Grading Your Swimming Pool Kit’s Floor

PoolKits | March 14, 2015

Grading Your Swimming Pool Kit’s Floor

Grading your swimming pool kit floor is a very important part of your pool kit construction process. Read more to learn how to grade your pool floor, this is done after excavation and panel layouts.

The Final Grad For Cement & Sand.
Your in-ground swimming pool kits floor must be graded 2″ below the finish dimensions in the Dig Dimension and Panel Layout drawings sent to you for approval. Once completed this will be finished with a 2″ layer of Mason Sand and Portland Cement (in a 5-to-1 ratio) or a suitable swimming pool base floor material, Pool Warehouse recommends a product called Pool Crete.

  • Locate the sides of the swimming pool kit hopper pad by stretching parallel strings from the break point to the end wall. At the same time, locate the front and back of the hopper pad by stretching strings between the sidewalls of the pool kit.

Grading Your Swimming Pool Kits Floor

  • Find the pool floors finish grade by dropping a plumb bob at the intersection of the strings to the depth shown on your Dig Sheet Dimension Drawing. Drive a stake into each corner of the pool hopper beneath the plumb line and string a level line between stakes at the required depth to indicate the exact position and finished grade of the pool kit hopper.

Grading Your In-ground Pool Kits Floor

  • Once you have located the hopper pad, use stakes and strings in the same manner to mark the  grade of the hopper walls, as shown on your Dig Dimension Drawing.

Remove at least 2” of earth from below the strings. Tamp the entire area thoroughly and remove all stones, twigs and rocks.

Swimming Pool Excavation

  • In each corner of the pools shallow end, measure the required depth from the top of the pool kit panel to the pool bottom and place a marker. String a level line between markers to indicate the grade of the bottom.

Pool Kit Floor Material

  • When the swimming pool kits finished grade has been established remove at least 2” of earth from below the strings. Tamp the entire area thoroughly and take away all stones, twigs and rocks.

In-ground-swimming-Pool-Kit-Floor

Placement Of Sand Your Cement Mixture Or Pool Crete

To save effort when adding the sand and cement, pool crete or pool floor base mixture, dump it near the area to be troweled first. A certain amount will roll down, but it is easily re-positioned when made to the right consistency. Particular care should be taken with the troweling of the in-ground swimming pool kit bottom. The smoothness and evenness of the bottom will determine the appearance of the vinyl inground swimming pool liner when it is placed in pool. (There must be NO exposed aggregate)

In order to get maximum compaction and surface smoothness, only thoroughly washed, mason sand (DO NOT USE RIVER SAND) should be mixed with portland cement in a 5-to-1 (sand-to-cement) ratio. This will allow the finishing operation to proceed smoothly. Inspect the sand finish for sharp, over-sized aggregate.

Note: If a purchased swimming pool base is used, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Both sand/cement and pool crete must be mixed using a mixer.

How To Pool Crete Pool Crete Your In-ground Swimming Pool Kit

How To Pool Crete (Pool Krete) Your Inground Swimming Pool Kits Floor by Pool Warehouse.

How Much Sand And Cement?

The correct sand-to-cement ratio is 5-to-1. The example below should help.

  1. Calculate the surface area of the pool. (Example: 20′ x 40′ = 800 square feet)
  2. Multiply by 15% (.15). (Example: 120)
  3. Add lines 1 and 2 to arrive at the area to be covered by sand/cement. (Example: 800 + 120 = 920 square feet)
  4. Divide line 3 by 162. This will tell you how many cubic yards of sand you’ll need. A cubic yard of sand is equal to one ton in weight. Some suppliers will sell by the cubic yard and some will sell by the ton. (Example: 920 ÷ 162 = 5.7 cubic yards, or 11,400 pounds)
  5. Divide the pounds of sand by 5 to arrive at the 5-to-1 ratio. This will determine how much cement you need. (Example: 11,400 ÷ 5 = 2,280 pounds)
  6. Divide line 5 by 94 pounds. Most bags of cement are 94 pounds type II (2) Portland cement. This will tell you how many bags of cement you’ll need. (Example: 2,280 ÷ 94 = 24.3 bags)

NOTE: Always order a few extra bags of pool crete, we recommend 10 extra bags. If you use sand and cement and have any excess sand, use it in plumbing trenches.

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Jones
Pool Kit Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 800-515-1747
www.poolwarehouse.com

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