Has Anyone Built A Swimming Pool
- Thread starter GregJ
- Start date
- Views: 4083
mytoys
Bronze Member
mytoys
Bronze Member
Here you may be able to see the concrete "bond beam" around the bottom of the walls. Essentially, once you have the walls in place, plumb, level, square, etc, you pour a cement footing around the base of the walls to hold everything in place. That's all for now. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have (if i can).
Attachments
OP
GregJ
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2002
- Messages
- 708
- Location
- Washington
- Tractor
- Kubota B2301/LA435FEL/BH70 ; John Deere X350
Mytoys,
Thank you for taking the time to share your photos. I know it's very time consuming to put a post like this together. I will have a lot of questions as I progress in my planning for this project. Just a couple of simple ones for right now. Are you happy with your project and would you do it yourself again? Have you had any problems with your pool yet? I'd really like to see some photos of the installation of the liner and perhaps the finished product. Anything that you can share about your project would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Greg
Thank you for taking the time to share your photos. I know it's very time consuming to put a post like this together. I will have a lot of questions as I progress in my planning for this project. Just a couple of simple ones for right now. Are you happy with your project and would you do it yourself again? Have you had any problems with your pool yet? I'd really like to see some photos of the installation of the liner and perhaps the finished product. Anything that you can share about your project would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Greg
mytoys
Bronze Member
Hi,
I probably would do it again for several reasons. I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm cheap (or maybe i just don't have a lot of money), I can't stand paying for having stuff done when i can do it myself, i like doing things myself.
I haven't had any problems with the pool yet. We love the pool. I swim all the time. It's great working on a hot summer day and just jumping in every hour or so to cool off.
I'm actually still working on some of the cement for the patio (time/money). The patio is going to be huge. Once that's done i'll be building a cabana with a bath and a little kitchen. I just can't stop.
We actually saved a great deal of money doing the installation ourselves. We originally were thinking of having someone build it and got quotes. I estimate we saved a minimum of $10,000 doing it ourselves.
When digging the hole we encountered ledge. You can't dig anywhere on my property without hitting it so, it wasn't unexpected. I had to jackhammer the ledge away to get the depth we needed. This would have cost us loads if we'd have contracted it out. We also had quite a bit of fill trucked in for landscaping, etc., I moved all that with the Case.
I had more pics of putting the liner in put can't seem to find them now, my apologies.
I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
I probably would do it again for several reasons. I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm cheap (or maybe i just don't have a lot of money), I can't stand paying for having stuff done when i can do it myself, i like doing things myself.
I haven't had any problems with the pool yet. We love the pool. I swim all the time. It's great working on a hot summer day and just jumping in every hour or so to cool off.
I'm actually still working on some of the cement for the patio (time/money). The patio is going to be huge. Once that's done i'll be building a cabana with a bath and a little kitchen. I just can't stop.
We actually saved a great deal of money doing the installation ourselves. We originally were thinking of having someone build it and got quotes. I estimate we saved a minimum of $10,000 doing it ourselves.
When digging the hole we encountered ledge. You can't dig anywhere on my property without hitting it so, it wasn't unexpected. I had to jackhammer the ledge away to get the depth we needed. This would have cost us loads if we'd have contracted it out. We also had quite a bit of fill trucked in for landscaping, etc., I moved all that with the Case.
I had more pics of putting the liner in put can't seem to find them now, my apologies.
I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
OP
GregJ
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2002
- Messages
- 708
- Location
- Washington
- Tractor
- Kubota B2301/LA435FEL/BH70 ; John Deere X350
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm cheap (or maybe i just don't have a lot of money), I can't stand paying for having stuff done when i can do it myself, i like doing things myself.
)</font>
Are you Swedish? I've always blamed my heritage (Stubborn Swede) for having exactly the same perspective as you do....
Right now I am in the very early stages of gathering information and trying to figure out my approach. I will do this myself, if we do it, so I am looking for any and all perspectives to a project like this. Thank you again for your time. I am sure I will have more questions as time goes by. Actually, I have one now. How difficult was it to install the liner? It would seem to me that there would be abundant opportunities to puncture the liner when dragging it over the pool. It's go to be fairly heavy.
Thanks,
Greg
)</font>
Are you Swedish? I've always blamed my heritage (Stubborn Swede) for having exactly the same perspective as you do....
Right now I am in the very early stages of gathering information and trying to figure out my approach. I will do this myself, if we do it, so I am looking for any and all perspectives to a project like this. Thank you again for your time. I am sure I will have more questions as time goes by. Actually, I have one now. How difficult was it to install the liner? It would seem to me that there would be abundant opportunities to puncture the liner when dragging it over the pool. It's go to be fairly heavy.
