When it’s time to remove your in-ground swimming pool, it’s essential to recognize that you can’t simply drain the water, fill in the hole, and enjoy a new back yard. Safe swimming pool removal in New Jersey is a technical process that requires skill and knowledge of local laws and regulations.
If you’re ready to remove your pool and create a safe and stable new backyard, the process must include consideration of the following:
Method
In-ground swimming pools can be partially or entirely removed.
- Partial removal: Partial removal is the fastest and least expensive way to remove a pool. It’s a fuss-free method that demolishes the bare minimum of the pool, leaves the debris behind, and then backfills the cavity. While its simplicity makes it attractive, partial removal has one significant drawback: the land where the pool was located is forever considered unbuildable. Also, it’s essential to know that partial removal is not allowed by code in many municipalities.
- Full removal: Full removal involves completely removing every single piece of the pool. The liner is demolished, and all the debris is removed from the site before backfilling. This method takes longer and is more expensive than partial removal, but a carefully engineered full removal creates an unencumbered area by any use restrictions.
Backfill
The backfill process is critical to the overall success of removing your pool and creating a new and improved backyard.
- Material: You can’t just fill the pool cavity with bare old dirt. Dirt alone is a poor choice as its granular nature makes it impossible to achieve dense, stable compaction in good time. A solid ratio of soil, tailings, and topsoil gives the best results and creates an area perfect for a new, healthy lawn.
- Engineering: Regardless of which removal method you choose, you can opt for engineered or non-engineered fill. Engineered fill and compaction is done under the supervision of a licensed and certified geotechnical soils engineer. The engineer does extensive density testing on the backfill and issues a final review certifying that the area is buildable in the case of full removal.
Future Use
Once pool removal and backfilling are complete, your yard is ready for whatever you’d like to come next. The sunny side is flat and perfect for the following:
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- Beautiful green lawns
- Flowers
- Vegetable gardens
- Trampolines
- Swing sets and play equipment
- Patios
- Fire pits
- Outdoor kitchens
If you’ve completed a full, engineered removal, you can also use the space for sheds and other buildings.
Move on Today
Now is a great time to get rid of the backyard swimming pool that’s weighing you down. For pool demolition in New Jersey, call Atlantic Pool Experts. Our skilled team of pool removal experts based in Hillsborough is available to provide a free consultation and no-obligation estimate. We’ve been removing all types of pools for over 60 years. We take pride in our work and our long history of happy customers. Call today!