You might be thinking the cold and snow is going to last forever at this point, but soon the warmth of summer will be nearing. Now is the time to start planning for springtime activities like getting your pool ready for the swimming season. If you're thinking about adding a deck to your above ground pool, you should consider using fiberglass materials.

Fiberglass is sturdier, easier to clean, and has more decorative options than wood decking and posts. The first thing you want to do is put the posts in the ground. Here is how to put posts into the ground for an elevated deck.

You Will Need:

• Pole Digger
• Quick-Set Cement
• Dust Mask
• Water Hose
• Level
• Stones
• Engineering Bricks
• Five-Gallon Bucket
• Trowel

Dig Holes

Dig a hole until it is 2-3 feet deep. Use a pole digger to get a nice round hole about 18 inches in diameter.

Put in Engineering Bricks

Put two engineering bricks at the bottom of each hole. These will serve as the bottom of the post foundation and will help keep the poles from sinking into the ground. You want your posts to all be set at the same height so the deck itself is level once you install it.

Put in Stones

Place stones, or broken bricks, down into the hole until they reach the half-way point up on the post. This will help you conserve the amount of quick-set cement you will have to use without compromising the integrity of the post foundation. Make sure you arrange the stones so the post is level on all sides.

Water the Hole

Fill about a 1/3^rd of the hole will clean water from your hose.

Put on Dust Mask

You should put on your dust mask before you pour the cement into the hole. This will protect you from getting cement dust into your lungs.

Pour Quick-Set Cement

Rip open the top of the cement bag and pour the contents into the hole. If are going to use more than one bag, you will need to add the same amount of water as you did before you poured the first bag in for each additional bag of cement. Soak down the cement until you can't see any more dry spots. Check to make sure the posts are still level on all sides after you finishing pouring the cement in the hole.

Crown Bottom of Post

You should put a crown around the bottom to keep water from pooling around the post. Mix up some quick-cement in a five-gallon bucket and place it on top of the now dry cement in the hole. Use a trowel to make a crown of cement that slopes away from the bottom of the post.

You can move on to the next post once you have finished the first one.