Thanks,
Greg
RobS
Super Member
Greg, I know nothing about pools and didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night...
We did visit a local home and garden show this spring and noticed a large fiberglass pool tipped up on it's side. Just for kicks, we asked a few questions. I don't remember much detail other than they offered three levels of "service" in their pricing. At the high end, the company installs and finishes the entire pool for you. In the middle, they dig and set the pool leaving the plumbing and decking to you. At the low end, and of course of most interest to me was the DIY package. You dig the hole (they provide specs), they deliver the pool, you set it in place and complete everything else.
Again, I know nothing about pools and someone else indicated some trouble with fiberglass but this sure seemed like a neat way to go. They have surprisingly large pools available, shipped tilted on an angle on a lowbed semi-trailer.
Good luck and keep us posted /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
We did visit a local home and garden show this spring and noticed a large fiberglass pool tipped up on it's side. Just for kicks, we asked a few questions. I don't remember much detail other than they offered three levels of "service" in their pricing. At the high end, the company installs and finishes the entire pool for you. In the middle, they dig and set the pool leaving the plumbing and decking to you. At the low end, and of course of most interest to me was the DIY package. You dig the hole (they provide specs), they deliver the pool, you set it in place and complete everything else.
Again, I know nothing about pools and someone else indicated some trouble with fiberglass but this sure seemed like a neat way to go. They have surprisingly large pools available, shipped tilted on an angle on a lowbed semi-trailer.
Good luck and keep us posted /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
mytoys
Bronze Member
Heh heh, no not Swedish but Irish, English, German and i'm sure a few others mixed in for good measure. I will have to fault my father and my old fasioned upbringing. My father did, and still does at 80, everything himself and instilled in me that there's nothing you can't do yourself. It's a matter of doing some research, asking questions, and making mistakes.
I do all my own work around my property including electrical, plumbing, carpenrty, welding, landscaping, etc. I also tend to be the first person called when a friend is ready to tackle a project. I don't mind i love doing things with my hands.
Anyway, back to the pool. I was veery aprehensive about the liner myself. As it turns out, that was the easiest part of the project. It took maybe an hour tops. You put the folded liner in the pool and unroll it in the pool. You then start at one end and begin hooking the liner into the coping at the top of the walls. It does help to have lots of hands to help with this step. Just work your way arounf the pool untill it's all attached, then smooth it into all the cormers. I'm over simplfying but, it did go in prety easily compared to the nightmares i had imagined. It helps to do this on a sunny day as the liner can be a bit stiff untill it warms up. We left it overnight and filled it with water the next day (truck delivery).
I do all my own work around my property including electrical, plumbing, carpenrty, welding, landscaping, etc. I also tend to be the first person called when a friend is ready to tackle a project. I don't mind i love doing things with my hands.
Anyway, back to the pool. I was veery aprehensive about the liner myself. As it turns out, that was the easiest part of the project. It took maybe an hour tops. You put the folded liner in the pool and unroll it in the pool. You then start at one end and begin hooking the liner into the coping at the top of the walls. It does help to have lots of hands to help with this step. Just work your way arounf the pool untill it's all attached, then smooth it into all the cormers. I'm over simplfying but, it did go in prety easily compared to the nightmares i had imagined. It helps to do this on a sunny day as the liner can be a bit stiff untill it warms up. We left it overnight and filled it with water the next day (truck delivery).
CTyler
Veteran Member
If I were putting in a pool I'd do most if not all of it. The determining factor would be wether it was poured or lined.
If poured I'd dig the hole and install the rebar etc... Then let the pros spray in the cement or gunite. If lined I'd do the whole thing.
For digging I'd use the backhoe to dig a trench on three sides. This makes it easy to have the walls nice and flat/square. Then dig out the middle with a ramp into the pool. Save a corner to drive in/out on. When close enough dig out the last corner with the backhoe when you don't need to be in there anymore.
I'd use my BH and FEL since thats what I have but all the pools I've seen built used a Skid steer for the most part.
If poured I'd dig the hole and install the rebar etc... Then let the pros spray in the cement or gunite. If lined I'd do the whole thing.
For digging I'd use the backhoe to dig a trench on three sides. This makes it easy to have the walls nice and flat/square. Then dig out the middle with a ramp into the pool. Save a corner to drive in/out on. When close enough dig out the last corner with the backhoe when you don't need to be in there anymore.
I'd use my BH and FEL since thats what I have but all the pools I've seen built used a Skid steer for the most part.