Preventing Nutgrass Damage to Above Ground Pools in Orlando

As an above-ground pool installer in the Orlando area, I have seen nutgrass in every area of Central Florida.

Some areas around Orlando are worse than others for having nutgrass, but if you have a yard, then there’s always a chance that you have some nutgrass.

WHAT IS NUTGRASS?

Nutsedge or nutgrass is a weed that looks exactly like a regular blade of grass and grows in yards either with other grasses or by itself.

I could get into what it is exactly, but what you need to know about it in terms of having an above-ground swimming pool is that it can grow through your liner like it’s not even there AND there is no easy way to tell if you have it in your yard.

If you have been out driving and noticed some grass growing through black asphalt, then you have seen nutgrass.

HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE NUTGRASS/NUTSEDGE

Since a blade of nutgrass looks just like a blade of any other type of grass, it is very hard to identify just by looking at the yard.

The only way that I know it is nut grass is that there is a small brown, round nut that is attached to the blade of grass by a skinny root.

If you pull the blade of grass up, the root connecting the nut will break and you won’t know it’s nutgrass. You have to dig up the nut to keep it attached to the grass blade. This is the only way that I know of to tell if it is nutgrass.

BEST TO JUST ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE NUTGRASS WHERE YOUR ABOVE-GROUND POOL IS GOING

This is the best way to go when putting an above-ground pool up in an Orlando area yard. Assume that you might have nutgrass, then do the things to help prevent it from coming up and growing through the liner.

3 THINGS TO DO TO PREVENT NUTGRASS OR NUTSEDGE DAMAGE TO YOUR ABOVE-GROUND POOL LINER

1 Completely remove all of the root mass (sod) with the grass

Since I started using a machine to remove the grass for the pool installation, I noticed a big drop in incidences of nutgrass growing through the liners.

By using a machine, I am removing a greater (thicker) amount of the sod when I took the grass up. This also removes a lot of the nutgrass from the area too.

2 Apply a nutgrass killer (Granular Only)

When the pool wall is up, the coving is in place, and the bottom has been smoothed out, you are ready for the liner.

Just before that, apply a granular nutgrass killer. I have used liquid nutgrass/nutsedge killer and it’s not nearly as effective as granular. USE GRANULAR ONLY

Tip: Apply the nutgrass killer using a spreader. This gives an even layer of the chemical, which will cover the entire pool bottom.

3 OPTIONAL: Use a liner guard

Liner guards are called many things. They are gorilla pads, liner pads, floor pads, etc. They are all about the same BTW, so don’t think one is better than the other.

Using a liner guard by itself will only prevent some of the nutgrass from making it through the liner. BUT, if you combine the liner guard with the nutgrass killer, it works very well.

Nutgrass killer is a pre-emergent. This means it waits for the nutgrass baby to start growing, then kills it. This is done best when there is a layer of chemical that the nutgrass has to enter as it grows. When it hits this layer, it dies.

By applying nutgrass killer in a layer (using a spreader), and then placing the liner guard on top of that layer, it makes the chemical more effective.

This is because the nutgrass needs more time and energy to grow through the liner guard material, so while it’s trying to continue upward, it has to spend more time in the chemical zone, which gives the nutgrass killer more time to kill the grass.

NO ONE WILL GUARANTEE AGAINST NUTGRASS DAMAGE

Nutgrass damage is considered an “act of God”, which sounds overly dramatic and ominous, so manufacturers, retailers, and installers won’t do anything if it grows through your pool liner.

I have seen nutgrass grow through everything except a concrete floor, so don’t think that by spending a bunch on a foam bottom that it will guarantee no nutgrass damage.

IF GOING SEMI-INGROUND (2FT DOWN), THEN DON’T WORRY ABOUT NUTGRASS

Nutgrass can be present only about a foot down in the ground, so placing your pool in the ground two feet down will guarantee no nutgrass damage.

AREAS AROUND ORLANDO THAT HAVE EXCESS NUTGRASS

As stated earlier, I have seen nutgrass in every area of Central Florida. Some areas are worse than others though.

