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Do you have an above ground pool?


Mandylubug
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We are considering an above ground pool. I grew up with one and loved it. I don't want to do the cheaper versions but a true above ground with deck that will last many years. In ground is not an option for us.

 

So, if you have one, what size do you have? I'm sure we'd love the largest but I'm also interested in saving a few bucks as well. I have four kiddos that will be using it the most.

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We've had one for a couple of years.  It is a very large oval one that's about 4' deep.  The 10 and 11 yo love it and the older teens will get in it to cool  off and wrestle.  We've built a small deck off one side.

 

We got ours used for a song.  We also use salt water and find it very easy to maintain.

 

Pros:  cheap, lots of fun for cooling off and games, low maintenance, will be easy to get rid of when the guys grow up

 

Cons: too shallow, too small for serious swimming or diving, a bit of an eye sore.

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We've had one for a couple of years. It is a very large oval one that's about 4' deep. The 10 and 11 yo love it and the older teens will get in it to cool off and wrestle. We've built a small deck off one side.

 

We got ours used for a song. We also use salt water and find it very easy to maintain.

 

Pros: cheap, lots of fun for cooling off and games, low maintenance, will be easy to get rid of when the guys grow up

 

Cons: too shallow, too small for serious swimming or diving, a bit of an eye sore.

Cool. We actually see several listed on our local craigslist for super cheap. Any words of advice if going used advice? Did you have to put in a new liner?

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We actually got one last summer and there are a surprising number of things to consider when choosing one.

For example...are you talking one of the truly long-lasting ones that are metal or resin sided? Or the more vinyl-sided ones?

The metal or resin sided pools are much more permanent. They are the ones you can readily build a deck around.

We ended up getting a massive 12 ft by 8 ft vinyl-sided pool , at a cost of nearly $2000...only to learn that all of the more sturdy ladders and wedding-stair sets cannot be affixed to the side of any pool but the metal or resin sided pools. We also cannot build a proper deck ( had to build kind of a platform on one side) because of the supports. I actually think we are just going to swallow the cost and replace it with a resin-sided pool this summer.

Lots of little details like that:)

I actually found a fairly detailed book on Amazon for Kindle that details all sorts of issues like that. It was horribly formatted and riddled with typos, but was cheap and extremely useful.

I will have a look and see if I can find the name of the book...

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We actually got one last summer and there are a surprising number of things to consider when choosing one.

For example...are you talking one of the truly long-lasting ones that are metal or resin sided? Or the more vinyl-sided ones?

The metal or resin sided pools are much more permanent. They are the ones you can readily build a deck around.

We ended up getting a massive 12 ft by 8 ft vinyl-sided pool , at a cost of nearly $2000...only to learn that all of the more sturdy ladders and wedding-stair sets cannot be affixed to the side of any pool but the metal or resin sided pools. We also cannot build a proper deck ( had to build kind of a platform on one side) because of the supports. I actually think we are just going to swallow the cost and replace it with a resin-sided pool this summer.

Lots of little details like that:)

I actually found a fairly detailed book on Amazon for Kindle that details all sorts of issues like that. It was horribly formatted and riddled with typos, but was cheap and extremely useful.

I will have a look and see if I can find the name of the book...

Yes, we want a permanent pool like a resin sided. DH says he wants it to potentially last till we have grandkids and then some, we shall see. My parents pool lasted that long. We are considering a 27 or 30ft diameter currently.

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I would get the biggest pool you can afford because as your kids get bigger it suddenly won't feel big enough. My DS is almost 5'10" now so he takes up a lot of space as do his friends. Ours is almost as big a round one you can get. We have an aluminum sided one with a liner. I think we paid about $5,000 for it but that included having them install it because if you want it to last you need a really good base underneath (think needing gravel and a bobcat) and it needs to be level. By the time we would have hauled in the gravel and the bobcat ourselves it wouldn't have saved us much.) One thing to consider is how you are going to fill it.  We have almost the biggest one we could get and it was going to be close to $1,000 to have water hauled in.  We are lucky to have a really good well so we just filled it slowly over the course of a week. Make darn sure that no one ever goes in with sharp pool toys, post earrings or anything else that can put a hole in your liner because when you have a leak you have to let it drain until you can find it and then refill it.

 

We have no regrets about putting ours up.  It has had a ton of use and we live in NH where we only get to use it about three months out of the year.  It still looks like new after five years. We spend about $350 a year on pool chemicals.  We use Baquacil which is easier on the hair and eyes but it is a bit more expensive then chlorine.  I am kind of sad that my kids are growing up and not around as much but luckily the neighbors don't mind coming over and using it with me.

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Thanks! We have a backyard with a steep downward slope and one smaller flat area. Easiness wise we'd pick the flat level but I don't want to sacrifice that spot. The rest of my yard is useless! So I have considered digging into the hill and a nice deck. Hoping we can make it happen soon!.

 

I would get the biggest pool you can afford because as your kids get bigger it suddenly won't feel big enough. My DS is almost 5'10" now so he takes up a lot of space as do his friends. Ours is almost as big a round one you can get. We have an aluminum sided one with a liner. I think we paid about $5,000 for it but that included having them install it because if you want it to last you need a really good base underneath (think needing gravel and a bobcat) and it needs to be level. By the time we would have hauled in the gravel and the bobcat ourselves it wouldn't have saved us much.) One thing to consider is how you are going to fill it. We have almost the biggest one we could get and it was going to be close to $1,000 to have water hauled in. We are lucky to have a really good well so we just filled it slowly over the course of a week. Make darn sure that no one ever goes in with sharp pool toys, post earrings or anything else that can put a hole in your liner because when you have a leak you have to let it drain until you can find it and then refill it.

 

We have no regrets about putting ours up. It has had a ton of use and we live in NH where we only get to use it about three months out of the year. It still looks like new after five years. We spend about $350 a year on pool chemicals. We use Baquacil which is easier on the hair and eyes but it is a bit more expensive then chlorine. I am kind of sad that my kids are growing up and not around as much but luckily the neighbors don't mind coming over and using it with me.

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