Having your own swimming pool is the dream of every country house owner. Cool water relieves fatigue, charges you with positive energy and is best refreshing on hot summer days. Many summer residents have the opinion that a swimming pool is an unaffordable luxury. However, costs can be significantly reduced if you build the structure yourself from polystyrene foam blocks. To make your dream come true, you will need desire, a little skill and knowledge of construction technologies.
IMPORTANT!The thermal pool consumes a lot of electricity - 6 kW and above. This consumption is associated with heating a large volume of water, so powerful pumps are needed. A three-wire power supply is often used.
This truly unique insulation material has high technical characteristics. The structure of the block consists of 98% inert gas or air, which provides the material with excellent insulating properties. The polystyrene foam base is durable and has high degree rigidity, which allows the blocks to withstand high loads and not sag when the completed structure shrinks. Due to its exceptional physical and chemical properties, this material does not allow moisture to pass through and has low thermal conductivity, which can significantly reduce the cost of thermal insulation.
Characteristics of polystyrene foam blocks:
Expanded polystyrene is used in the construction of buildings, finishing the facades of houses, as well as in the creation of hydraulic structures, including swimming pools. When installed correctly, a pool made of polystyrene foam blocks (foam) will not be inferior in its characteristics to a standard concrete structure.
Construction stages
The first step is to decide on the location where the pool will be located.
If you have experience in creating such structures or at least artificial reservoirs, building a pool from polystyrene foam blocks with your own hands will be a completely feasible task. The main stages of the construction work complex are:
- creation of a pit;
- arrangement of a drainage system;
- installation of a water drainage system;
- thermal insulation;
- bottom reinforcement, ;
- creating a bowl;
- Finishing work.
In addition to blocks, concrete is used to create the bowl. However, it is much easier to build a pool from polystyrene blocks. Moreover, such structures have better thermal insulation, high strength and a longer service life.
Laying blocks
So, the pit is drained, the drainage line is ready, the reinforced bottom is filled and hardens. Next, we need to lay polystyrene foam blocks around the perimeter of the bowl. The ease of connecting the blocks and the lightness of the material itself make the work quick and productive. And the precision of manufacturing materials will significantly reduce the cost of connecting components.
In order to determine the number of required rows of installation, you need to divide the depth of the pool by the height of the block (25 cm). Before installation, make sure that you leave a niche for the stairs if you planned to install one.
Each polystyrene foam block has special holes for vertical reinforcement. Thanks to this, the process of reinforcing the bowl occurs without any particular difficulties. Next, you need to fill the pool with the mixture and leave it for several days until it dries completely. Afterwards you can begin plastering the walls and finishing. Usually the pool bowl is covered with PVC film or lined with a special anti-slip material.
You can make a pool with your own hands if you follow the above steps and technology.
When you decide to build a pool with your own hands, most often the design and technology for its creation are simple. Hollow concrete blocks make it possible to cope with the task independently, without involving workers with special knowledge.
But it’s not just a matter of simplicity of construction. The main advantage of this design is that the hollow concrete blocks are filled with thermal insulation material, which allows water for a long time stay warm.
Where and how to place the pool
If your suburban area is large and there are not many buildings on it, it is best to place the pool on the sunny side. It is also necessary to ensure that the pool is protected from wind, debris and the prying eyes of neighbors. It is not necessary to erect capital barriers; in this case, a small decorative fence or gazebo can serve as protection. If growing a hedge seems like a long process to you, use an artificial decorative hedge while the real one grows. We also take into account the need for a comfortable and spacious area for placing sun loungers or simply for approaching the pool.
Making a pool with your own hands: step by step
For small pool choose a depth of about 150 cm. In this case, the sufficient depth of the pit to be dug should be approximately 170 cm.
We make the dimensions of the pit itself with a margin on all sides to make it more convenient to lay out the walls of the bowl in blocks.
A concrete slab 15-20 cm thick with steel reinforcement is used as the bottom of the pool. You can take a ready-made slab, but you will need equipment to lay it. Options:
- lay the bottom of the pool bowl from several small concrete slabs, and seal the seams hermetically;
- pour the monolithic slab in place. It’s not that difficult, besides, it’s cheaper than using ready-made slabs, and you don’t have to worry about the tightness of the bowl. How to pour a monolithic slab is described in great detail, see the link.
Concrete hollow blocks are laid on a concrete base in 5 rows. The masonry is simple, with obligatory bandaging. This means that we lay the blocks in a checkerboard pattern, making sure that the seams of the next row fall in the middle of the blocks of the previous one. Everything is exactly the same as in brickwork. We make the solution according to the recipe.
Metal vertical reinforcement securely holds the blocks, so when filling the voids with concrete (mortar), they do not move. The clarification is very important: it is better not to weld the reinforcing bars, but to tie them with wire, since the welding points will be primarily damaged by corrosion.
Another special feature of the pool design is that the steel reinforcement built into the bottom extends into the walls, increasing their strength.
To descend into the pool, you can use a ready-made staircase (factory production). If you are not sure that you will make the steps correctly, it is better to purchase a ladder. In addition, purchased structures have not only rectangular steps, but also rounded steps - this is especially convenient for a swimming pool.
We begin the installation of the stairs when the concrete of the bowl has completely hardened. We fix the ladder rigidly.
When the concrete is completely dry (12-28 days), cover the inside of the bowl (bottom, walls) with sealed PVC film - this is the simplest option. But other sealed finishes are also possible.
Along the edges of the pool (“shores”), the film is welded to the film on the walls. A hole is drilled at the bottom through which water will drain. Film joints are welded with a special apparatus for welding film and plastic.
We pour water into the bowl - we managed to make a pool with our own hands.
www.domstoy.ru
Brick and block pool: do-it-yourself construction options
Probably everyone wants to have a swimming pool on their property near the bathhouse. Moreover, most of them want to spend a minimum of money on construction. For some reason, a brick pool is considered the cheapest, although if everything is done correctly, it will not be cheaper than a monolithic one, and may even be more expensive. Let's look at why.
Brick pool construction technology
You can build a brick bowl with your own hands, but it will be a difficult task. There are several reasons for this:
As you can see, the task is not easy. All these problems exist when building a pool made of concrete, but with brick everything is complicated by the fact that the wall is not monolithic. Also adding to the difficulties is the leakage of the material: it requires additional measures on waterproofing.
Somehow you need to organize the drainage of water. Usually, for this purpose, a technical pit is made near the pool bowl, which is deeper than the pool bowl. The pipe from the drain hole is led into this pit, and there I install a filter unit. Overflow holes in the walls will also be needed. Water from the surface will drain into them. In this way, a stable level is maintained and the most contaminated material is removed. top part water.
Methods for organizing water drainage
In general, when making a brick pool, the work order will consist of the following steps.
Pit preparation
Mark the dimensions of the pit on the ground - it should be at least 80-100 cm larger than the dimensions of the bowl. Do not forget about the need to make a pit near the main bowl or at a distance, as well as about a ditch that should connect them - a pipe is laid in it.
Dimensions are marked using pegs and twine.
