The mysteries of the deep end!

[Commander CMG]

An elderly man in Leslie, Georgia had the surprise of his life when he looked out his window last month to discover that his swimming pool had popped out of the ground.

Earl Kendrick used to have a 20-foot by 60-foot cement pool in his backyard until heavy rains caused one end to rise up out of the ground - it hasn’t sunk back down yet.

‘I just woke up one morning and it was out of the ground. I never seen something like it - never heard something like it - until I seen my own!’ he told WALB10.

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[draugr]

Oh God, WALB10. Hometown news station represent.

I see their reporting is as fine as ever.

Poor guy, though. The commenters on that site (I realize it's a British site but) don't seem to realize he's probably lived in that house forever, so how much it costs now it irrelevant. I hope he gets something out of the insurance, but then...He did leave the pool empty. People in my home neck of the woods aren't the brightest sometimes.

[wolfknight]

That was a nice pool. I would have it rebuilt. That is what insurnace ids for

[Keel M.]

I'm surprised that something like this doesn't happen more often here.

[BiffSplitkins]

Anyone who owns an inground pool knows that you don't drain it and leave it like that.

What little water that was in the pool kept it from rising up anymore from the ground... and that was the amount of water AFTER it rained.

[+and-then]

Anyone who owns an inground pool knows that you don't drain it and leave it like that.

What little water that was in the pool kept it from rising up anymore from the ground... and that was the amount of water AFTER it rained.

Apparently the guy was unfamiliar with the concept of bouyancy

[pallidin]

Anyone who owns an inground pool knows that you don't drain it and leave it like that.

What little water that was in the pool kept it from rising up anymore from the ground... and that was the amount of water AFTER it rained.

Yeah, I don't think the insurance company is going to be happy with him.

[psyche101]

Geez the insurance people just do not miss a trick do they.

They claim that this strange phenomenon isn't covered under the ‘outside structures’ category in his policy.

Stange phenomena? Wut? When I had a pool built 6 years ago, they told me not to empty it or this might well happen, apparently fibreglass shells often just split in the middle. The ground water gets up enough pressure to force the pool out of the ground.

One quick Google says:

Inground Concrete Pools and Fibergalss Pools

Here, you are dealing with the same groundwater problems as for a vinyl pool. Most inground fibergalss and concrete pools are built structurally to withstand the weight of the dirt against them when drained. However, if the ground water is high enough, it can push the entire pool out of the ground. The pool shell acts like a ship and floats up in the ground water.

LINK

The only risk is if you drain or try to drain a pool after prolong rains or is you are aware of how high the "water table" is in your area. In order to get that info you may have to call your water district and ask them. "high water tables" make draining a pool a dicy situation. The result of an empty pool during these conditions is usually a pool that will float out of the ground. It will act like a bath tub or a boat ...even if it is made out of steal reinforced cement.

LINK

If there is water around the outside of the pool, the water either needs to be removed, or if this is not possible you will have to wait until a dryer part of the year when the hole is dry.

The second thing to be sure that the pool is properly braced. I won’t go into how to do this, but it’s good practice to brace fiberglass pools when draining them because they are engineered to remain full of water. The design of the pool will determine where and how many braces to use.

LINK

Seriously, I thought this was very common knowledge, and it is rather old hat. Very cheeky for the Insurance companies to be playing dumb on this one. They know about the "phenomena" I guarantee it. Or they are the worlds most ignorant insurance company.

Edited March 26, 2013 by psyche101