10 Phases of Swimming Pool Construction

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Creating an inground swimming pool is definitely the culmination of ten diverse phases of swimming pool construction. This short article will provide you with a brief understanding of your construction cycle. And it all begins with, the desire to have a pool inside your own backyard.Style & Engineering

The first place most homeowners look for qualified swimming pool contractors will be the local phone book, and by word of mouth from others who have built a pool. After the initial interview process, you will possess a good idea what your swimming pool will cost to possess built. The contractor or consultant will provide a design and a complete bid for your acceptance. With a contract in hand, the contractor will obtain all necessary engineering from a qualified structural engineer. The contractor will then submit for permits from the local jurisdiction. At this point, it might also be necessary for the contractor to apply for a Home Owners Association(HOA) approval depending on your local community requirements. Once the creating permit is obtained, the construction kicks off in high gear.

Layout & Excavation

This is one on the most exciting phases of swimming pool construction, excavation. Excavation could be the digging and forming from the swimming pool. The very first thing the excavation crews do would be the pregrade. Pregrade could be the clearing of the pool site and the grading from the area for the swimming pool. This allows the crew to paint on the ground the final shape of your pool and at the same time the crew will stake the perimeter from the pool and add forms for the structure of the pool. The typical time needed to dig a pool depends on various factors. These factors include: access, soil conditions, and overall size and depth of the pool. Most pools these days are dug in 1 to 2 days.

Rough Plumbing & Electrical

Once the pool is dug, it's time to move on to the rough plumbing and electrical. This is where all from the trenches will be dug for all the pipes and conduits necessary to operate your pool. Sometimes, the rough plumbing & electrical will be broken down in a couple of parts, otherwise all trenching and installation from the pipes and conduits will be done at the same time. This includes installation on the suction and return lines, water-feature lines, vacuum cleaner lines, fill lines, solar inlet and returns, gas lines for swimming pool heater and future barbecues and firepits, and the electrical service line. In most cases this will take 2-3 days to complete, and may be done either before, during or after steel.

Steel

The steel phase may be the addition of rebar formed in the ultimate shape with the pool. A rebar contractor will "tie" the steel using bailing wire in a grid pattern determined by the structural engineer. A good crew will normally take less than a day to tie the steel depending on the size, shape and any raised walls or bond beams.

Gunite or Shotcrete

Up until this time, your backyard will look like one big disaster area, with trenches running here and there and a big hole in your yard with a criss-cross pattern of rebar running through. Gunite or Shotcrete would be the application of the concrete to the pool surface, it makes the shell of your pool. The crews will arrive and via a hose will apply the concrete in the end, the pool will have a close to finish look. The benches installed, and the pool walls and floor will have been completed. This will also be one of your first times you will be required to be actively involved in the construction of your pool. For the next 7 to ten days, you will be required to hose down the swimming pool shell two and three times a day with water to help cure the gunite or shotcrete. You will be truly amazed at how much water the pool structure adsorbs.

Tile & Rock

After the installation from the gunite or shotcrete, the waterline tile and any rock or boulders will be installed on your pool. The tile is necessary to provide an easy surface to keep clean at the waterline. Rock or boulders are added to incorporate a natural "swimming hole" look and feel and for waterfalls and jump rocks. For pools with the contemporary look or classic style, tile is incorporated into the style and is applied not only to the water line, but also to any raise walls or water-features.

Decking

(Concrete, Pavers, Trex, Tile, Stone, etc.) With the tile installed, the next addition to your swimming pool project may be the decking. Now where I grew up, decking was always associated with wood, and redwood was king. But when I got involved in the swimming pool industry, deck was the item that surrounded the pool. For the majority of swimming pool owners, the deck of choice is concrete. Concrete is durable and inexpensive when compared to the other options being, grass or landscaping, tile, stone, pavers and natural or synthetic wood products. The installation of decking takes a minimum of a couple of days for forming and finishing, or it can require multiple days and weeks depending on the surface. The deck crew will also be responsible for installing the equipment pad, where all the pumps, filters, heaters and other equipment necessary to operate your pool will be located.swimming pool construction