First, the fertile layer is removed, then a pit is dug to a depth of at least 40-50 cm deeper than planned: there will also be bedding, a bottom slab and finishing materials.
Preparing the base for the bottom slab
Mark and lay the pipe under the drain. It should go at a slight slope towards the pit. The embedded parts themselves (grid and shutter) will be installed much later - after plastering.
It is better to make the dimensions of the bottom plate 40 cm larger than the planned dimensions of the bowl. This will better compensate for soil heaving.
First of all, we prepare the foundation pit
On the selected area (mark it with pegs and strings), level the bottom, making a slight slope towards the drain. Compact the remaining soil, leveling the bottom.
According to the rules, the next layer is geotextile. This is a thin but very durable non-woven membrane that can withstand greater loads, prevents the displacement of soil layers and does not interfere with the drainage of water. In non-heaving soils, it can not be laid.
The next step is to fill in the bedding and compact it. First it is crushed stone of medium and fine fraction. The layer is about 20 cm. If the groundwater level is high, drainage pipes are laid in the gravel along the edges of the platform, which are discharged into a drainage pit or into a system (depending on how your groundwater drainage system is organized). The gravel is compacted carefully using a vibropress. Then there is a 10 cm layer of coarse sand. It is also compacted, to make it easier - it is spilled with water.
A bedding of crushed stone and sand is poured onto the leveled bottom.
The next one is the waterproofing layer. IN budget option This is a high density polyethylene film. But it is practically useless - it will break in many places when laying reinforcement and pouring concrete. If you want really good waterproofing, use membranes.
Waterproofing strips are laid with an overlap of at least 10-15 cm. The joints are taped with double-sided tape. The edges are placed on the walls of the pit.
Reinforcement
Reinforcing the bottom slab is a lengthy process
The next step is reinforcing the bottom slab. The recommended thickness of the concrete base is 200 mm.
Ribbed reinforcement is used. The thickness of the rods depends on the type of soil and depth, but you should not use a diameter of less than 12 mm. The reinforcement pitch is 20*20 mm or 30*30 mm. One or two belts - depends on the type of soil. If the soils are heaving, two belts will be needed - they will definitely be able to withstand the forces of heaving. If movements are unlikely and the depth of the pool is shallow, one is enough.
The reinforcement must be recessed at least 5 cm into the concrete, so the rods need to be laid on the halves of the bricks - they will give the required 5 cm. On top of the rods there must also be a layer of concrete at least 5 cm thick. This will be useful if you have to knit a double reinforcing belt . Then it turns out that the distance from one layer of reinforcement to another will be 100 mm.
To ensure a gap of 5 cm, halves of bricks are laid under the reinforcement
In general, this process is very similar to creating a slab foundation. Read the article about how and what to do.
Concreting the bottom
Pouring the slab with concrete. Concrete of at least M400 is used for the solution. Previously, pure cement-sand mortar was used, but today technology requires the introduction of additional additives to impart water-repellent properties. The amount of cement and sand does not change, but much less water will be needed - it will already be a semi-dry concrete solution. Its advantage is that the aging time of the solution is significantly reduced - to one or two weeks instead of the required 28 days.
The water-repellent solution can be ordered from the company and it will be delivered to you by car, or you can make it yourself in a concrete mixer, but you will have to work with at least two people: you should not allow the edges of the previously laid piece to “seize.” Everything must be done quickly: while one portion is being leveled and compacted, another is already being prepared.
After filling, wait the required time - from 4 to 10 days - depending on the selected additive. After the concrete has gained strength, the construction of walls can begin.
Pouring concrete on the bottom slab
Construction of pool walls made of bricks
Most often, the walls are made of one brick. But this is a very thin wall that can withstand the load of a very small mass of water.
Please note that only red ceramic bricks are used for the construction of swimming pools. Preferably full-bodied. The use of silicate is excluded - it is only suitable for dry buildings.
A swimming pool with a one-brick wall can be built inside a bathhouse. In this case, the load from heaving is supported by the foundation, and the mass of water will not be large - you will not accelerate much in the room.
On the street, the size of the pools is many times larger, and the walls should be two, at least one and a half bricks thick. Moreover, each row should be reinforced with two rods or a metal mesh made of 4-5 mm wire with a pitch of 10-15 cm.
For a medium-sized pool, it is better to make the wall at least one and a half bricks long
When laying, it is recommended to use a solution with a plasticizer or the addition of liquid glass. Make the outer seam as usual, flush with the brick, and the inner seam half-empty - so that during finishing the adhesion of the plaster mortar to the surface is better.
Do not forget to build pipes into the walls to install water discharge nozzles. An exception is overflow-type pools, in which the skimmers are hung on the side.
Each row - or every two or three - is reinforced with mesh
Plastering and interior finishing
These works are carried out as usual, only the composition must be waterproof, or better yet, water-repellent. You can add liquid glass, just like in masonry mortar.
Prime the dried surface with a deep penetration compound, preferably having antibacterial properties. The second option is to coat the primer with an antiseptic. Cover the prepared walls with a painting net, and then plaster the surfaces.
Before finishing, it is necessary to install embedded parts - bottom drain, wall nozzles.
After plastering, you can either lay tiles/mosaics. It also needs to be placed on water-repellent glue. You can paint the walls and bottom with rubber paint. It will immediately become waterproofing - it creates a thin and elastic film on the surface that does not allow water to pass through.
There is one finishing option without plastering and other work - a special PVC film reinforced with fiberglass. True, if it is sold, it is only in soldered form, and the shapes are usually circle or oval. It is not soldered separately. If you decide to use it, you will have to adjust all the dimensions to fit the existing dimensions.
Instead of tiles, sealants and other finishes, you can use a special PVC film. Just don’t use sand-lime brick for building swimming pools - it breaks down in water. In order for such a pool to exist for at least several years, there is only one way - film
External waterproofing and insulation
Waterproofing is carried out in exactly the same way as in cases with foundations. Most convenient way- coating. Apply it and let it dry. You can fuse roll waterproofing. You just need it to be of good quality, and that’s not very cheap.
If the soils are heaving, it is advisable to play it safe and put a reinforcing metal mesh on the walls before waterproofing. It is advisable to also plaster it and also with a hydrophobic composition. And only then start applying waterproofing.
The outside of the brick bowl must also be waterproofed
After completing the waterproofing work, it is advisable to insulate the brick pool bowl that you made with your own hands. This will significantly reduce the cost of heating water. And the expected costs will be considerable - to heat 10-15 tons of water by one degree you need a lot of electricity. And since the pool is deep, it will be weakly warmed by the sun. And if you don’t fence it off from the ground yet, you’ll be warming it for a long time.
It is better to use foam polystyrene boards for thermal insulation. This material has excellent thermal insulation characteristics; moreover, it does not conduct or absorb water, so it will additionally protect the bowl from leaking. Another plus is that it does not bloom, fungi and microorganisms do not develop in it, and insects and animals do not eat it. All in all - great option. But it must be taken with a high density - at least 35 kg/m2. So it will also compensate for the movement of the soil during heaving.
Lay polystyrene foam in two layers, overlapping the seams of the bottom with the top slabs. Seal the seams with water-repellent mastic or glue them with reinforced tape (this is the worst option).