I have seen a lot of nutgrass in the ground north of Orlando. Deltona, Orange City, and Debary have an above-average incident with nutgrass damaging a pool liner.

Also, west of Orlando isn’t as bad as Deltona, but can have a lot of nutgrass. Clermont, Oakland, Minneola, etc. are areas with nutgrass. This is a sandy area and I always make sure and remove all of the grass root mass in these areas.

MY INSTALLATION INCLUDES NUTGRASS KILLER

If you considering me to install your above-ground pool, I provide a quality granular nutgrass killer with the install. There is no guarantee, but I do a good job helping to prevent nutgrass from growing through pool liners.

7 Best Options and Upgrades for an Above Ground Pool in Orlando

When buying a metal-walled above-ground swimming pool, there are about 20 decisions that you have to make. Deciding which options and upgrades work best for you is part of that process.

Orlando has a very long and brutally hot swim season. For this reason, there are some things that you can get with your pool that will help it a lot.

Above-ground pools in Orlando won’t last as long as in many other areas of the country. This is because we have extreme heat and humidity for about eight months out of the year.

Central Florida also gets a lot of rain and intense direct sunlight, which takes life from things out in the elements. Things like above-ground pools, their liners, and their equipment.

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE IS FOR TRADITIONAL (HARD)METAL-WALLED ABOVE GROUND POOLS. SOFT-SIDED TYPE POOLS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, SO THESE OPTIONS DON’T APPLY TO THEM

BEST OPTIONS OR UPGRADES FOR ABOVE-GROUND SWIMMING POOLS IN ORLANDO

For the last 37 years, I have been in the pool business in Orlando. These are the things that I have noticed that helped make pools last longer and easier to maintain.

1 Heavy gauge liner

Heavier, thicker liners last longer no matter where the pool is. In Orlando though, you really want one because the direct sunlight here can be unrelenting. And hot, direct sunlight takes life from vinyl liners.

GUIDE: Get a heavy gauge (usually called 25ga/mil), fully printed, unibead/j-hook type, made only in the USA or Canada.

2 Resin-made top rails

Above-ground swimming pools can have top rails made of steel, aluminum, or resin. In Orlando, you want resin.

More and more models are now made with resin parts instead of metal, so chances are if you are getting a nicer pool model, it will have resin top rails.

Resin top rails aren’t nearly as hot in direct sunlight and will never rust. There are two reasons to get resin in Central Florida.

Comment: Resin is just a fancy name for plastic.

3 Cartridge-type filter

Many non-swimming pool professionals living somewhere more north than Florida will argue that a sand-type filter is better. This is only because a sand filter is really all that they’ve ever had AND/OR they have only maintained a swimming pool somewhere north where it only gets hot a couple of months a year.

For Orlando’s long, very hot, and humid swim season, a cartridge-type filter is the way to go. It traps smaller particles than a sand filter, has fewer parts, and since you can remove the element, you know the real status/condition of the filter.

In addition to installing thousands of above-ground pools, I also had a pool service business for 16 years. I learned then how to maintain pools and what is best for the Orlando area.

NOTE: There is a third option for filters. A D.E. type. Although DE filters are better than cartridge-type at cleaning the water, I don’t recommend them due to their cost and that DE powder is very toxic to breathe.

4 PVC Hardpiping the equipment

Above-ground pool equipment packs (pump/filter) come with 2 – 6-foot plastic flex hoses and hose clamps to connect the pump and filter to the pool.

These hoses are the weakest link in the entire pool and will be the first thing that you will have to replace.

Connecting your pump and filter with PVC instead will take away that weak link and will last for many years (most times as long as the pool).

Also, when you hard pipe the equipment to the pool, you can plumb in two valves so the water can be prevented from back flowing while you service the pump or filter or any other add-on chemical component.

NOTE: PVC hard piping is included with my install price.

5 Patio stones for under the pump/filter pack

Above above-ground pool pump and filter packs come with a plastic base. This plastic base is designed to sit right on the ground, but it’s much better if you put down some patio stones first.

