How do I Get Rid of an Inground Pool With a Vermiculite Bottom?

A vinyl-bottomed pool with an underlying vermiculite layer can be removed safely.

Nothing lasts forever. If you have an in-ground pool in your yard, the time may come when you want to remove it. Pools can be made of concrete or have a fiberglass shell. Many were constructed by excavating a hole, layering vermiculite on the bottom and covering this with a vinyl liner. The vermiculite eliminated the possibility that a rock, root or other object would perforate the vinyl liner. Removing an in-ground pool is a big project but can be done safely.

Things You'll Need

• Dumpster
• Tractor with loader
• Razor knife
• Fill dirt
• Topsoil
• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Set a dumpster close by the work site. Choose a spot that will not be inconvenient for other equipment or dump trucks working at the site.

2. Use a tractor with a front loader to lift out sections of the pool sides and decking. Transfer the scrap material to the dumpster.

3. Remove the vinyl pool liner by cutting it into sections with a razor knife. These sections should be small enough to handle easily. Discard the pieces of vinyl in the dumpster.

4. Tear out any drains or pipes which connected to the pool's filter system. Discard any material that you don't wish to salvage or recycle.

5. Measure the dimensions of the hole left in your property. Calculate the number of cubic yards of dirt and fill necessary to fill the void to within 12 inches of the top. The top will be level with the lawn or ground surrounding the excavated pool.

6. Calculate the cubic yards of topsoil which will be needed to fill the remaining 12 inches of the hole.

7. Order the fill and topsoil. Pile it as near to the hole in your yard as possible.

8. Fill the hole with the fill dirt by scooping it up from the pile and transferring it into the hole with the loader-equipped tractor. Dump the fill over the top of the vermiculite layer that was exposed when the vinyl liner was removed.

9. Fill the top 12 inches of the void with top soil. Use the front-loader to smooth the surface so that it can be worked and seeded with hand tools.

Tips & Warnings

• There have been rumors and allegations that vermiculite is contaminated with asbestos. Tests of the material mined from the major vermiculite mines around the globe have proven these rumors to be false. Even if they were true, burying the vermiculite under several feet of fill and dirt would be a safer means of disposal than digging it out and hauling it away.

References

• Mark Davis Trucking: Dirt Products

Resources

• Vermiculite Institute: Vermiculite, Naturally Occuring, Safe, and Plentiful