Afterwards, all that remains is to backfill: fill the gap between the wall of the pit and the bowl with soil or sand and gravel. The soil is suitable if winter heaving is insignificant. If the heaving is severe, it is better to cover everything with gravel and compact it. This layer will serve to compensate for the loads that occur during freezing.
Another waterproofing option
This is such a difficult process - building a brick pool with your own hands. But this is the most difficult option. There are some easier ones. You can’t call them purely “brick-and-mortar”, but the work is much less and the reliability is higher.
Small in-ground brick pool in the bathhouse
The order of work will not differ, there are only some peculiarities:
You can make a brick pool in a bathhouse with your own hands. And it won’t be so difficult: the dimensions are more modest, which means the pressure is not so great. Moreover, most of the heaving loads will be borne by the foundation, which also increases the viability of the idea. But the best solution would still be to use a plastic liner: it guarantees 100% waterproofing.
Plastic liner lined with brick
Here the situation is simple. Buy a plastic liner for the pool. They are inexpensive and come in different sizes and shapes.
Even when purchasing, consider how the water will be drained - from below, through the bottom drain, from the sides, through nozzles, or over the edge - with a skimmer. Lay pipes according to the type of water drainage when preparing the foundation for the pool.
Installation on the ground
After you have brought the bowl to the site, prepare a flat area for it. It will be necessary to remove the fertile layer of soil with vegetation and make bedding according to all the rules - as described above.
A plastic liner lined with brick is an excellent option for a swimming pool, bathhouse and more
When draining water from the pool at the bottom, it is advisable to make a pit where the pipe should be led out. Equipment can also be located here - pump, filter, etc. With a screamer and a side drain, the pump will in any case be below the water level, so everything is organized more simply here.
Sometimes the liner is placed directly on the sand, sometimes a podium is laid out from the same brick, and the bowl is placed on it. It all depends on the type of soil. If they are not heaving, then you can put them on sand, but on clay and loam soils you will have to make at least some kind of foundation.
If you want, you can lay polystyrene foam under the brick (or on it) - there is no such thing as excess thermal insulation. You can also cover the sides of the bowl with this material, and only then cover it with brick. Large thickness is not needed - 3-5 cm is enough.
Another option for a brick-plastic pool
The waterproofing and rigidity of the walls is ensured by the liner, so there are no special requirements for the masonry and its finishing. Do as you please.
Recessed installation
The liner can be partially buried in the ground. With this option, only the depth of the pit changes. After installing the bowl (with or without thermal insulation - decide for yourself), you will need to fill the gap between the wall of the pool and the pit. This can be previously removed soil, gravel or sand. Gravel and sand are an option for heaving soil, excavated soil is for normal soil. You compact the backfill and begin to cover the protruding part with bricks. Actually, that's all - finishing work remains.
Pool made of blocks
If we're talking about about wall building blocks, then to build a full-fledged pool it is necessary to choose a high-density material that is not afraid of water and can withstand pressure well. The very technology of building a pool buried in the ground from blocks with your own hands is no different from building a brick one.
The only thing that definitely should not be used for the construction of bowls is expanded clay concrete or any others containing expanded clay. Their density and strength are not enough to hold the mass of water. If they can be used, then instead of polystyrene foam as external thermal insulation.
Using the same technology, you can make a pool from building blocks. Only their density should be high. Water-repellent characteristics are also important
Made from polystyrene foam blocks
Some companies offer expanded polystyrene blocks with through holes for installing reinforcement and pouring concrete. This is a good option for a pool - the strength of the bowl increases, while the walls have sufficient heat and water insulation.
The preparation of the base will be similar. After the concrete bottom of the bowl has matured, the construction of walls begins. One block has a height of 25 cm, connected to each other with locks. After assembly, reinforcement bars are inserted into the holes, after which concrete is poured. The walls should stand for 2 weeks. After this period, backfilling begins and finishing work is completed.
The disadvantage of this option is the relatively high price of polystyrene blocks, but building a pool from them with your own hands is easier than from others.
From the fundamental
If we are talking about concrete foundation blocks of the FBS type, then they can be used to make a pool even larger than from brick. But you just can’t use silicate concrete and expanded clay concrete. Only heavy ones. After all, these blocks are reinforced and have high strength. During construction, the whole problem will be in their correct and high-quality connection. You will need to reinforce the seams between the blocks with reinforcement bars.
The blocks are installed in the same way as bricks - with bandaging, shifting the seams of the rows. For installation you will need to rent a crane. As a last resort, a winch will do. What types of concrete blocks are there and how to work with them, read the article “Blocks for the foundation: reinforced concrete, expanded clay concrete”
Construction of a pool from concrete blocks
Above ground round pool made of blocks
If we are talking about an above-ground pool made of blocks, then the best option It will still have a plastic liner. Even if it is more expensive, it is more reliable: both rigidity and waterproofing are guaranteed and you know for sure that the bowl will not fall apart.
If you are going to do it without plastic, then it is better to do it round pool- less chance of it falling apart. In this case, the order of work is as follows:
When laying and plastering, use the mortar with moisture-resistant additives. When finishing with tiles or other similar materials, the adhesive must also have water-repellent properties. There are no other secrets to building a pool from blocks with your own hands. Try to make the structure as strong as possible and provide waterproofing.
For a version of a pool-pond with an interesting system for cleaning and supplying water, see the video. The walls of the pool were built from polystyrene blocks.
baniwood.ru
How to build a pool from blocks?
Arranging your own swimming pool on a personal plot requires a clear understanding of how this process should be carried out. It requires appropriate knowledge and skills that will allow construction to be of the highest quality. As a result, the erected architectural object will become the best place to relax in the summer for the whole family for a long time.
Briefly about construction
The process of building pools from blocks is not as simple as some people think. This is due to the following features of this work:
- It is very important to properly ensure that the pool bowl does not come into contact with groundwater. Their constant exposure can negatively affect the condition of the material. In addition, in some cases they may contain unfavorable substances.
- The pool bowl must also be well sealed from the inside. Water may not have a very good effect on the condition of the blocks.
- The masonry must withstand a significant volume of water. It is worth understanding that 1 cubic meter is one ton. The average pool holds about 15 cubic meters of liquid.
Thus, building a pool from blocks with your own hands is not a very simple task. Despite this, the result is worth some hard work.
Step-by-step instructions for building a pool from blocks with your own hands
Since the pool is a rather complex engineering hydraulic structure, it is very important to construct it correctly.
Constructing a pool from concrete blocks with your own hands should be carried out according to clear step-by-step instructions. Only in this case will the end result be a high-quality object that will withstand all existing operating conditions for a long time without problems.
Design
First of all, before you start building a pool, you should develop an appropriate plan. It will allow you to theoretically evaluate the possibility of constructing a given architectural object, as well as preliminary calculate the estimate for this process. If you don’t have at least an approximate diagram, you shouldn’t start taking any action to implement the idea.
Should be thought through following details:
As soon as all of the above nuances are thought out in the plan, you can immediately begin to carry out the work.
