Pouring a Pool: Our How-To Guide to Concrete Pool Construction
An in-ground swimming pool increases your home’s value. It’s also a great way to spend time with your family, exercise, and relax in the comfort of your own backyard.
””Concrete is the most durable and versatile material available for pool construction. A custom-built concrete pool can also be designed, dyed, and finished to create your ideal backyard oasis.
The following steps will lay out how to pour a concrete pool that lives up to your vision without killing your budget:
Step 1: Designate a Location
The first step in pouring your pool is deciding where to put it. The location should be examined thoroughly for any underground pipes or wires, and be situated away from any tree roots. Mark out the potential location of your pool and take measurements to begin developing a pool design.
With these measurements, you will be able to calculate the amount of concrete needed to make the pool surface about five to six inches thick. Determine how much concrete you need for your pool by consulting our concrete calculator.
Cleaning up poorly set concrete is time consuming and replacing it is costly. This is why you should consult a ready-mixed concrete provider. An experienced concrete provider will have experience with the water ratios necessary for the desired thickness and texture of your concrete pool. To save time and money, buy ready-mix concrete.
Step 2: Excavate the Area
Now that you have chosen your area and calculated the amount of concrete you will need, it is time to excavate. This means digging out the pool space within your designated dimensions and leveling the walls and floor to prevent unseemly bulges and dips.
You can excavate the pool site yourself, or you can hire an experienced contractor to lay the pool’s groundwork for you. You should also have your soil tested by a pool contractor to ensure that the condition of your soil will not damage the structure of your pool.
A soil test evaluates the possibility of hitting rock or water once the digging begins. If the soil test reveals rock or water, moving the location of your pool is much less expensive than drilling through the rock, or re-routing the water.
At the end of the excavation process, the base of the area should be completely level. This is important to the structural integrity of your pool; an uneven base can put pressure on concrete, causing cracks and damage.
Step 3: Run the Plumbing and Build the Frame
Once the pool area has been excavated, you can begin to construct your pool’s plumbing. Your plumbing system should include a main drain at the bottom of the pool, a filter output, and a skimmer.
You will need to dig out the pipe trenches and lay the pipe so that water streams away from the foundation. To ensure there are no leaks, all of the pipes should be pressure tested. If you want pool lights, you will need to hire an electrician to run the wiring for you.
After the plumbing is laid and tested, you can set up the pool’s walls. The walls are large, concrete slabs that lay flush around the perimeter of the pool, held in place by steel rods. Next, you will be pouring concrete to secure the steel rods and keep the walls in place.
Step 4: Pour the Concrete
After the frame is complete, you can begin pouring the concrete for the base. Direct the concrete spout beginning in a corner of the pool and guide it lengthways to the opposite corner. Try to keep the poured concrete as even as possible using slow, steady movements with a trowel.
Once the concrete is level, leave it to set overnight – depending on the humidity and sun exposure, it could take up to three days to set completely. Once the base is set, the walls can be poured. Generally, the pool walls need to be between three and four inches thick.
Smooth the pool walls with your trowel, as you did for the base. Now the concrete has to cure properly before you can fill it with water. The concrete curing process allows the concrete to reach maximum strength and takes approximately 28 days.
After curing, your pool is ready to be filled with water and enjoyed by your family!
If you want more information about how to pour a concrete pool, contact Razorback Concrete at 870.455.0700. We can help you make your dream pool a reality.
