Want to have your own swimming pool? But what are the different steps to get there? In order to better understand the process, whether you build your pool yourself or hire a professional, here is the step by step to reach your little paradise. Wait until winter to start construction, so if your site is running late, you’ll always be in time to dive into your new pool in the summer. Because building a swimming pool can take fifteen days or much longer, it all depends on whether you hire a builder or if you carry out the project yourself.
Step 1: choice of location
The best location for your swimming pool remains the sunniest area and the most sheltered from the wind, the least close to the trees.
Step 2: tracing your pool
This is a step that can be done fairly quickly since it consists of setting milestones, stretching strings, taking measurements, in short, preparing for the next step of the earthworks. Remember to provide a margin around your future pool for earthworks.
Step 3: Earthwork
Concretely, you will have to remove tons of soil. It all depends on the size of your pool, but this is a very rough way to dig a big hole. However, it is not as simple as that. It is not simply a question of digging a hole to the dimensions of your future swimming pool. First you have to add at least 50 centimeters on each side and then make sure everything is level. It is also imperative to provide space for the pipes. In short, no room for error. Some engage in this stage simply with a shovel. It is quite possible but it is a long-term job. It is better to use specific tools to excavate this substantial amount of soil. You will also need to remove all this soil – even if you will save some for later backfilling. And if you store it, don’t do it too close to the future pool, otherwise your pool will already get dirty during the work.
Step 4: laying the foundations of your pool
The objective of this step is to achieve a flat and stable surface, otherwise the walls of your future pool may be loaded unevenly, which would damage it. The floor should not have any irregularities, so it is necessary to level it if necessary. As a foundation, it is common to use concrete for the slab and a bed of gravel.
Step 5: Creation of the foundations
Like all the steps, you have the option of carrying it out yourself or entrusting it to a professional. It all depends on your budget. Because your personal contribution to the construction project will inevitably have an impact on your overall envelope and will allow you to reduce costs. This step is the creation of the structure of your swimming pool. When the foundations are ready, your swimming pool is, so to speak, in place. Plastic or ceramic prefabricated pools are the simplest and most expensive. Steel-walled pools or above-ground pools, which can also be at least partially buried, are a bit more complex. If you have purchased a do-it-yourself pool kit, assembly takes place according to the instructions. The steel wall pool, for example, comes in the form of a steel roller that must be inserted into a floor guide rail. The edges are also connected using a rail.
Step 6: installation of all the technique
All sorts of technologies are needed to ensure that your pool can be used continuously and the water stays clean.
- You will need to install a skimmer – a kind of sieve that keeps dirt particles out of the water.
- Of course, a pump will be needed. As the name suggests, it pumps pool water through the filtration system and cleans it of all impurities. The size or performance of your pump depends on the size of your pool. Logically, the weaker pumps have to run longer per day than the more powerful pumps.
- A filter will also be needed.
- Pipelines.
- A heating system. Pool water takes a while to warm up at the start of the season. It’s faster with a pool heater, which is either connected to the house heating system or standalone. Heat pumps or solar thermal energy are also possible. But there are also special pool covers that absorb the heat from the sun without using a lot of technology and transfer it to the water.
- A pool robot will be very useful to you: the robot helps with the daily cleaning of the floor and walls.
- Perhaps you can anticipate pool lighting: optional technology that puts the pool in scene, especially when it’s dark. Depending on the lighting technology, the connection must be carried out by an electrician.
Step 7: laying the coating
The next step is coating. It is better to have it done by a professional because it must be impeccable and leave no gaps, especially if you have a liner or PVC membrane installed. Not only must they be waterproof, but they must also be cut exactly to the size of your pool. Your coating can also be made of tiles, plaster or paint, which is more decorative.
Step 8: filling your pool with water
Now all you have to do is fill your pool. At least partially. Because the water ensures that your liner fits the pool and is maintained. With the garden hose, it takes a relatively long time to fill your pool. Depending on its size and the water pressure, this can take twelve hours or more.
Step 9: cover your pool
A swimming pool needs protection. The easiest way is a tarp spread over the pool. Some covers are available as solar walls that help heat the pool water. For larger pools, a rewind device for starting is useful. If you wish, you can of course also build a permanent roof structure.