Pit preparation
Before starting work on digging a pit, it is worth clearing the area of any existing vegetation. First of all, this applies to a variety of shrubs and trees, if available.
Preparing a pit manually with the help of human resources and appropriate equipment in the form of a shovel is advisable only in cases where the pool is quite small.
If the thicket of such a structure is large enough, it is best to resort to the help of an excavator. Renting this equipment often costs as much as hiring a team of workers. That is why there will be no additional expenses in this case.
It is worth noting that the dimensions of the pit should be slightly larger than the dimensions of the pool bowl. This is due to the fact that various equipment, formwork and cushions must be placed in the additional space.
Preparing the base
It is worth constructing a cushion under the pool because in this case concreting will be much easier. In addition, such a base allows you to extend the life of the object. The backfill under the pool bowl should be made of sand and crushed stone. This mixture must be spread evenly along the bottom of the pit and compacted thoroughly. Its height should be between 25 and 35 centimeters.
To waterproof the bottom, you can use polyvinyl chloride (PVC), bitumen or roofing felt. These materials are lined in one or several layers. Be sure to lay them with an overlap of at least 15 centimeters. The edges of the materials need to be placed on the walls of the pit.
Installation on the ground
Hydraulic structures should be laid during the preparation of the pit. In order for the drainage of water to be optimal, a slope should be made at a level of 4 to 8 percent, that is, about 2-4 centimeters per meter of bottom. It should be directed in the direction in which the drain will be installed.
The drainage hole must be below the water level. In this case, all the water, if necessary, can completely leave the pool bowl.
Concreting the bottom and installing a base on it
To prepare the solution for concreting the day, cement is used, the grade of which is not lower than M400. A pure sand-cement mixture should not be used, since certain additives and additional water-repellent substances must be added to it, which will allow the material to withstand aggressive and quite difficult operating conditions in the future.
When preparing the solution, it is necessary to use less water than usual. The result is a semi-dry mixture. Its main advantage is that the ripening period is significantly reduced. Often it is only 7-10 days instead of 28 days.
Water-repellent concrete can be made either using a concrete mixer at home or ordered from the appropriate enterprise. But in the first case, the work must be carried out together, since in no case should premature setting of the components be allowed.
Depending on the additive, after filling you need to wait from 4 to 10 days. As soon as the concrete reaches the required characteristics, the construction of walls can begin.
Reinforcement
Reinforcing the bottom of the pool is a mandatory step. In this case, the height of the concrete layer should be about 20 centimeters.
In the reinforcement process, ribbed reinforcement is used. Its cross-section should directly depend on the operating conditions of the pool. But the diameter should not be less than 12 millimeters. The spacing of the twigs should be 20x20 or 30x30 centimeters. It can be equipped with one or two belts. The second option is often chosen in the presence of soil heaving forces.
Walling
In most cases, walls are built in one row of blocks. Due to the fact that these products are quite massive, they can easily withstand the mass of water that will be in the pool.
The first two layers of blocks must be laid on ordinary concrete mortar with water-repellent properties. As for the third row, it is best to reinforce it. This sequence must be continued until the construction of the wall is completed.
The reinforcement can allow the blocks to gain greater rigidity and resistance to the mass of water in the pool. That is why other methods for building walls hydraulic structures no such plan exists.
Interior decoration
You should not assume that interior finishing of a swimming pool is a fairly simple task that anyone can handle. In fact, it must be carried out in accordance with certain rules and recommendations.
First, the surface of the blocks must be impregnated with an appropriate primer. It is best to choose a deeply penetrating composition that has antibacterial properties. You can also apply an antiseptic on top of this material.
After the preparatory work has been done, it is worth putting an appropriate construction mesh on the block wall. After this, you can begin the plastering process.
If the embedded parts are installed after the walls are covered with mortar, then a special cord should be laid around the perimeter of the products. In this case, all joints must be sealed with sealant.
Waterproofing
Waterproofing the pool should be done in the same way as this work is carried out in relation to the foundations. The easiest way is to use a coating material. It is enough to apply it on the outer wall of the structure, after which you just need to wait for it to dry.
Film waterproofing material can also be used, but in this case you should choose the highest quality and most expensive products. This is due to the fact that the operating conditions of the pool are quite difficult.
In cases where the soils are quite heaving, it is necessary to fill the walls with a metal section before waterproofing work. The top can be plastered with a small layer of mortar.
Insulation
In order to reduce the financial costs of heating water in the pool, it needs to be insulated after waterproofing work has been carried out. It is important to understand that heating several tons of water by 1 degree will require quite a lot of electricity. Due to the fact that this structure is buried in the ground, the sun will have minimal influence on it.
For thermal insulation, builders recommend using foamed polystyrene. It performs its main function well and does not absorb water. In addition, various microorganisms do not multiply in such material. Polystyrene is not eaten by insects, so it cannot be damaged in this way.
It is worth noting that it is best to choose high-density thermal insulation material. This figure must exceed 35 kilograms per square meter.
Other Important Details
The recess around the perimeter of the pool can be filled in in different ways. For this purpose, soil dug during the construction of the pit is often used. But in cases where the soil is quite heaving, crushed stone can be used. It needs to be poured into the hole and compacted quite firmly.
On top of the perimeter of the pool, you can fill it over crushed stone, on top of which you should lay a tiled covering. It is best to use a material with a matte surface. This will increase the level of safety near this hydraulic facility.
Types of blocks
Currently used different kinds blocks in order to build a pool with their help. First of all, this applies to the following types of material:
- Concrete blocks.
- Aerated concrete blocks.
- Cinder blocks (read about cinder block pools below)
- Expanded clay blocks.
The choice of material for the construction of walls should directly depend on operating conditions, climatic factors, as well as the availability of appropriate financial resources.
Table of advantages and disadvantages of materials for the construction of swimming pools
Each type of block used in the construction of swimming pools has its own advantages and disadvantages. That is why, before choosing this or that material, it is worth carefully analyzing these factors in order to understand how best to build the structure.
| Block types | Advantages | Flaws |
| Concrete blocks | High strength, fast construction speed, simplicity, versatility, resistance to low temperatures, ease of installation. | The need to waterproof seams, high cost, impossibility (or limited) use on heaving soils. |
| Aerated concrete blocks | Light weight, ideal geometry, fairly simple installation process. | Low frost resistance and high water absorption, the possibility of fungus spreading in the pores, the presence of shrinkage. |
| Cinder blocks | Relatively not heavy weight and not very significant cost. | Low environmental friendliness, presence of blast furnace slag, low frost resistance, high level water absorption. |
| Expanded clay blocks | The highest strength, high frost resistance, low water absorption, low cost, no shrinkage. | Relatively heavy weight and not very good geometry, making it difficult to build a flat wall. |
Before choosing one or another type of blocks, it is imperative to evaluate its positive and negative qualities. This will help build a better and more reliable pool that will last for quite a long period of time.
Decoration
Once plastering has been completed, you can begin installing the selected tile covering. It can be either ordinary tile or mosaic. Currently on sale a large number of a variety of options for making these products, as a result of which everyone can create their own unique and original style.
Instead of tiles and sealants, a special PVC film is sometimes used. It is a glass fiber reinforced material. Due to the fact that it is sold only in finished form, such a product does not always fit the configuration of the pool.