This is not expensive and worth a trip to Home Depot or Lowes.

6 Stainless steel service panel

The wall of an above-ground swimming pool has only two openings – one for the skimmer and one for the return fitting. This is where you can have leaks.

Many, many AG pools die a premature deaths because the skimmer or return was leaking and didn’t get fixed before rusting out the wall underneath where they are attached.

Getting an above-ground pool that has a stainless steel wall panel where the skimmer and return attach will prevent the pool from rusting out if there is a leak at one of these openings.

Warning: Pinch-A-Penny sells Wilbar Pool models with service panels, but they are not made of stainless steel. This is a waste of money as ONLY A STAINLESS STEEL PANEL WILL PREVENT A LEAKING SKIMMER OR RETURN FROM RUSTING OUT THE WALL.

7 Main drain

Many don’t realize that you can have a main drain with an above-ground pool.

Although not cheap (I charge $500 complete), having a main drain is a wonderful option that helps circulate the water and keep the pool clean.

Learn more about main drains here.

What is Needed to Change the Liner in an Above Ground Pool in Orlando

Got an above-ground swimming pool in Orlando and need to change the liner in it? This article will give you some help in knowing what you need and what you need to do.

Whether changing out an above-ground pool liner is easy or not depends on who you ask. Some will say it’s easy and have no issues with doing it themselves.

Others will never attempt it again and always go with a professional liner changeout.

There aren’t many who change liners in abovegrounds in Orlando. Most who know what they are doing are AG pool installers also, so they get busy with that during the summer and don’t have time to change liners.

STEPS TO TAKE WHEN NEEDING TO CHANGE THE LINER IN YOUR ABOVE-GROUND POOL IF IN ORLANDO

1 Decide that you need a new liner

For some, this is a long process and some can pull the trigger quickly. Usually, people get tired of dealing with their pool leaking and/ them looking for and patching leaks or can’t find them at all.

Others will have a blow-out quickly losing all of their pool’s water with clear evidence of a giant, unrepairable hole in the bottom (by the wall).

Still, others will not like the faded look of their liner, are tired of the wrinkles in it, or just feel it’s time due to age.

Regardless, deciding it’s time for a new liner is step one for getting one. DUH.

2 Determine why you need one

This will help prevent the new liner that you are putting in from failing prematurely or prevent your pool from rusting out in the future.

IMPORTANT: Look for rust

The above-ground pool liners will leak when they get old. They will leak when someone or something rips or punctures holes in them. They will leak at the seam if a manufacturer’s defect. And they will leak at the skimmer or return line if something fails or if they weren’t installed properly.

If your pool leak was at the wall somewhere (usually under the skimmer or return fitting), then you want to address any rust it may have caused.

Other reasons a liner needs replacing are if the liner was installed poorly and/or the liner was cheap and/or made in China.

By determining why you need a new liner, you can make sure the one you are about to spend a lot of money and aggravation on will last a nice long time.

3 Find out the size of your pool

You will need the dimensions of your pool AND how tall the wall of it is.

EASIER: If you have access to the original purchase paperwork of the pool, you can find the pool’s size there.

To get the size of your pool, measure against the wall of the pool from inside to inside (where the liner meets the wall). Warning: measuring any part of the top rail will give you an inaccurate measurement. You MUST measure at the wall of the pool.

If you have an oval-shaped pool, measure inside wall to wall both the long and short sides.

You also will need the height of your pool’s wall. Not the wall plus the top rail. Not the wall where it meets your grass or decorative rocks/mulch. ONLY THE WALL

The three wall heights for above ground pools are 48″, 52″, and 54″.

Dig on the outside of the pool at the wall and find the bottom of it. It will be in the bottom track. Measure from that bottom track up to the top of the wall (under the top rail.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The actual measurements will not be exact. The number is rounded up or down to determine the size liner to buy.

As an example, if you measure your pool (from inside wall to inside wall across) and it reads 23ft, 11 inches, then you need a 24 ft round pool liner.

