I just got a pool put in, cut into a hill. The hill is quite steep, but not terribly long. However, I'm concerned about when we get large deluges of water from a storm, so I want to ensure that water doesn't come up under the pool and wash away the sand. Here is my idea. Am I missing anything? My only sense of weakness here is if I cannot get the new grass to take properly before a lot of water comes along it will probably wash dirt away/under the plastic threshold. I expect the final height of the plastic to be low enough that any substantial amount of water will wash over it into the ditch by the pool. Thanks for any ideas
You may want to think about putting some holes in that 3"-4" plastic threshold or at least shorten it so that the sod/grass is at least even or above whatever height plastic you intend to use. If you do get a substantial amount of water it will take the path of least resistance and may go under the plastic instead of over the top into the landscape fabric basin and thereby wash out some sand. You could also use a 6"-12" piece of PVS pipe. Cut it into 1/4 or 1/2 rounds and lay those down so that the sod/grass/dirt is cupped and held. It'll be easier to work with and adjust the height of sod/grass to edge of PVC pipe. Also don't use pea gravel it'll fill/plug with debris very quickly, use 3-4 inch river rock. Last make sure you have a decent amount of angle to allow all the water to run off and not accumulate. That way it won't become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This is all just my opinion with a little experience thrown in as well. Good luck!
I agree, the plastic threshold needs to let water into the drain area. Both water above and below the ground. In addition, I would put a a small longitudinal mound up hill (6-12 feet) of the pool. This will encourage the water to go underground before it gets to the pool.
I would think it wouldn't take long for the pea gravel/pipe to fill with sediment and roots. We bought a house where the previous owners had laid a gravel walking path around a pathetic rose garden right smack dab in the middle of the backyard. Grass clippings/organic debris along with wind blown soil quickly accumulated in it to the point it could support plant life (weeds and carpet grass runners). It was a mess to get rid of.
Notice that the pea gravel, or whatever you have, is a natural sink for leaves, dirt accumulation, and everything else that gravity wants to collect off the hill. If at all possible, a slight side gradient that takes the water down the pea gravel path to where the water is going to end up anyway should be your first choice. It's a tricky situation because too much of a side slope causes erosion problems and too little makes an unwanted pond, but it can be done.
I'm going to see if it's at all plausible to have a small hill built at the bottom of my existing hill to divert rain so that less rain hits the gravel area. it would just be 6" high and maybe a foot wide to serve as a little swale. Larger rocks may be a good idea but unfortunately I already had 2 yards of gravel delivered before I made this thread. It's not all tiny, though; it's called "1 & 2", so some of it is large.
That'll do, might have to get the Hoe out turn it over and flush it out occasionally. When is the BBQ?
Practice, Practice, Practice. I find that a beer in the non-dominant hand helps with balance, and done-ness calculations. And, it's OK to cut into a piece of meat to see if how done it is. Keep one as a sacrificial piece and eat what you cut off. I've always used a light layer of straw over grass seed to keep things in place and help the seed get started. It keeps the sprinkler from washing things away, gives shade to the seedlings, and keeps everything moist and cool. Once the grass is ready to mow, the straw will almost completely stay in place. It will degrade or you can rake it up and use it elsewhere or in the compost pile.
You've got the right idea, but putting more landscape cloth on top of the gravel will help keep it from plugging up over time. The perforated pipe doesn't really need to be wrapped, but it would work better at the bottom of a V formed by the slope and the drainage channel. Be sure your channel actually drains before you fill it up with rocks.
Great point on straw. I've used it before and had forgotten. I'll use it on the inclines, at the least. I saw straw first used by a neighbor who turned, honestly, a freshly seeded lawn into several inches of grass in 10 days and it was all because of straw, the stuff is awesome for starting seeds. Yeah I've wondered if I should bother wrapping it also. And I will put landscape near top of gravel as well, so it will wrap most of the gravel with then just a thin bit of gravel on top.
