Has Anyone Built A Swimming Pool

[GregJ]

Since we got our tractor, we have been toying with the idea of building a small swimming pool. This would be a project for later winter, early spring 2004. I would like to keep it very low budget. I am thinking concrete. I have a moderate amount of concrete experience and considerable tile experience. We would like to use solar heat with electrical or propane backup. I would be interested if anybody has attempted this and what your experiences have been.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[RonR]

Other Options.....

We had a 24' round doughboy pool, above ground, but dug out 1/2 of it so it was 6' deep. New was about $5K, but we sold it after 12 years for $500. Needed a new liner for about $500, but was good otherwise.

I think you could find a used pool, buy a new liner, and have less invested than concrete. Though they look simple, I think there are plenty of gotchas if you try to design it yourself.

Oh, we used the tractor to fill in the other half--36 tons of dirt/sand!

Good luck.
Ron

 

[rjsmit1]

I have not personally built an in ground pool, but I contracted to have one built in Texas. Process went approximately as follows:
The hole was dug with a bobcat to the shape of the pool. This operator was excellent. He had no cave ins and cut a beautiful 3 dimensional shape in the ground following a drawing and some stakes placed by the foreman. Trenches were dug around the outside of the pool for the pipes to supply water to and from the filtration system. There were pipes all over the place as they have water inlets all around the pool. They then installed the steel rebar. This formed a big basket like webbing around the inside of the pool. The rebar was set up from the dirt so that the concrete would surround the steel. All piping, pumps and filtering equipment was installed at about the same time they were doing the rebar if I remember correctly. Then the concrete was sprayed in. They called the concrete "gunite". This work was done with specialized equipment with very skilled people. The concrete had to be able to stick to the vertical walls of the pool without forms. I don't remember if it took more than one coat of concrete (gunite). They then poured the concrete deck around the pool and plastered the inside of the pool after the concrete cured. After the plaster set up, the pool was filled and the fun began! I would argue that building this type of pool is not a job for a beginner as there are plenty of opportunities for expensive and difficult mistakes. For example, what if your concrete walls succumbed to gravity and fell down to the bottom of the hole? Yikes- what a mess... Good luck.

 

[EddieWalker]

I was thinking the same thing. How hard could it be? I bought a book on ebay showing all the different styles and how to build, but kept thinking I'd do the digging and let the experienced pool builder finish it off and spray the gunite. Some things just take experience to get good at.

After talking to some pool builders and getting the same answer, I've decided it's cheaper in the long run to have an expert do it and provide a gurantee.

Reasons for my decision are unknow soil conditions as far as water retention in the ground around the pool throughout the year. I did'nt realize that ground water can come up to the pool level and play all kinds of trouble from the outside and bottom. Especially the bottom!

The excavation has to be perfect. Only virgin soil is to remain for the gunite to hold without cracking. This means NO filling in if you dig too deep. I can operate my backhoe just fine for trenches, stump and tree removal, but I realize I'm a long way from digging a huge hole for a pool and getting it perfect the first time.

If you want a vinyl pool, then it might be possible. I've only looked into gunite.

Good Luck,
Eddie

 

[rockyridgefarm]

There are some "pool in a Box" companies. They usually have vinyl liners, and look pretty straight forward. There are some that use metal walls, but cost a lot more.

I agree that gunite is probably something you don't want to learn on. But I have had more than a few pool owners tell me they would go with a vinyl liner, if they were to do it over. You just budget on a new liner every 10 years. But less maintanence than the gunite

 

[Bird]

The vinyl liner with steel walls is what we had built in 1977. The steel was supposed to have some copper in it if I remember right and was supposedly guaranteed for 30 years. We sold the place in 1989; about 11.5 years after the pool was built and it still had the original liner, pump, sand filter, etc. although the blue color of the vinyl liner was fading a bit.

 

[EastTexFrank]

We had a fibreglass pool when we moved to Dallas. I wouldn't recommend them. Eventually had it ripped out and replaced with a gunnite pool. I watched them build that and install all the equipment and I can honestly say I wouldn't attempt that on my own although I did learn the best way to configure the cleaning equipment. There are just too many opportunities to totally mess up. I don't know about the vinyl liner pools except the above ground variety but I would have thought that they would need to be enclosed in a smoothe structure of some kind to prevent puncture.

 

[Gatorboy]

Looks like you've got all kinds of advice on building a pool -- but I would like to share my ideal pool design:

The pool would be rectangular with the deep section (~6') in the middle and shallow (3') on both ends. Off of the middle you would have a swim-out area (like a notch) that would have the railing and steps into the pool. This way you would have a full rectangle section with no ladders for obstructions.

You can now play volleyball in the pool with people on each end at an equal advantage -- not one side treading water just to stay afloat, and the other side only up to their waists. Because the deep section is in the middle, the closer to the net you get, the deeper the water -- no way to just hammer slams to the other side.

Also, with the rectangular design (as opposed to the kidney shaped), it is a great lap pool for those who just want to do some swimming.

Finally, those who like to do cannonballs, dives, etc., you just do those in the middle rather than on a deep end.

If I ever decide to build a pool -- this is the design I will construct. Just thought I'd pass on my ideas to the group. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Alan L.]