The same goes for the wall height. Giving another example, if your wall is 53.5 inches, then it is considered a 54-inch tall wall.

Measurements are very rarely perfect with above-ground pools

4 Order the liner

Most professional liner installers will have you buy the liner yourself, so whether you are self-installing this liner or not, chances are great that YOU will be the one ordering the liner.

In the last 20 years, most liners are bought online. Orlando has a couple of choices for buying a liner locally, but not much.

You can buy locally from select Pinch-A-Penny stores, maybe a Leslie’s store, and Unique Pool and Spa carries a limited inventory.

Buying locally has some advantages, but you will pay a lot more than online. This is why most find their liner online.

THE LINER I RECOMMEND YOU BUY

Heavy gauge, fully printed (no solid blue), unibead/j-hook type, made only in the USA or Canada. Make sure where it’s made. If it doesn’t say where it’s made ask. Currently, you don’t want a Chinese-made liner. They don’t last as long.

5 Order any needed parts

If your skimmer is leaking and shot, now is the time to replace it. Also, during a liner change is the time to replace any pool frame parts that are too rusty or broken.

If adding foam coving or adding/replacing a liner guard, order those for the liner change.

6 If you think additional sand is needed for repairing the pool’s bottom, buy some bags.

Since most of Central Florida and Orlando have sand-based earth, a professional pool installer will rarely need additional sand to redo a pool’s bottom during liner changeout.

If self-installing your liner though, you may want to have a few bags of sand handy to help with the bottom.

7 Access your pool deck to see if it is in the way

Decks are very popular with above-ground pools in Orlando and surrounding areas.

Some high decks will get in the way of taking the top of the pool apart (needed to change the liner). A pool’s top rails and top connectors need to be completely unobstructed to come off.

Determine if your deck is in the way and remove what you need to ahead of time. You don’t want to have to be figuring out how to get your pool apart on liner change day. The job will be stressful enough (especially if during the summer)

If you have your liner changed by a pool guy, then he will want to know ahead of time what your deck looks like.

I always ask to send me a couple of pics of the pool and deck so I know what I’m dealing with in terms of taking the top of the poo apart.

If the deck is in the way of the top of the pool, then it can cost more for the liner change.

8 If the pool is semi-inground, be aware of the dangers of that.

Pools in the ground some are very popular here in Orlando and in areas close by. And as long as the pool is full of water, there is no danger of the walls caving in.

When changing a liner though, the pool has to be drained. DUH! And when a semi-inground pool is drained, the wall portion that is in the ground can start caving in.

Having to take the top of the pool apart to remove and replace the liner is also a time for cave-ins.

Because of this, you want to drain your semi-inground pool, change the liner, and then refill it very quickly. The longer a pool stays drained, the greater the chance of a cave-in. And you don’t want that.

9 Make sure your yard/ground is not too wet

Changing an above-ground pool liner means redoing the pool’s bottom. And you can’t redo the bottom OR EVEN just change the liner if the ground is too wet.

There are some wet areas in Central Florida, but as you go east of Orlando towards the coast, the ground can get very wet. Areas east of SR 436 and towards Oviedo can have some wet ground. So can parts of Kissimmee.

Some will have to wait until a dry part of the year to change the pool liner.

Check your yard for standing water or “mushy” grass near the pool. If your yard gets or stays wet, you may have to wait to change the liner.

10 Wait for the new liner and any parts to come, then drain the pool

Once you have everything needed for either you or whoever you’ve hired to change the liner, you can now drain the pool (if it’s not already drained by then).

The pool needs to be “bone dry”. That doesn’t mean a couple of inches of water still in it. It doesn’t mean a half-inch of water in it. It doesn’t even mean there are a couple of puddles left in it.

If means no water in the pool at all. DRY.

This is ideally what you want the pool to be on liner change day.

WHEN NOT TO CHANGE A POOL LINER

There are two times when you shouldn’t change the liner in an above-ground pool in Orlando.

