, the sense of urgency had diminished, so I contacted some local contractors who move dirt around a lot, and told them they could dump any clean fill dirt they had in my pool, but only if I didn't have to pay for it. This can be a slow process, but if you're not in a hurry it works. One caveat... technically, you're *supposed* to get a permit to fill in a pool, at least here in Kalifornia. I didn't, but I took plenty of pictures of the hole I jackhammered in the bottom... I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it.

Reply to
Checkmate

If there is a clear path so a truck can back up to it from the street, then you can contact tree pruning/removal outfits and ask them if they would divert their wood chip truckloads to the pool for awhile. Those guys have to pay to dump those wood chips, and they just love it when they find places willing to take them for free. They will rot down to dirt in a couple of years and will then be entirely suitable as a soil base. In essence, you don't do anything and just let them fill it up. I bet it would be full in a year.

Of course, you might live in Tucson .. oh, well.

Grant Erw> A neighbor has an old pool which is really poor condition and would like > to just

Reply to
Grant Erwin

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 13:53:05 -0800, Grant Erwin put forth the notion that...

The problem with using wood chips, is they'll be rotting away for years, emitting methane and other unpleasant odors, and you'll have a perpetual sinkhole because they can't be compacted like dirt. Even most dirt requires mechanical compaction unless it's mostly sand or gravel.

Reply to
Checkmate

It depends on what you want to use it for. If it's to be a sand box, fill it with sand and you're done, although that would be an awful lot of sand...

If you want to plant a tree that will have a deep taproot, you're going to have to break up some concrete. If you'd like a nice detached basement, just put some beams across the top and roof it over -- after providing for access, adn a level floor, of course...

Al Moore

Reply to
Alan Moore

The idea of jack hammering a hole in the bottom is intriguing , but I don't think it will help much. I would re-do it and sell the house if they're sick of it. If they really want it gone , I would just jack hammer the deck up and toss it in , that will get you 4" down. Then call a pool excavator and when they get a job close by they will just dump loads in the street and mini Bob Cat it in. Better yet , get them to do the whole job cause they will have a hammer for the Bob Cat and it will be done in one day. In Vegas it could be done for maybe under $800. Call them up and ask , sure beats 50,000 wheel barrow loads !

Buy a skate board ! Have the deck removed and raise fish ! They could have fun catching them and make the $ for the excavator.

Where are you ? They got a vertical mill to trade ? I get slow in the winter time.

Reply to
Sunworshiper

Fill it with water and raise catfish. John

Reply to
John D. Farr]

So now he has a swimming pool full of mud and water. Sounds like a quicksand trap to me.

Joel. phx

Reply to
Joel Corwith

Been done.

Joel. phx

Reply to
Joel Corwith

They will never rot to dirt, since dirt contains quartz sand particles. It will never be a stable soil base.

Reply to
ATP

If the area is not going to be used for a few years, find some pools going in and offer to let them dump. If there's no holes in the bottom, a couple of good rains will make a nice bog. Round here you can find dollar labor by the bus stops. I get waved at quite a bit in my pickup and it ain't the looks. The best way is the holes, then ABC as they call it down here. Basically a mixture of dirt, sand, rocks, crushed stuff. Used under roadbeds cause it packs well so no settling. Going the cheap route I'd hit job sites where the concrete is getting busted up. Of course you'd have to deal with settling and that will depend on what he wants to use it for. Vegetable garden probably doesn't matter. Jacuzzi on a poured slab does.

Joel. phx

Reply to
Joel Corwith

It would take less than 70 yards of clean fill to completely fill the pool. I would break the pool up with a bobcat, once you undermine it it may peel right up, and get rid of it. The whole pool will probably fit in one or two

30 yard dumpsters, they don't usually make them that well. Fill it with clean fill and top off with 6 to 8" topsoil. Not the cheapest way in the short term but it may save headaches and money in the long run.
Reply to
ATP

Checkmate snipped-for-privacy@The.Edge

So, when the future neighbor plants tomatos in 2050, the plants will suck in your contaminants. Get a brain. Frank Morrison

Reply to
Fdmorrison

Check out this site:

formatting link
They turned their pool into a fish pond.

Rich

Reply to
dogpoint

True.

Whoever first built and then remodeled our house probably thought the garbage they buried was gone forever.

While trenching the gas line to the garage I found one patio/ concrete slab. When trenching for the water and utility conduit to the garage I found a second patio/ concrete slab. When digging for the new down spout drain I found garbage by the footings. And more.

Seems whenever I put a shovel in this ground I find something.

Burying trash is pretty sad.

Reply to
Mark

On 12 Dec 2003 03:04:16 GMT, Fdmorrison put forth the notion that...

Last I checked, steel, copper and rubber weren't considered contaminants, and tomatoes didn't have five foot tap roots, moron.

Reply to
Checkmate

This was mentioned briefly as part of an earlier post, but it seems to have gone unnoticed: Roof it over and convert it into an underground shop or storage space. The roof could be put several inches below grade, so it can be planted over, if they so desire.

Another idea: trade houses with the neighbor, and you'll have a swimming pool.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

Reply to
larry g

As a pool, it's too far gone. The sides are cracked all over. I like that pond idea someone had. Saw another pool/pond conversion on the net too. But I imagine that is almost as much maintenance as a pool to keep it looking good and clean. The amount of leaves falling around here is phenomenal.

ff

Reply to
ff

Ah but the natural life cycle of ponds is to fill in, and convert to meadows, then forests. Just leave the thing alone and in 100 years it will be tough to see for the trees!

:)

Jim

================================================== please reply to: JRR(zero) at yktvmv (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com ==================================================

Reply to
jim rozen

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.