- The pool should be built away from trees. This is due to the fact that their roots can damage external waterproofing and insulation. In addition, in this case there will be no need to constantly remove leaves from the water.
- The simplest and most convenient shape for a pool is square. Rectangular or with rounded corners.
- Marking the area for the pool should be done using pegs and a stretched cord.
It is imperative to pay attention to all the recommendations of experienced builders. They will make your work easier, faster and more reliable.
Useful videos
Conclusion
If you build a swimming pool on your personal plot correctly in accordance with all the rules, you can make a truly high-quality one. hydraulic facility, which will serve for a long time, despite the conditions of its operation. Do you think that if you carry out the work quite carefully and carefully, following a pre-created plan and diagram, you can achieve the desired result? What good advice would you give on building a pool using blocks? Share your comments and become useful to those who are planning to install a pool on their property with their own hands.
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A chic DIY concrete pool - anything is possible!
Every summer resident dreams of his own swimming pool, which will relieve fatigue after a working day and keep the body in good condition. physical fitness, recharge with positive energy and simply refresh yourself on a hot summer day. Many consider such a structure an unaffordable luxury, however, if you want to build a concrete pool with your own hands, it will be inexpensive. To do this, you will need certain skills, knowledge of technology and the availability of the necessary construction tools.
Today there are quite a lot of building materials that allow you to create a concrete pool at minimal financial cost. These economical options will be discussed.
Self-construction of concrete pools
To successfully build a concrete pool, you need experience in creating simpler structures, for example, an artificial pond. The process of creating a pool itself involves a whole complex of complex works, where the main stages are:
- pit development
- creation of a drainage system
- arrangement of thermal insulation
- sealing the structure
- reinforcement
- filling the bowl
- finishing.
For beginners in this field, building concrete pools with your own hands is an unusually difficult task, therefore, in the absence of experience, experts do not recommend taking on the solution.
If you make a mistake at one of the stages, you can’t even count on final success: the low quality of the finished structure and insufficient durability of the structure. We must not forget that all this will require serious financial costs, so immediately assess your financial capabilities, since saving is not appropriate here - you will lose more.
However, if a person has bitter experience of working with engineering and construction teams (as often happens), or wants to save up to 50% of money, then there is no reason not to go one step higher - build concrete pool with your own hands.
Below we will discuss directly the options for constructing a reservoir. But, in the beginning, it will not hurt to understand the advantages and disadvantages country pool.
Advantages of a concrete pool
The main advantage of a monolithic concrete pool over prefabricated structures is its longer service life. If we compare pools in terms of strength, then concrete structures outperform all other types. They can even be installed outdoors.
Concrete is easy to finish, which allows you to decorate the pond in accordance with the wishes of the owner. The role of finishing material can be played by mosaic, decorative plaster, tiles, etc. In addition, the cost of constructing a simple concrete pool is significantly less than the cost of a finished product made from composite materials that are popular today.
Disadvantages of a concrete pool
Unfortunately, each structure has its own disadvantages, so now we will look at the main disadvantages of pools made of concrete or polystyrene poured blocks.
- Improper installation of a water supply or drainage system can cause many problems when remodeling these same systems in the future.
- Poor waterproofing of a concrete pool leads to leaks. A common cause of leaks is also considered to be poor quality building materials.
- Poor construction materials and violations of the technology of exterior finishing of the pool lead to a violation of the integrity of the facing material - tiles, mosaics and other decorative elements simply begin to fall off.
- A concrete pool requires serious maintenance. In the absence of this, mold forms on the walls of the pool, after which the desire to splash in the pool completely disappears, even after disinfection.
There is another serious drawback - the complexity of installation. Here we are not even talking about the builder’s abilities that are required to manufacture this structure, but rather the labor costs that will go into installing the concrete structure.
Options for technologies for arranging concrete pools
The process of constructing different concrete pools can vary greatly. It all depends on the money invested, the technology chosen and the skill of the builders. Below we will consider the two simplest options, which answer the question of how to fill a concrete pool with your own hands and are suitable for every summer resident.
The first option involves using monolithic concrete poured using formwork as walls. The second option is based on the use of hollow polystyrene foam blocks, which are laid out on a concrete screed (horizontal). In both options, the arrangement of an outdoor pool will be considered, so the preparatory work for the two methods will be identical.
Option one - monolithic pool
First you need to finally decide on the geometry of the future reservoir. It should be noted right away that the larger the size of the reservoir, the greater the material costs will be. The minimum depth of the pool is 1.5 meters, otherwise it will be uncomfortable for an adult to swim. The walls and bottom will “steal” approximately 50 cm of the thickness of the bowl. This must be immediately provided for by making the pit a little deeper, longer, wider.
STEP 1: design. Before digging a pit, you need to develop a design for water supply and drainage systems so that the reservoir can function normally. It is possible to develop a pit only after the final determination of the location for the location of highways (filling, drainage). To prevent the foundation pit from collapsing, it is recommended to make walls with a slight slope (5° is enough).
STEP 2: filling the bottom, tamping waterproofing. To proceed to arranging the drainage cushion, the bottom is covered with a fifteen-centimeter layer of sand and a fifteen-centimeter layer of crushed stone. After falling asleep, the pillow is compacted and roofing material is spread over it, which serves as excellent waterproofing. To improve waterproofing properties, it is better to lay roofing felt in two layers so that its edges touch the walls (20 cm on each side).
STEP 3: reinforcement. Before pouring the bottom surface, a metal frame must be created. When arranging the latter, class A3 fittings are used. The rods are connected with wire. The use of welding in this case is prohibited, since traces of corrosion will appear in the weld areas over time. The interval between the rods is 10-50 cm (horizontal direction), 20-30 cm (vertical direction). The horizontal frame is best laid on small stones (average diameter 3-5 cm). It is important that the frame is located as close as possible to the center of the concrete screed. For a more reliable connection of vertical and horizontal rods, the latter need to be bent around the perimeter of the bottom.
STEP 4: Filling the bowl. At this stage, the concrete bowl of the pool is poured. It is clear that it is better to fill the walls and bottom in one go. This approach will give the structure maximum tightness and strength. In practice, this is extremely rare, so the bottom is filled first, then the walls. In this case, it is advisable to provide a slight slope (2-3o) for drainage, i.e. There is no need to make the bottom absolutely flat. You can use a pipe located at the bottom of the wall as a drain.
Important: in order to provide the bottom with high strength, it is recommended to use special vibration installations when pouring the solution, which allows for better compaction of the mixture. After this, the solution should harden and stand for 7-10 days. If the construction of a pool is carried out in the hot summer, it is recommended to wet the concrete with water daily. This will prevent cracking of the structure.
In order not to waste the precious time needed for the concrete mixture to harden, you can begin arranging communication systems. To arrange a drain, a trench is dug into the hole and a pipe is laid. Of course, the pipe is laid at a slight slope to the sewer. In this case, the water moves by gravity and water stagnation is eliminated. When pouring concrete, this pipe must be plugged so that the solution does not accumulate there.