The first is when it’s very cold outside. Orlando gets maybe a few days a year of cold days that stay below 50 degrees all day. On one of these like three days a year, don’t change the liner.

Also, during the summer, Central Florida can have short but very severe afternoon thunderstorms. And we can have them every day for days.

I do not recommend changing a liner during the afternoon in the summer in Orlando. Getting caught in one of these gusty downpours while your pool is apart and the bottom is exposed is just not a good idea.

Cost to Install an Above Ground Pool in Orlando Yourself

This article will cover what it will cost to have an above-ground swimming pool installed if you do it yourself in Orlando.

Orlando and surrounding towns are home to a lot of above-ground pools. Unfortunately though, there aren’t many places here to buy them.

And there aren’t many installers with much experience here either.

IN ORLANDO, MOST ABOVE-GROUND POOLS ARE BOUGHT ONLINE

There is one above-ground pool retailer here in Orlando and you can buy them from a couple of select Pinch-A-Pennys that offer them, but considering the 2.7 million people that live in greater Orlando, that’s not much.

Both pools bought online AND most pools bought locally usually come without a pool installer. This means people in Orlando wanting to get an above-ground swimming pool have to either find an installer or put the pool in themselves.

METAL-WALLED VS SOFT-SIDED ABOVE-GROUND POOLS IN ORLANDO

Not all above-ground pools are the same. Not even close, actually.

The biggest difference is between the traditional metal-walled (Wilbar, Doughboy) type and the soft-sided (Intex, Coleman, Bestway) type.

Hard (mostly metal) walled pools cost more, are harder to assemble, and last much longer. Soft-sided pools are much cheaper, are much easier to assemble, and don’t last long at all.

Soft-sided above-ground pools are famously bought at Walmart and wholesale stores like Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Costco. These stores are everywhere in and outside of Orlando.

Metal-walled above grounds are considered traditional AG pools and that is what professional installers put up.

NOTE: Above-ground pool installers typically don’t install soft-sided type pools. ONLY Metal-walled ones. I do offer a ground prep-only service for all pool types.

COST TO INSTALL AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL YOURSELF IN ORLANDO

Although not as many people install their own pool as they did back in the 1980s when I started installing, a lot still do.

Here’s a list of what installing an above-ground pool will cost you.

1 Any tools that you don’t already have for the job ($0- $300)

Whatever you don’t have like ground tools, cordless drill, level, clamps, tape measure, etc., you will have to get. Oh and do yourself a huge favor and grind a sharp edge on at least one of your shovels.

2 Rent for a skid/steer machine or sod cutter ($75 -$275)

Some won’t need this, but if you have any grass at all, you’ll want to rent at least a sod cutter.

3 Patio stones ($15-$50)

These are used for leveling the bottom track

4 Nutgrass killer ($40-$50)

Granular type works much better than liquid

5 Sand (Optional) ($50-$500)

A seasoned Orlando installer like me will rarely elect to bring sand in. For DIYers though, it can be a viable option.

Some yards that have a lot of clay, rocks (debris), or excessive roots can be really hard to level and smooth out for a nice pool bottom. For that, bringing in one, two, or three yards of sand can solve a lot of issues.

Caution: Don’t try to use a bunch of sand to level out the yard. That will make the pool’s bottom too soft and “foot printy”. Only use enough sand to have a nice, clean layer of earth that goes next to the liner.

6 Loss of work (from your job) (That’s personal to you)

Most will install on the weekends or days off from work. But if you take any time off from work to do this and lose some wages, then yes, it’s a cost.

7 General labor ( $150 per day)

Most will recruit friends or family to help with putting up a pool. For that, it won’t cost you. Or will it? Lol

Some will have to hire some help and pay them with money.

8 Water, beer, and food ($50-$150)

This is for your “free” help.

9 Personal time off ( You decide)

Installing an above-ground pool usually isn’t easy. Some may say it’s easy but it’s not. Watching football and grilling meat is easy. Installing a pool is not, especially during the summer (which is when almost everyone decides to install a pool).

