levelling your pool

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Drive a stake in the center. Measure out 14 feet and set another stake for the perimeter. Keep setting perimeter stakes until you have the 28 foot circle laid out. If you have leftover stakes put them randomly within the perimeter. The stakes need about two feet showing above ground.

Make a temporary "water level". They make elaborate kits for this, but you dont need that. Get about 20 feet of clear plastic tube 1/2 diameter good, not smaller than 3/8 though. Secure the tube along the center stake with a couple wraps of elec tape, with the end at the top, and the rest laying on the ground. Kinda like a thermometer, with the clear tube taped to the stick. Tape the other end of the tube to a spare stake in the same fashion.

Fill the tube with water, almost full. Make a mark on the center stake where the water is at. This is your benchmark. Walk out to a stake along the perimeter. Hold the stake with the end of the tube alongside the perimeter stake. Make a mark where the water level is at. Do this to each stake. You cannot let any water spill out of the tube until you mark them all, or you will have to start over. Have someone watch the benchmark stake as you do this, because you will not notice if you lift the working stake too high and force water out of the tube.

Now you have level marks at all the stakes, a foot or so above the ground. Rake out your base until all the marks are an equal distance above the ground. Viola.

Other suggestions: Try to avoid buying stakes at Home depot etc, they charge way too much. Try a local lumber mill, they make the 4 foot long 1 inch square oak stakes for surveyors, construction etc, real cheap. Do a search for water levels, to get more familiar with the concept. Good Luck.