After the bottom hardens, formwork is constructed under vertical walls. Planed boards or plywood are most often used for formwork. The second option is considered preferable. The minimum distance from the vertical slope to the formwork (future wall thickness) is 40 cm. Next, vertical reinforcement is performed in the formwork, which is connected to the horizontal.
Then the concrete solution is poured and compacted, preferably using vibrating machines. After the concrete walls harden, the formwork is knocked down. You can move on to the final stage: sealing joints, impregnating the bowl with water-repellent compounds, lining and other finishing operations. Facing finished bowl the pool can get off big amount modern building materials. At the same time, the owner can refuse to use decorative finishing in favor of the simplest and most modern method - fitting internal surfaces PVC film. This material significantly increases the tightness of the bowl, giving it a blue color that is pleasing to the eye.
At the last stage, equipment responsible for supplying, purifying water, and disinfecting the entire pool is installed in the finished concrete pool. Then an easily removable drain valve is installed. A ladder, gangway and other “accessories” can also be installed. At this point, construction is considered completed. You can safely fill the reservoir with water and start enjoying pleasant water procedures.
Construction of a swimming pool using polystyrene foam blocks
In general, building a pool from polystyrene foam blocks is somewhat easier. However, its construction will entail additional costs for the acquisition of the blocks themselves, the price of which is quite high. At the same time, they will provide the pool with reliable thermal insulation, high strength, and extend its service life.
If we talk about preparing for a concrete pool with your own hands, then step-by-step instruction for block and monolithic construction, the design is identical. Preparation includes digging a pit, arranging drainage, laying a drain line, and finishing. Also, here the bottom (reinforced) is poured, which is left to harden.
Further, according to the technology (as opposed to monolithic) construction from blocks, polystyrene foam blocks are laid around the perimeter of the pool. This building material is lightweight and easy to connect the blocks, so no difficulties are expected here.
Pool walls made of blocks. The number of rows of polystyrene foam blocks is determined using simple mathematical operations. You just need to divide the depth of the bowl by the height of the block, which is 25 cm. So, for a pool 2 meters deep, you will need to build walls in 8 rows. After the construction of this kind of walls, they proceed to pouring the mixture.
The blocks are much lighter than ordinary sand-lime bricks and have large dimensions, so installation will be several times faster. It is also worth considering that the accuracy of the building material allows you to use much less binding material, which will significantly reduce construction costs.
Laying blocks. Expanded polystyrene blocks are equipped with special vertical holes. They are used to install reinforcement bars, after which the solution is poured. After the mixture hardens in polystyrene blocks, they proceed to finishing the pool surfaces with water-repellent plaster. Next you need to wait for it to dry.
At the last stage, pools made of blocks are covered with PVC film or covered with tiles. The work ends with the installation of equipment that fills, cleans, and disinfects water. At the end, you need to check the structure for leaks and pour water into it.
The above methods for creating a summer cottage pool in a country house cannot be called overly complicated. If you approach this process responsibly and understand the construction technology, strictly observing it, this task is already within the power of everyone. To get acquainted, we also suggest watching a video on building a concrete pool:
Do-it-yourself gazebo for a summer residence from scrap materials
It is impossible to install a swimming pool in an apartment, but it is quite possible to implement this idea on a private summer cottage. If there is no space in the yard, then you can adapt a pond even in the garden. All work can be done independently, using available materials.
A swimming pool on a personal plot is the dream of many summer residents. But many people think that making such a structure with their own hands is quite difficult. But, nevertheless, it is possible. Construction begins with determining the type of structure. It is the type of pool that determines the materials and construction technology itself.
Types of pools:
- Frame - can be purchased ready-made;
- Plastic – seasonal option;
- Stationary – durable and strong design.
The frame pool is made of metal. A covering material in the form of polyethylene film is also provided. Suitable for installation in a country house for one summer. The finished factory design may include a staircase, a filtration system, or a pumping system. The device is easy to assemble and simple to use.
Inflatables can be used as a swimming pool at the dacha. But this is not a very convenient option with small sizes.
A plastic pool is a polymer bowl. These projects can be purchased ready-made. This design is unlikely to survive the winter, so it is considered a seasonal option.
The stationary view is a full-fledged swimming pool. Its installation requires more effort and finances. But the end result is a durable structure that will last for many years.
Where to place a DIY pool in the yard
Purchased options can be placed at your discretion, since this is still a building for the season. But permanent pool must be installed according to certain rules. Basically, many rely on personal preferences, but one should not neglect the recommendations that will help install the structure correctly.
Factors influencing pool placement:
- Soil properties. Clay soils, which provide natural waterproofing, are considered ideal. In addition, when building a pool, you need to take care of the foundation pit. If the ground is rocky, this process will be difficult.
- Direction of the wind. An outdoor pool will be an excellent place to collect any debris that is blown into the pond by the wind. In order to protect the building, the prevailing windy part is determined and isolated.
- Presence of vegetation next to the pool. If there are trees or bushes nearby, the roots can easily damage the frame.
Determining the size of the pool depends entirely on personal wishes. It is important to understand what kind of reservoir the owner can afford, based on the scale of the site. You need to sensibly assess your strengths.
For swimming along one path, a reservoir width of 2.5 m and a length of 5 m is enough. Two paths add width up to 4 m.
The normal depth of the pool is 1.4 m. But this figure may vary depending on the purpose of the construction. For children, the pond is made shallow. And for those who like to dive, the depth is increased.
However, it is not recommended to install the pool on a wooden platform. Also, for the reliability of the structure, the foundation must be sufficiently strong and completed. There is no need to equip the structure in a zone of seismic activity, on creeping and loose soils.
Building a swimming pool with your own hands from concrete
After determining the type of reservoir and installation location, proceed to marking. It is performed using pegs and a stretched rope. After this, excavation work begins.
For large volumes of work, it is worth hiring professionals who, using special equipment, will quickly dig a pit of the required size.
Digging a pit is the most difficult process of work. It requires a lot of effort and time. All design parameters must be increased by 0.5 m. This space will be used for formwork. After this, construction of the bowl begins.
Stages of bowl construction:
- The surfaces of the pit are well compacted.
- A sand cushion is being erected. It is enough to pour 20-30 cm of material on the bottom. After this, compaction occurs again.
- Waterproofing is installed. Roofing felt and bitumen are considered a cheap option. First, a layer of roofing material is laid on all surfaces, and then bitumen is applied in several layers.
- The drain is installed. These works are carried out before installing the formwork. Drainage depends on the size of the pool and its shape.
- We are building formwork. Here you can use available materials.
- Pouring concrete. Reinforcement is required. Concrete must be strong enough and reliable.
When the concrete has hardened, the formwork can be removed. Then the entire surface is treated with a solution of water and concrete. An alternative to this is ironing. This is where the pool is installed. It remains to take care of the aesthetic part and convenience.
Do-it-yourself pool lining at home
Before starting the lining, install an additional layer of waterproofing. At the same time, each crack is sealed so that liquid does not penetrate into it. For this purpose, various impregnations, mastic or polyethylene are used.
An alternative to ceramics is plastic film.