You may love doing things yourself and may have a great feeling of accomplishment when the project is complete. But, your personal time and aggravation have a cost. Jus’ Sayin’.

10 Divorce (Expensive but sometimes worth it)

Over the years, if I got a dime every time I heard someone tell me how they almost got divorced over installing an above-ground pool with their spouse, I’d have about five dollars.

I’m being funny here. I’m also being serious.

OPTIONAL COSTS FOR INSTALLING AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL YOURSELF

A rent a laser level ($50)

This will make the job go easier AND you’ll have a pool that’s level.

B Buy a landscaper’s rake ($60-$70)

This is a wide rake that will really help get your pool bottom flat.

C Temporary shade ($$)

If you are self-installing during the summer (And I know that you are), then shade will help you more than you think.

The 10ft square tents are popular, but I use big commercial umbrellas.

D Big patio stones to set the pump/filter on ($20)

E Stakes and bungee cords ($20)

Use these to help keep the pool wall up if it’s windy (even if it’s not windy)

I COULD DO THE GROUNDWORK ONLY

Removing the sod and leveling the ground is about 50% of the overall job of installing a metal-walled pool. For a price that’s not cheap, I will do this part of the job.

Here is my ground-prep-only page. It has a price sheet on it. Take a look at it, decide it’s a lot of money, then go out and get started on your ground for the pool.

In an hour or two, you can decide whether that price is worth it to you.

Buying a Used Above Ground Pool in Orlando

Buying an above-ground swimming pool that is used is not very popular in Orlando, but people do successfully sell, take down, sell, move, and re-install them.

A big advantage an above-ground pool has over an in-ground one is that it can be taken down and out of the yard.

For the most part, people in Orlando keep their above-ground pools. Life happens though and even if the percentage of people selling a used AG pool is low, with 2.7 million people living in the greater Orlando area, there will be some for sale.

You can save a lot of money buying a used above-ground pool instead of a new one, but there are some major things that you should know about them first.

10 THINGS TO KNOW WHEN BUYING A USED ABOVE-GROUND POOL IN ORLANDO

1 You will need a new liner

It doesn’t matter if the liner is only a month old. It doesn’t matter if the liner and the pool are a week old. If the pool was up, the liner installed, and then filled with water, you will need a new liner when re-installing the pool.

You can get a really good deal on a used above-ground pool, not that old and is in great shape. And many want to keep it a great deal by not having to buy an expensive new liner for it. I get that for sure.

But how good of a deal is the pool if the liner has wrinkles in it, leaks at the skimmer (or somewhere you can’t find), and will need replacing in a short period of time?

I don’t replace used liners. EVER! And nobody who has any experience at all with above-ground pools will either.

So, you will either be replacing the used liner yourself or having someone do it who doesn’t have much experience (which will be a trade lesson learned for him).

Please just buy a new liner for your used pool.

Most buy liners online, but you can buy locally in Orlando at some Pinch-A-Penny stores, a couple of Leslie’s stores, and Unique Pool and Spa has a limited inventory.

2 Find out how old the pool is

As a general rule, the older a pool is, the harder it will be to take down and re-install.

And the older the pool, the greater the chance for rust and broken parts.

Checking the original purchase paperwork of the pool is the best( and maybe only real) way to tell how old the pool is.

Taking the seller’s word for it is not ideal. I’m not saying they will lie about how old their pool is (although some will). People are often very optimistic about how new their pools are though.

I have had plenty of people tell me I installed their pool two years ago only to discover it had been five years and so on.

3 Rust/corrosion on the pool’s wall is the biggest issue

An above-ground pool can have rust on the frame parts and be fine. Not ideal, but fine and lasts for years.

An above-ground pool’s wall rusting through though is the number one killer of pools. It’s the heart disease of AG pools.

Ideally, you don’t want to buy a used pool with any rust anywhere, but it can have some and it still be OK.

Some surface rust on the wall can be OK too, But if rusting all the way through the wall anywhere, don’t buy the pool.

