Chapter 4: TIPS FOR INSTALLATION. How to Build Your Own Home Swimming Pool or Spa
That's not a joke.
Some parts of installing a pool are very simple: digging out the
backyard, installing rebar steel or other pool frameworks, cutting holes for
drains in vinyl pool liners, even spraying gunite or other concrete mixes. For the most part, this is just a matter of
some calculation and construction know-how, and there's no reason you can't
simply do this portion of the work yourself.
What you don't want to do yourself unless you're very,
very clear on what you're doing is to install the filtration system, pumps, and
drains. Pools, for all their basic
simplicity (water flows out the drains, passes through the filter, back in
through the returns, rinse, repeat), are actually quite sophisticated when it
comes to the minutiae of water pressure, managing drain loads, and other
similar issues. A single miscalculation
can lead to serious safety issues when it comes to drain suction, water
buildup, or stress and strain on your pump motor. At the very least, it'll lead to a
significantly shorter lifespan for your pool.
And a major problem with miscalculations in your pool setup is the fact
that unless you're willing to dig up your entire yard again and spend tons of
money draining and refilling your pool, it's impossible to fix errors in your
pool's construction.
If you must install your pool yourself, at least follow
these steps:
- Speak
to a contractor who's had some experience with pool installation. Ask if he or she would be willing to
evaluate your yard and existing plumbing in order to point out any serious
potential problems during excavation and installation. This will cost you some money, but will
save you plenty of headaches--imagine how horrible it would be, for
example, to be merrily digging out your backyard when you strike a trunk
cable line or water main.
- Secure
all the materials you'll need well before you start. The only exception to this should be
pool chemicals, since these can "go bad" easily if improperly
stored, wasting your money, and you won't really be able to use them in
your pool until sometime after construction is complete and the pool is
filled (since they can cause damage to fresh construction.)
- Secure
any help you'll have for the installation project well in advance. If you're hiring laborers to help you,
or just asking friends or relatives for some support, make sure you have a
good schedule for your most demanding tasks (installing the pool basin if
you're working with a fiberglass pool, or spraying and smoothing gunite if
you're working with a concrete pool) and make sure they'll be available to
help out.
- Set
up a good timetable for installation and stick to it. The longer a pool remains unfilled and
incomplete, the more chances there are for problems. Filling a pool adds so much weight to it
that it helps it to remained anchored in place, and if you're not careful
to move quickly from installing the basin to filling the pool with water
you can easily face a situation where your basin "pops out" of
the ground, cracks, or other horror stories. If you're only able to work on your pool
on weekends, be sure to set up your schedule so you can make the most out
of necessary drying times, settling times, or other planned time
gaps. Expect to spend at least two
to three weeks installing your pool, more if you're doing a particularly
complex installation (e.g. concrete, spas, or advanced molding.)
- Seriously,
don't do this yourself! Find a
reputable contractor with whom you're comfortable working and make sure to
supervise them closely using the knowledge you have from this book about
how pools work. You'll save
yourself an infinite amount of hassle, you'll avoid lots of future
problems, and you'll understand how your pool is put together so you'll be
better able to maintain it.
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