I bought a house where the owner filled in the pool with dirt, Can I dig it out and restore it?

Question

the fiberglass is still intact as far as I can tell but the liner is ruined. I want to dig it out and possibly build a small structure to cover it.

Answer 1

Possibly. But more than likely there was some major repair issue that they didn't care to fix. It would be great if you could contact the owner or if a neighbor recalls the situation, before you go to all that trouble.

Answer 2

I guess people tend to fill them in because they can't be bothered maintaining the pool when it is not used or wanted e.g. kids grow up and leave home... and consequently the pool gets used once a month (but only in summer) by aging parents.... slaves to its every day maintenance tasks.

Sorry to suggest it but chances are high that the pool is completely stuffed. The soil will not have been kind to the fibreglass and the person whose task it was to fill it would not have employed gentle methods... Also it will be expensive to dig out all that fill by hand and you have to dispose of the fill. It is unlikely to be first class fill.... and is more likely to have big rocks throughout it, as well as building rubbish from a demolition site in the bottom..... So you should plan financially, on digging it all out and putting in a new pool to replace the old one. A better solution all around anyway....

Then, if you are covering your new pool because your environment is too cold you need to consider and plan your pool heating method and cater for the high amount of condensation that will occur within the enclosed space. It is often very corrosive to building elements. These issues lead to complicated structures....

If its to provide shade... some simple structure of shade cloth is a good start.

Answer 3

I believe so. You may want to ask a "pool guy" to see how expensive replacing the liner would be. Also - the plumbing is most likely all kaput. It may be very pricey to get it going again - even if you dig it out yourself. (very carefully).

Pools are also fairly expensive to operate (which may have been a factor in the previous owners filling it in). About $100 per month for the chemicals needed to keep itin good working order.

They are lots of fun to have when it's hot, though....

Good luck to you! The structure/cover sounds good if you live where it's very very hot. Around here (Zone 5), you rely on the sun to warm the water enough so that it's merely "refreshing" rather than "EEEEiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeee *brrrrr*"

Answer 4

Filled In Pool

Answer 5

I know someone who now lives alone, so she filled up her inground pool. She covered all the outlets first, in case a future owner wanted to restore it.

Go to your county's assessment office to find out the previous owner and try to contact them to ask about the history of the pool. You might even be able to search for pool cleaners in your area, and you might find one who knows about your pool.

Good luck.


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Answer 6

if there is no way to know then DIG and ensure proper drainage, unless you have a psychic on hand that can see through the fill and tell what's under it all.... i know about 2 dozen contractors that would look at you like " a-duh ".

Answer 7

lol y would he burry it??