Swimming Pools

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Choosing

Choosing a Swimming Pool Professional

Signing the Contract with the Builder

Guide to Swimming Pool Construction

Swimming Pool Site Preparation and Excavation

Swimming Pool on Problem Soils

Swimming Pool Special Soil Conditions

Swimming Pool on Fill and Rock

How a Contractor Build a Swimming Pool

Swimming Pool Finishes and Trims

Swimming Pool Accessories

Problem Soils

In excavating, there are only three types of problem soil – wet, rock, and sand. All three are solvable but will add to your costs.

Wet Soil

Wet soil is a problem because the loader can't move about freely, the walls sag, and the finishing can't be done. The usual solution is to pump the water out of the pool while the loader moves in and out, the finishing work is completed, and the main drain set even then, it may be necessary to continue pumping water out of the main drain until the concrete is in.

If the wet soil prevents the loader from entering the pool at all, it may be a good reason for not building the pool, unless adequate drainage is arranged to keep water pressure away from the bottom of the swimming pool.

Rock

Rock requires expensive drilling and blasting; a loader must be kept on the job to move the rock as it's chipped away. But rock can be an advantage, since it provides a solid foundation for the swimming pool.

Sand

With sand, the excavator may have trouble with the walls caving in as the excavation deepens. There is usually a stopping point for cave-ins, but if the trouble persists, a thin coat of gunite can be sprayed on the walls to shore them up until the swimming pool shell is built.

Special Soil Conditions

If your pool site has some special soil condition – underground water pressure from a high water table, expansive soil, fill, or rock – your pool contractor will need to take special measures to deal with it.