Stopping Pebbles From Rising Up

by Bob C.
(Howell, NJ, USA)

I am installing a new above-ground pool that is three feet larger than the one we had that collapsed. I had to excavate into a slope in the ground but there are small pebbles left from that.

I have been told I have to get absolutely every one up before I put in new sand and a new pool. Is there something I can lay down to prevent any missed pebbles from rising up through the sand and making a bump in the bottom of my liner?



Hi Bob. Pebbles rising up are really not that big of a problem if the ground prep is done correctly. If the ground is leveled and packed, and then raked smooth, you should be fine. During the leveling, packing and smoothing processes you will be removing all of the rock and pebbles that you can.

If you add a couple of inches of sand on top of that most of the time you will be just fine. The weight of the water on the ground actually prevents pebbles and rocks from rising. If you remove them prior to adding sand they should never become a problem.

Added protection can be in the form of landscaper plastic or a pool pad. These can be added as a barrier between the sand and the dirt. Most of the time when someone says a pebble rose up into the liner, it was something that just got mixed up in the sand during the moving and spreading process. The sand will compress with the weight of the water. A rock may not be noticeable when you are smoothing the sand, but when the sand compresses, there it is. That happens even to us pros.

If something ever does appear as a bump in the bottom of the pool, a couple of light taps with a rubber mallet makes it disappear. I have had the pleasure of taking a few afternoon dips in order to tap down a pebble or rock.