how to use a water level?

[hrsdennis]

Matt, I followed your links and did some research on the water level. Looks like it would be easy and accurate. The only variable I see is evaporation. So what if it takes a year or more to level the red clay.

They are not cheap but the only way I have found to use a laser outdoors in the daylight. No matter how expensive the unit. They have really neat beep sounds to tell you when you are level. I silence that of course.

Later, Dennis

[amyinraleigh]

Thanks again all.....

My neighbor just stopped by, he used to be a surveyor and had a transit (?) laying around that he showed me how to use. Tripod thingy with a scope type deal on top. I'm going to give it a try, hopefully this will work!

[sevver]

If you feel the need to test the transit, then a good way to do it is get two set up in the middle, and get two opposite blocks level, so that you have to spin the transit around. Then take the transit down, and move it so you can shoot the two in line, without the need to spin it, the numbers should be the equal to each other again. If it passes this, then it is still calibrated and you can use it. Those things can get out of whack, even a little can equal alot over a distance.

[amyinraleigh]

Hi Sevver! Great idea to test the transit, I would never have thought to do it, thanks. I'm pretty unfamiliar with this thing, but I think I understand your instructions : set up two blocks or posts that I know to be level, put the transit in-between so that I have to turn it 180 degrees to get the same number for both, then move the transit so that it is in line with both blocks in front of it and test to get the same number.....

I know I'm turning this little pool "installation" into a much bigger deal than it needs to be, but I am thoroughly enjoying the learning process. I'm a dork.

Amy

[sevver]

Bingo, I always test any transit that I am unsure of. I have had 12 years experience in construction, mostly laying pipe, and pulling stuff back out of the ground and putting it in right again really stinks, so taking the time to check it out is definately worth it.

I have a transit myself, and even though I don't use it much, I always check it out first. My first pool I used the transit, and the second one I used a rotating laser level with a reciever. The laser is way better, it beeps at you when you get it right, my second time around is perfect, while the first time around was within an inch.

I am probably what you would call an extreme perfectionist, and I made sure it was also perfectly round, the bottom was immaculate, I used a four foot asphalt rake to get the bottom smooth. If you go over it using the rake in two directions and watch the gaps under the rake, you can fill in your voids in the sand. And I then made sure that all of the supports were perfectly plumb before I finished putting on the top rail.

All in all, you should not be too carefull in my opinion. People will be more amazed that you did it yourself if it is done right. And a big plus is finding this forum, now I can say that I cut the upkeep cost to a tenth of the original method.

[matt4x4]

Hey Dennis!
You're a real Devil's advocate eh!!!
Here's a way to get around evaporation - mark your water line in the bucket and refill as necessary. This weekend, refilling probably would have had to happen every 10 minutes, I know that the level of my beer was dropping at a seriously fast rate due to all this heat and humidity!!

Rotating laser levles with the receiver unit are the best, that's how I did my pool.

[amyinraleigh]

Well, it's done! You all are the best, with all your help and advice....wait, let me change that to advice....there was a conspicuous absence of "helpers" showing up with shovels..... , the manual labor is over and all is well within 1/2"! YAY.

Ended up not using the transit, tho I did play around with it for awhile....and used a water level. I remembered I have a 25' length of vinyl tube I use for cleaning out my aquariums, so I put it to use along with a 5 gallon bucket. Pounded in a ton of randomly-placed stakes and went to measuring. Apparently my laser level and 230am digs (anyone watch Seinfeld?!) went pretty well and I didn't have to adjust or redo anything.

I had done some back-filling, which I then read was a no-no, but decided to leave it. I was very careful, used two layers of those edging blocks you see everywhere, tamped between layers of fill, thoroughly wet everything once it was done and carefully but very firmly tamped every square inch with a sledgehammer. The whole time I kept thinking, man, this wouldn't be so bad if I just had a pool to jump into.....

This has been absorbed as a learning experience that will hopefully in the near future be put to good use in preparing a good part of the yard for a bigger, more permanent pool and during that construction, I might just still have this pool to jump into!!

Thanks again!!