The choice of lining materials for the pool is quite wide. You can choose not only a practical lining, but also one to suit any design. It is also necessary to take care of additional equipment for the reservoir.
Additional equipment for the pool:
- Filtration. Such equipment makes the water cleaner. This makes pool maintenance much easier.
- Heating. Allows you to heat the water to a comfortable temperature and swim even in cold weather.
- Lighting. Lighting is a fairly practical solution. This way you can use the pond in the evening.
The area around the pool will also have to be specially developed. The surrounding area is tiled. It is important that it has an anti-slip coating. You can also arrange a border made of decorative stone.
DIY pool made of concrete or polystyrene blocks
Expanded polystyrene is a lightweight and easy-to-use material. Homemade pool performed from the largest blocks. This way you can quickly build a pond and a Roman staircase.
Step-by-step guide to building a pool using polystyrene foam blocks:
- Excavation work - digging a pit. The length of the pit should be 50 cm longer. The bottom is filled with crushed stone and compacted.
- Filling the bottom of the pool. First, the reinforcement is installed. Metal rods are inserted and tied together using thick wire. Next, concrete is poured and the surface is leveled.
- After the concrete has hardened, waterproofing is carried out using agrofibre. Next, a polystyrene foam pillow is installed. To connect materials, use paper clips or construction tape.
- Bowl installation. Blocks are laid. The material is easy to work with; if necessary, you can cut the polystyrene foam with a hacksaw. Each block is equipped with grooves for joints, thanks to which the material adheres to each other.
- Drain installation. All pipes are removed and filtration equipment is installed.
- Strengthening and lining of the structure. To do this, metal rods, stairs and facing tiles are inserted.
Often, concrete blocks are used to build a swimming pool. The installation technology is similar to the installation of polystyrene foam material. The blocks are secured using concrete mortar.
For structural reliability, every third layer of blocks is reinforced.
After the structure has hardened, the bowl is covered with film. It is secured around the edges and the pool is filled with water. This is how the polyethylene is leveled. Next, finishing begins. All work can be easily done with your own hands.
How to build a frame pool
A ready-made purchase option will look good in the courtyard of a country house. At home, it is advisable to install the structure next to all communications. You can choose a mini pond that will not take up much space and will fit perfectly into general form yard
A small pool is assembled in the following sequence:
- The installation location is selected and markings are made;
- Fabric flooring is made, and the strength elements of the frame are installed;
- We connect the frame;
- Installation of sewerage, supply of all pipes;
- Checking the structure for strength.
Models of frame pools are sold with instructions that describe all the steps in detail. The main thing is to properly stretch the fabric base. You need to make sure that the material is strong enough and does not leak.
The product kit includes a filter with a circulating pump. But these are rather weak devices, so it is recommended to purchase additional filtration equipment.
But you can create it yourself frame pool with fabric bowl. The material is created by welding or stitching. In the first option, a hairdryer is used, and in the second, a sewing machine. In this case, the frame is made of banner or plywood.
DIY pool construction (video)
An outdoor pool on your own property allows you to access your personal pond at any time. There are 3 types of different designs. But a concrete stationary pool is considered the most durable. With simple steps you can make a reliable design.
Examples of do-it-yourself pool construction projects (photos)
On a hot summer day, you just want to plunge into the cool water and beat off the sultry heat. Therefore, the popularity of private artificial reservoirs is only growing. There are a variety of designs, but in this article we will look at how to build a brick pool with your own hands.
We will also tell you what its pros and cons are.
Pros and cons of a brick pool
For the construction of tanks, the most popular in Russia are ready-made ones. But brick also managed to find a place in the sun. Why is brick not the most popular material for building swimming pools? Let's look at its advantages and disadvantages.
Pros of a brick pool:
- Strength, reliability and durability;
- Freedom in choosing the shape and size of the bowl;
- Additional equipment (hydromassage, slides) can be installed without any problems.
It can be seen that bricks for building tanks really have advantages. But even here there are some drawbacks.
Disadvantages of a brick bowl:
- Extended construction periods;
- High cost of materials and construction in general;
- Brick is far from the easiest material to process. If you want to create a smooth bend, then difficulties will arise. In such cases, it is better to use concreteLINK.
- Complex construction technology;
- High thermal conductivity.
As a result, we find that brick is an excellent option for building a solid tank for many years of operation. Let's next look at how to build a brick pool with your own hands.
Step by step construction
When constructing a tank, no detail should be overlooked. Therefore, for your convenience and clarity, we have divided the article into several stages. And the first of them is planning.
Construction planning
Any construction work begins with the drawings and planning that we need to carry out. Without this, your efforts will be wasted, and along with them your money.
First of all, write down why you need a pool, what are the requirements for it and who will swim in it. Write everything down in as much detail as possible, because all further work will depend on this.
You need a small pool for children, then the optimal dimensions of the bowl are: depth - 1.5 meters, width and length - 3-4 meters. For adults, a more spacious tank is needed: depth - from 2 meters, width and length - from 4 meters. These sizes will allow you to swim without experiencing discomfort and will save you money.
Next, list what additional equipment you want in your tank. Your kids will love the slides and diving boards. You can install a hydromassage for yourself. Don’t forget that a comfortable ladder is a must-have attribute of any pool.
If you decide to install a springboard, the depth should be at least 2 meters. It’s even better to do it with a margin of up to 2.5 meters. This depth is enough to leave a person after a jump.
After defining the basic requirements, do detailed drawing indicating dimensions, location additional equipment and establishing communications.
Choosing a location and digging a hole
Now you have a detailed picture of the future construction in your head. The time has come to determine a place for it on the site. There are also some requirements for the construction site:
- Choose the most level place on the site;
- There should be no trees nearby. There are 2 reasons for this: the pool will become polluted by fallen leaves, and the root system of large trees can destroy the bowl;
- Connecting water supply, drainage and electricity should not cause difficulties;
- There should not be a house, gazebo, or parking lot nearby. Remember that splashes can hit everything within a radius of up to 5 meters.
Have you chosen a place? Great! Let's start digging a pit. To begin, mark the boundaries of the dig on the ground. The boundaries should be with a margin of 1 meter from the dimensions of the future tank on all sides.
Think about how you will organize your water drainage. You can make a drainage hole or connect a sewer. Dig small trenches for the pipes.
Preparing a pillow for the foundation
Before pouring the foundation, layers of gravel and sand are poured. As a result, you will get a cushion that protects the rigid structure from groundwater, heaving of the earth and soil displacement.
Before backfilling, level the soil at the bottom and lay geotextiles on top. This material is waterproof and can withstand heavy loads, so it is perfect for our task.
Next, fill the crushed stone with a layer of 15-20 centimeters, level it and compact it tightly. The next layer will be coarse sand. The thickness of the sand layer is 5-10 centimeters. We also level and compact.
The layers should be leveled using a flat, light board with a level attached to it.
The last layer for the pillow will be waterproofing material. It will already protect the bowl itself from groundwater. Many materials can be used as the final layer, but we recommend using waterproofing membranes. They spread in several stripes with an overlap of 20 centimeters. The edge must be folded up along the walls of the pool.
Pouring the foundation
A concrete foundation is poured onto the cushion, on which all the walls of the tank will rest.
