Wednesday, October 23, 2002
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Wednesday, October 23, 2002 |
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Underground problems can increase costs to install swimming pools in PTC By JOHN
MUNFORD
Some Peachtree City residents paying to have swimming pools installed in their back yards have to pay thousands of dollars more due to problems contractors couldn't find above ground. One of the more common problems occurs after digging for the project begins, said Dan Hanekamp of Hilltop Pools and Spas in Jonesboro. "We hit a portion of Stone Mountain," he said, referring to crews striking granite, which requires blasting work to remove. At older homes in the city, pool crews also run into pits of debris that were buried after homes were built. The trash has to be excavated and replaced with soil, which then has to be compacted, Hanekamp said. Another high-cost problem with pool construction is the discovery of soil with poor load bearing capability, some of which looks like "quicksand," Hanekamp said. "It can take from $3,000 to $4,000 or $15,000 to $20,000 for us to take care of stuff we didn't see," Hanekamp said. City building official Tom Carty said such problems lead to complaints from residents who didn't realize such problems could occur and significantly drive up the cost of their pools.
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