4 Used OVAL-SHAPED pools are much more problematic

While round-shaped above-ground pools are fairly simple in design, ovals are not. There are a lot more parts to an oval pool and some of them will be in the ground a little.

Oval pools are harder to disassemble, keep track of the parts, transport, and re-install.

Age and condition of used ovals are very important. It’s not uncommon for someone to buy a used oval pool that looks great, but they couldn’t get it to come apart because it was too old and some of the buttress’s parts were fused and couldn’t come apart.

In my opinion, only buy a used oval-shaped pool two years old or less and was installed professionally.

5 Sand-type filters are heavy and hard to transport

Fortunately for those in Orlando, sand-type pool filters are as popular as cartridge-type.

If you are buying a pool with a sand filter though, it will be a bit of a job to move to the new pool location.

Sand filters can have anywhere from 50 lbs to 300 lbs of (wet) sand in them. And they are quite awkwardly shaped for moving.

6 Some pool installation add-ons may not be reusable.

There are lots of pools with foam coving, wall foam, and/or liner guards/floor pads. While these install upgrades are nice to have, they most likely will not be reusable for the re-installation of the pool.

Some will successfully save these products and re-install them. More than likely though, they will have to be replaced with new ones.

The good news here is that these items are just upgrades and not necessary. So if on a budget, don’t worry about replacing them.

7 Consider who will be disassembling and transporting the pool

This is not like buying a used car or boat or a gas grill. Used above-ground pools have to be taken down, transported in pieces, and then re-installed.

Taking down and transporting a used AG pool is more of a pain than you may think. By the time you collect all the parts of the pool’s fame, the wall, pump and filter, ladder/steps, and any extras thrown in with the purchase (floats, toys, cleaning equipment, chemicals, etc), you have a lot of big bulky things to move.

Typically, it takes more than just one pick-up truckload to transport even a round above-ground pool because of the bulky components.

Knowing who will be taking down and moving your new used pool ahead of time is important. And don’t assume the seller is going to do it. They usually just want to receive money and have the pool gone from their yard.

8 If you plan on using an installer, find one before buying the pool

The greater Orlando area doesn’t have many above-ground pool installers to begin with. And during the busy summer season, the few of us that are here get backed up with new installs.

This means that you may not find anyone to install a used above-ground pool during the 7-8 hot months of the year in Orlando.

And in truth, I will only install a used pool if I’m not busy AND the pool is newer and in great shape.

So, before pulling the trigger on that great deal, find out who will be installing the pool first.

NOTE: In many cases, the pool installer will take down and transport the used pool in addition to installing it. You will pay extra for that though.

9 If already disassembled, make sure all the parts are there before buying

It’s very common for someone to buy a used pool, go to install it, and discover that some of the parts are missing. This is not good!

Most of the frame parts of an above-ground pool are very unique to its maker and model. So, if something is missing, you will have to find the exact replacement part. Don’t think you can just go to Home Depot and figure something out. You won’t be able to.

Count all parts of the pool before buying. Period.

Also, when pools get transported, parts get lost. When pools are stored, parts get lost.

If you are taking down, transporting, and temporarily storing a used above-ground pool, be very careful and organized. If storing, box or tape things together and keep them in an area where there’s not a lot of traffic or shared space.

If you discover that some parts are missing, you can try to find parts this way.

Just putting the pool in your already full and unorganized garage until it gets installed next month is not a good idea. Things without legs, will somehow grow them and walk.

10 It is better if the pool was previously installed professionally

RE-installing an above-ground pool that wasn’t installed very well to begin with can be tough. If a pool was put up egg-shaped and/or extremely off-level, then the parts will have a memory of that misshapen.

Then, when trying to install those parts in the correct shape, they will fight you because they were used to being off. An installed above-ground pool’s parts have a memory.

For an experienced installer, this can be worked out and may be just a nuisance. If installing yourself though, it may be confusing as the pool will want to go up mis-shaped.

And you may not know what is correct versus how the parts want to go together.