I have a buddy in the pool business. He recently designed one with a "beach", a gradual slope area. and he was real happy with the the way it turned out. His are all gunite and he stresses the skill of the backhoe operator being able to "free-hand" the hole to match the design. They basically draw the plan and then mark it on the ground with some spray marker paint, and the backhoe operator digs the hole. They then put in the rebar and plumbing and another gunite contractor comes in and sprays in the gunite and finishes it out. The gunite is guaranteed for life.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( enclosed in a smoothe structure of some kind to prevent puncture. )</font>

The steel walls on ours were smooth and were 3' high all the way around. The bottom of the pool got a fairly thick layer of sand before the liner was put in, and the bottom was flat and 3' deep at one end, then sloped very rapidly to 6' deep in the deep end. The sand that was used (fairly dry and troweled smooth on the bottom and slopes) had a quantity of cement in it so it would harden in time (can't remember the ratio of cement). When the liner was put in and fastened around the top, they left one small spot not fastened so they could put a vacuum hose in there to suck the air out from under the liner as it filled. And the liner did get punctured twice; once by a young fellow trying out his scuba gear right in the center of the deepest part, and I was very much surprised by the repair method; cut a piece of clear vinyl, apply the clear adhesive, dive it and stick it on the puncture. Only time I ever used "glue" under water, but it worked just fine.

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> I was very much surprised by the repair method; cut a piece of clear vinyl, apply the clear adhesive, dive it and stick it on the puncture. Only time I ever used "glue" under water, but it worked just fine. </font>

We had punctures in our above ground vinyl liner courtesy of moles. I used the same type patch kit. Dries, or maybe cures is a better word, quickly, so you have to work kind of fast.

Some friends of ours had an inground pool put in last fall. Used the metal sides and sand bottom method with vinyl liner. The diving board and hand rails are cantilevered out over the pool. This allowed for a full cover that stores in a trench under the diving board end. There are tracks on each side of the pool. He installed a keyed switch that, when activated, pulls the cover out of the trench and over the pool completely. It is so strong that it doubles as a winter cover and the insurance company said it meets their requirments as a fence, since it locks. Very cool but $$$ expensive option. It is very strong. We had 4 kids out running around on top of it and it is rated for snow/rain load.

 

[GregJ]

Thanks to all who have posted. I really appreciate your responses. As we are really in the "discovery process" of this project I really appreciate hearing everyone's experiences and design ideas. Gatorboy, I really like your idea of the rectangular pool with a side stair entry. We were thinking rectangular with one shallow end, but your idea of 2 shallow ends makes sense. I'm still hoping to hear from someone who built one themselves, but maybe I am a little too optimistic that this can be done. There aren't a whole lot of pools around here in the NW, so I don't have many people I can get first hand information from. In my google searches, I have found some pool products that are like paint, but are rubberized and waterproof. This product bonds to concrete. They show some examples of repair and coverage over some awful looking stuff. I was just wondering if a product like this over concrete poured much like a slab and foundation wall of a home would work? Contours could be hand trowels with a finish coat of mortar. I'm probably all "wet" on this scheme, (pun intended) but never hurts to think a little different at this stage of the project.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[riptides]

Mike,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( But I have had more than a few pool owners tell me they would go with a vinyl liner, if they were to do it over. You just budget on a new liner every 10 years. But less maintanence than the gunite )</font>

I would beg to differ on the vinyl/gunite maintenance. I think you will find that it will be the owner who is the deciding factor in ongoing cost. You need to take care of pools just like anything else.

I have a neighboor that built his own inground pool. Vinyl, when it came time to even out the sand mix and build out the walls, he called in a pool company. I don't know if he got a warrenty or not.

I would *not* tackle something like this, or even think about it. Too many things can go wrong that can bite you big time.
Soil conditions, fill, depth, electrical, plumbing, finishing work, tile work, if gunite, plaster work if gunite, electrical to house...... YOUR TIME... no thanks.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

-Mike Z.

 

[Gatorboy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm still hoping to hear from someone who built one themselves, but maybe I am a little too optimistic that this can be done )</font>

Actually, I got to swim in one similar to this years ago. My boss at the time had a pool party at his house and he had this type of pool (only he had some steps in one corner instead of a swim-out).

He had an actual volleyball net with a tension line that cranked tight using the same type of crank you would find on a boat trailer. Let me tell you, that was the most fun I had playing in a pool.

 

[lamarbur]

I had a 16 X 32 X 9ft deep end, diving wedge liner pool. It was great until one year I had constant tiny leaks that couldn't be found. Called in the pro who put various food coloring around the pool and watch all the mini leaks. Patched them one by one. Moral of the story, this follwed the summer year that we had watched several little girls, aged from 7 to about 14 or so. They would hang on the side, kicking like mad. It was their painted toe nails that kept slicing the vinyl liner, causing these leaks. When all this happened, we had the pool near 16 yrs, so we had to re-line it. This, was something I would have never guessed would happen, but it can. Whenever I can afford to, I will get another inground at our new home, only it will be gunite as we still have a couple of young nieces to deal with.

 

[MossRoad]

Speaking of toenails, we knew someone that thought it was cute to have their dog jump into the pool after toys and stuff. Then they found the leaks in the vinyl liner /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Drain and new liner was only solution.

 

[mytoys]

Hi,

I built a pool a couple of years ago. I researched on the web and found the best deal for what I was looking for. I ended up going with medalion pools http://www.medallionpools.com. I bought an inground 18x36 vinyl liner pool with stairs, diving board, heater, pump, etc and had it shipped to my house. Kit came with installation instructions. It took from memorial day till July fourth for installation (water in the pool) working mostly on weekends. It was a lot of hard work. I think i have some pictures, i'll see if i can find them.

 

[mytoys]

Me on my old Case 580. The side of the pool are aluminum. You gcan get galvenized and stainless.

 

[mytoys]

A side shot of the pool. That's my dad watching as i drill a hole foe a return line. I've always required lot's of supervision /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif You can see the stairs into the shallow end.

 

[mytoys]

shaping the deep end