It is generally not recommended to place a pool directly on grass. Doing so will kill the grass underneath, and the surrounding lawn may also be damaged by heavy foot traffic and splashes of chemically-treated water. For best results, create a clean, level surface by removing the grass and debris. You can then install a sturdier base using materials like sand, a concrete pad, or solid foam.

You shouldn’t swim in a pool with algae. When there’s algae, there’s also bacteria that’s feeding on the algae. Also, algae-infested pool water is often chemically imbalanced, which means germs like Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and E.coli could be present. These germs can cause a range of illnesses from gastrointestinal issues, to rashes, and respiratory problems.

The best thing to do is to get rid of the algae first, test and balance the water, and then you can enjoy swimming without any worries.

Your contractor will need several days to several weeks as far as a timeline to install your semi-inground pool goes. Adapting an aboveground pool to be semi-inground by excavating and partially burying the liner, for example, will only take three to five days, while installing an in-ground pool with a poured concrete liner and building up the land around it will require several weeks. Keep in mind that the process of hiring a pool contractor and applying for permits can add several additional weeks to the total timeline.

There are three types of pool filters—cartridge, sand, and D.E. (diatomaceous earth). Cartridge and sand filters are the most popular types and are affordable and easy to maintain. D.E. filters are more expensive and require more maintenance, but they are also very good at filtering out small particles.