Looking for feedback, suggestions, tips, whatever you got.
Contractor started the project yesterday. Looking at it last night, I don’t think there is any way to properly compact the fill at this point because of how they dumped large pieces of concrete in the pool.
I don’t like how the pool was used as a trash pit.
I don’t like that they didn’t do layers of fill and compacting each layer.
I don’t think they cleared enough from the sides of the pool shell so the yard can’t be graded properly. (Hard to see in these pics)
I stopped the project. Contractor says I’m being overly critical.
by iheartpierogies
38 Comments
I have literally no idea how it’s usually done, but I also would not want it like that. Good luck ever getting grass to grow there
Yikes. Hope no one wants to ever do any kind of landscaping or gardening back there for all eternity.
pretty sure this might be also illegal? I’m pretty sure your supposed take that to the dump and not burry it. plus you’ll get cavities later on when the soil settles. and then you’ll literally have a mountain of garbage. and when you want to do anything? you’ll always dig this trash up. at the very least it’ll affect how your grass grows or any living plant.
Hell no!!! Tell them get the trash including concrete out of there and fill with proper dirt and compact accordingly. That area will be a huge heat sink due to all the concrete.
Disclaimer I am not a professional of any kind, but I wouldn’t want my pool filled in this way.
I think your frustration is warranted. That stuff is too close to the ground level and will bar you from planting anything other than grass forever.
either get a different contractor or have your contractor rewrite the bid outlining exactly how they plan on filling the pool.
Did they drill holes in the bottom at least ?
To remove a pool correctly, all the concrete should have been removed from the property, and the hole filled with fill dirt only.
You are doing a huge disservice to anyone you sell the home to.
This is the most egregious thing I’ve seen recently
They are using your land as a trash fill, under the assumption that trash takes volume and buried under dirt you won’t notice.
That’s not how trash works, and you need to get them to remove the trash.
What was in the contract? Normally this is stated in the statement of work for the price.
I wouldn’t want a bunch of trash buried in my yard. What if you wanted to plant something there? All that trash may cause the water to pool up making the area soggy. I would want it done right. Pull out all the trash, pull out the concrete etc.
That’s unacceptable if it’s a job by a contractor! Have them remove all the crap including concrete! Where did ya find this crew? They are just being lazy 💯
If they were just going to do that why no just fill the pool with dirt?
That’s not legal where I am from; you can’t just push all the trash into a pile and fill it in…. This makes me think they didn’t crack the bottom and you’ll end up with a serious issue
It looks like the contractor is trying to save some money by filling it with stuff from another project he would have to go dump.
You can use crumbled concrete and pieces of concrete towards the bottom without any huge issues but those pieces are too large so they aren’t going to compact. It almost looks like waste from breaking up an old driveway got tossed into your backyard.
I would have them remove the trash and concrete then fill it in properly. You’re not going to be able to grow anything and over the next few years the dirt in that area is going to settle once they fill it and you’ll essentially have a concrete yard in the middle. This is probably a shady contractor being lazy and hoping he can get away with it.
When filling in an inground swimming pool, you can opt for a “partial removal” where the existing pool structure (including concrete) is broken up and buried within the pool cavity, or a “full removal” where all the pool materials are removed and the area is backfilled with fresh dirt.Partial removal
Process: This method involves breaking up the top portion of the pool structure, including concrete, and placing the rubble at the bottom of the pool cavity.
Benefits: It can be less expensive and time-consuming than full removal.
Risks: Burying concrete within the pool cavity carries potential risks:
Settling and sagging: The fill material, including the buried concrete rubble, may settle and sag over time if not properly compacted, creating uneven ground and potentially forming sinkholes.
Drainage issues: If the pool structure isn’t properly drained with holes drilled in the bottom, water can become trapped, potentially creating a swampy area.
Impact on future construction: If you plan to build on top of the filled-in area in the future, the buried concrete might complicate foundation work.Full removal
Process: This involves completely removing the existing pool structure and materials, including the concrete, before backfilling the cavity with dirt.
Benefits: It reduces the risk of settling and sagging, provides a more stable foundation for future construction, and is generally considered more courteous to future owners of the property.
Risks: This method can be more expensive and time-consuming than partial removal.
Years from now a different owner will hit a chunk of concrete with the lawn mower and try to dig the rock out thinking its just a small piece.
You will have settlement issues for the rest of your life, water will sit in that area too. These guys are hacks trying to save $$ at your expense
We had a 1971 kidney pool removed in 2019, they took all the concrete and mechanicals away, then the hole was filled with gravel at the bottom and subsequent layers were fill dirt. The top foot was a mixture of sand and topsoil. That area has not settled in the six years since we had it filled
This is not how its done… also, its illegal a/f…
Make sure you don’t need a permit! Where I’m at the cement has to be crushed up no more than the size of a softball
I received three bids from the same company. A full abatement for $25,000, a partial abatement for $17k and another variety of the partial. We end up choosing the 17K, and keeping a large part of the wall to remain as a retaining wall. We also did not want to disrupt the very large redwood tree roots that go under the pool.
This is a size of the material left after they broke up the pool walls and the surrounding concrete decks and before gravel fill before 3fr of topsoil.
https://imgur.com/gallery/c2JqGsd
https://imgur.com/gallery/6MvmMmO
Wow. Honestly I have never seen anything so ridiculous in a suburban back yard. Fascinating.
#You have created a perfect spot for years and years of snake orgys.
Terrible work. Even if it costs more within reason, haul the garbage, fiberglass canister that looks like the filter, piping. This stuff won’t break and creates voids. Even the broken concrete isn’t good, that large.
You’d prefer to have clean fill dirt that’ll compact to give a fairly smooth surface without settling issues, not this garbage. You want a yard, not a dump. No overreaction at all.
This is crazy do people actually fill in pools this way? I mean..I dont know anything about this but common sense says to clear out the concrete and fill it.
Are these people f***ing amateurs? I’m as unconnected to the construction trade as it’s possible to be, and if I inexplicably found myself in charge of filling in a pool, even I would know that you don’t just dump random shit into it.
Is doing that even legal?
Are they actually going to fill in with the concrete or haul away? What does your scope of work say?
Contractor, eh?
This is awesome for the future owners when they want a pool in that spot. They can just put the pieces back together. Even the pool equipment is there.
Hacks
What’d you guys agree to? Was he the lowest bid?
This will cause bumby dead lawn. After a few rains the top will wash off exposing concrete and garbage. Unless you plan to pour concrete over and pave the whole thing this is Terrible. Only small gravel and soil should be used. Also looks like there is plastics and other garbage in there you don’t that leeching into living areas around you.
All of those pieces should be removed. You put grass on top of that soil, it will die each year due to excessive concrete.
Where I live (LI, NY), my neighbor had to stack all the components of the disassembled pool into separate piles of cement, plastic and metal, and wait for the town inspector to inspect it. Once approved, he could fill in.
Costs money to dispose of concrete. You are probably still paying for it, they just aren’t doing it.