First of all, you need to prepare the formwork for the foundation. It is assembled from boards 20 centimeters wide, as this is the optimal thickness for the base of a small pool. WITH outside the formwork boards are supported by others. Please note that poured concrete will be subject to heavy loads, so support from the outside must be reliable.
The gaps between the boards can be covered with thick polyethylene or an additional board can be nailed on the outside.
The foundation must be larger in area than the pool itself. This will provide additional resistance to soil movement and heaving.
Reinforcement is placed into the finished formwork. It is knitted from steel rods with ribs with a diameter of at least 12 millimeters. The result should be a mesh with interlacing rods with a pitch of 20 by 20 millimeters.
The number of reinforced tiers depends on the soil. If the soil is subject to strong displacements, then 2 belts are needed. If the soil does not heave, then you can get by with 1 tier.
The connected reinforcement mesh for the pool base must be positioned at a certain height from the bottom plane of the base. Since our foundation height is 20 centimeters, it is best to place the tiers as follows:
- The first tier is 7 mm from the bottom plane;
- Second tier – 15 mm;
There should be at least 5 centimeters from the top tier of reinforcement to the surface.
To correctly lay the belts, you can use halves of bricks or special stands.
Concrete for the base of a brick pool must contain water-repellent components. This will affect better side during its service life. You can order it by machine and pour it right away, or you can do it yourself in a concrete mixer. Most likely, in the second case, you will have to work together, since hardening of part of the concrete until another is poured is unacceptable.
After pouring, level the concrete and allow it to completely harden. This usually takes 1-2 weeks depending on weather conditions. And then it will be possible to begin building the walls of the brick pool.
Brick walls
The construction of walls is a long process and has its own small nuances. First of all, you need to understand that the walls bear a huge load from water. Therefore, the walls should be at least 2 bricks wide.
For construction we use exclusively red ceramic bricks. It is not afraid of water, so it is suitable for bowl walls like no other brick. Every row or two, a reinforcing mesh of rods with a diameter of 4-5 millimeters is laid. The reinforcement mesh pitch is 10 centimeters.
Applying mortar between bricks also has its own non-obvious nuances. On the outside of the wall, the mortar should be flush with the brick. And inside the bowl there should be gaps between the bricks so that the finish is well fixed on the surface. A plasticizer or liquid glass composition is added to the solution for moisture resistance.
Finishing work
Now you need to apply plaster to the inside of the wall. Let us immediately note that the composition must contain water-repellent components.
Before starting work, secure the chain-link mesh to the wall. Next, a layer of plaster is evenly applied to it. After it has completely set and hardened, we apply a deep penetration primer with antibacterial additives.
Antibacterial additives are very important for the pool bowl. Without them, algae and bacteria will grow in the cracks. This will make it much more difficult.
We install water intake and return nozzles, skimmers and other equipment. The body of the holes should fit snugly against the wall, and the gap should be closed using a sealant that also has antibacterial properties.
The final finish is usually tiles or mosaics. To attach them, it is necessary to use water-repellent glue. All spaces between the tiles must be completely filled with the compound.
You can also use rubber paint to finish the bowl. It perfectly protects the brick from moisture and has an attractive appearance.
Exterior wall decoration
The reverse side of the walls also needs finishing. It consists of two layers: the first is sealing, the second is insulating.
For waterproofing, it is most rational to use coating compounds. We apply them like plaster and let them dry. The pool is insulated with polystyrene slabs. They are laid in two layers so that the second overlaps the joints of the first layer.
High-quality insulation of the tank will pay for itself many times over. If this is not done, then the lion's share of the heat from the water will go into the soil. Thermal insulation will reduce heat loss.
We treat the seams of the joints of the second row of polystyrene plates with water-repellent mastic.
The final step in building a tank is to fill the gap between it and the ground. You can fill it with the same soil that was dug up. But this option is only suitable if the soil is not subject to strong displacements. Otherwise, crushed stone should be used.
Thematic videos
We invite you to watch an interesting video. It does not entirely correspond to the content of the article, since other construction technologies are used there. But still it will be interesting and useful to you.
Building a brick pool with your own hands is far from the easiest task, especially for a novice builder. But if you put in the effort and have patience, no task will be impossible for you to achieve. You should also consider more simple options construction of artificial reservoirs on our website.
When you decide to build a pool with your own hands, most often the design and technology for its creation are simple. Hollow concrete blocks make it possible to cope with the task independently, without involving workers with special knowledge.
But it’s not just a matter of simplicity of construction. The main advantage of this design is that the hollow concrete blocks are filled with thermal insulation material, which allows the water to remain warm for a long time.
Where and how to place the pool
If your suburban area is large and there are not many buildings on it, it is best to place the pool on the sunny side. It is also necessary to ensure that the pool is protected from wind, debris and the prying eyes of neighbors. It is not necessary to erect capital barriers - in this case, a small gazebo or gazebo can act as protection. If growing a hedge seems like a long process to you, take advantage of it while the real one grows. We also take into account the need for a comfortable and spacious area for placing sun loungers or simply for approaching the pool.
Making a pool with your own hands: step by step
For a small pool, choose a depth of about 150 cm. In this case, the sufficient depth of the pit to be dug should be approximately 170 cm.
We make the dimensions of the pit itself with a margin on all sides to make it more convenient to lay out the walls of the bowl in blocks.
A concrete slab 15-20 cm thick with steel reinforcement is used as the bottom of the pool. You can take a ready-made slab, but you will need equipment to lay it. Options:
- lay the bottom of the pool bowl from several small concrete slabs, and seal the seams hermetically;
- pour the monolithic slab in place. It’s not that difficult, besides, it’s cheaper than using ready-made slabs, and you don’t have to worry about the tightness of the bowl. , described in great detail, see the link.
Concrete hollow blocks are laid on a concrete base in 5 rows. The masonry is simple, with obligatory bandaging. This means that we lay the blocks in a checkerboard pattern, making sure that the seams of the next row fall in the middle of the blocks of the previous one. Everything is exactly the same as in brickwork.
Metal vertical reinforcement securely holds the blocks, so when filling the voids with concrete (mortar), they do not move. The clarification is very important: it is better not to weld the reinforcing bars, but to tie them with wire, since the welding points will be primarily damaged by corrosion.
Another special feature of the pool design is that the steel reinforcement built into the bottom extends into the walls, increasing their strength.
To descend into the pool, you can use a ready-made staircase (factory production). If you are not sure that you will make the steps correctly, it is better to purchase a ladder. In addition, purchased structures have not only rectangular steps, but also rounded steps - this is especially convenient for a swimming pool.
We begin the installation of the stairs when the concrete of the bowl has completely hardened.
We fix the ladder rigidly.
When the concrete is completely dry (12-28 days), we cover the inside of the bowl (bottom, walls) - this is the simplest option. But other sealed finishes are also possible.
Along the edges of the pool (“shores”), the film is welded to the film on the walls. A hole is drilled at the bottom through which water will drain. Film joints are welded with a special apparatus for welding film and plastic.
We pour water into the bowl - we managed to make a pool with our own hands.
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