Installing an 18’x33’ Above Ground Pool in Orlando

18’x33’ oval above-ground pools are the most common size for larger ovals. In the Orlando area, there are a few of these large pools, but smaller yards aren’t big enough to fit them.

Towns and areas surrounding Orlando like Winter Park, Longwood, Ocoee, Apopka, Lk Mary, Kissimmee, etc., may have bigger yards that can fit an 18×33 oval.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT INSTALLING AN 18’X33’ OVAL ABOVE-GROUND POOL IN ORLANDO

1 Oval above-ground pools are hard to assemble. Period.

I think it’s important to get this fact known, accepted, and expected up front so everyone involved can have a better time with an oval installation.

With my now 37 years of experience with installing above-ground pools, I can tell you that anyone who says ovals are easy to install doesn’t have much experience with them.

Knowledge is power, so know that an above-ground oval-shaped pool will cost more to buy and have installed, be harder to assemble, and won’t come together as well as round-shaped above-ground.

My goal here is to set everyone’s expectations lower so there will be less disappointment with the less-than-perfect oval above-ground swimming pool.

2 18×33 ovals can have 4, 5, 6, or 7 buttresses depending on the model

There are many different oval designs on the market and I have installed every one. Buttresses stick out along the outside of the pool, so they require more yard space.

The more common Wilbar 18×33 models will have 6 buttresses. Some will have 5, and a few will have 7. I have installed a couple with 8, but that is too rare to consider.

Knowing how many buttresses may matter if the pool is going in a very tight spot or is going up against an existing deck.

3 Typically, an 18ftx33ft oval pool will need a cleared area of 23ftx35ft

The most common oval buttress designs are made by Wilbar and stick out about one foot, seven inches (19 inches) from the outside of the pool’s wall. The clearing dimensions above are based on this common size.

Some of the less expensive oval models can have the buttresses stick out as far as three feet, three inches (39 inches). With that design, you will need a cleared yard area of 24 ft x 35 ft, which is considerably wider.

4 18’x33’ oval pools are a good size for households of 6 or more

Some will be able to swim laps in this thirty-foot-long pool, which is nice as exercise is one of the top motivators for people to get a pool.

5 Installation of an 18’x33’ oval pool usually takes more than one day

Barring a lot of grading or some big mishaps, an installation crew of two should have no problem getting an 18×33 completed in about a day and a half. We are talking about an oval here though, so install snags can push the install to three days

This does not include the time to fill the pool.

6 I charge $2400 to install an 18’x33’ oval above-ground pool (Yikes!)

This is about the average cost to have an 18×33 oval pool installed in Orlando (In 2023-4) as my price includes PVC hard piping the equipment and up to 12 inches of off-level grading.

Some other pool installers may not include the hard piping or that much grading, so it’s good to know what is included as you don’t want any cost surprises.

NOTE: This is a price for metal-walled(hard-sided) type above-ground pools. Soft-sided Intex, Coleman, and Bestway made pools are different. With those, I only offer a ground-preparation service.

7 Installing an 18’x33’ oval above-ground pool takes at least two people

Ovals are technically harder to assemble, but they have buttresses that help keep the wall up during installation, which is great.

18x33s are too big of a monster for me to do by myself, but if I had to, I could do it only during the cooler seasons and it would take some days.

DIYers can install a large oval with 3 people or more. You don’t need as many people to keep the wall secured (because of the buttresses), so that is good.

8 A common 18ftx33ft oval semi-inground pool will require at least a 24’x36’ hole

Setting an above-ground pool partially in the ground has become quite common in Orlando.

A pool needs room in the hole to be assembled, so making the hole 1.5ft wider than the pool size all the way around will give enough room to build. This includes making room for the buttresses.

9 Protect your liner from nutgrass

Nutgrass in Orlando and surrounding areas can be a real problem for above-ground pools.

It’s essential to remove all of the root mass with the grass (sod) AND apply a quality GRANULAR ONLY nutgrass killer to the ground before installing the liner

Orlando Above Ground Pool Installations

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