By Davan 
Per your request here are photo’s of the build around our 30 foot round, 54″ deep, buried 2 feet in the ground. We did the concrete patio last year and this spring we did the 2 X 4 Split Stone Travertine on sides of pool and Travertine tile on top. Yes it’s real stone. Yes you can sit on it, stand on it and walk on it.
As you can see from the photo’s, there is a gap between the pool and the edge of the concrete patio. Done intentionally. Probably 4 inches from post to concrete patio and 7 or 8 inches from wall of pool to concrete patio.
The concrete patio closest to pool perimeter was poured 12 inches deep about 8 inches wide around the entire pool to do a footing for the rebar to be attached for the cinder blocks think (4 x 12 blocks) filled with concrete. The rest of the patio was poured 6″ deep. We ended up with extra concrete.
Between pool wall and blocks it was filled with chip gravel just over the height of patio not all the way up side of pool.
The metal rim you see along the edge was removed and a White J Hook was applied for a future Hang Bead Liner when were ready to replace this liner. A Hang Bead Liner allows you to hang it on the J hook without removing your caps and top of pool. In my case tile. (See photo along inside of the pool edge. That’s a J hook) After they applied the J hook over exhisting liner they put metal rail back over it.
Someone asked what if your pool rusts. We have that gap so there is room to work to replace pool. I also am playing with the idea if I ever get to that point. I may have the same company come back and just pour a concrete pool. (To fit inside all this stonework) Or not lol. I actually think vinyl liners are easier than concrete to keep clean. Algae gets in crevices. Whatever way I go, I think I’d still want vinyl lined.
I have a picture where we had our origional above ground pool removed with decking still in place. There is dirt all over my vermiculite concrete bottom. Origional pool I paid for the installers wanted me to rip out the concrete bottom and get a smaller pool then add more deck. (Sure would have been easier for them). I said nope. Went back to Family Leisure and picked out a replacement pool that didn’t have the posts as big as origional I picked. It was fine. They had room to work. I’ve had above ground pool over 20 years and I’ve never had rails collapse. Maybe it’s because it’s partially buried and clay soil is packed tight?
They left origional skimmer basket under tile and placed a fancier lid in tile work on top. They changed hose to PVC piping and attached to filter burying it under the concrete patio. Sand Filter is in it’s origional spot on some pavers. Eventually I may put a little fence around it.
When I mentioned a “simple” in-ground pool I was told starts at 75k and they can go over 100k, I was referring to design. Not all the work and materials. Not implying not worth it. For some of us we don’t want to spend that or just can’t.
Cost: My quote for the stonework around the pool without stairs was 16k. When I added the outside pool steps and the handrail it added approx another 3k. So this pool without the concrete patio we did last year was 19k for the stonework and replumbing. Much less than giving up the above ground and going inground. Again, I prefer it sticking out of the ground, I don’t get all the dead animals in it. I am seeing ingrounds sticking out of the ground nowadays too!
I added photo of the filter setup. The cord is from my pool vacuum running right now that’s plugged in. No more hoses laying next to pool in that area.
We use PermaSalt System to sanitize our pool. From Family Leisure and I have no problems with it. Very easy.
Hope I answered everyone’s questions if not feel free to ask. Hopefully comments don’t get turned off again lol.
HAPPY SWIMMING GANG!
