How thick to pour concrete under the pool. Construction of concrete pools. Pouring concrete walls

Concrete pools are the most reliable. How long your pool will last depends on how well it will be waterproofed. In general, with the correct calculation, the strength of reinforced concrete is sufficient to hold the mass of water and to compensate for the heaving forces of the soil.

Before the widespread use of polymer-cement compositions, in the construction of a concrete pool, a steel caisson was first made, to which reinforcement was then welded. But there were problems. Firstly, it is difficult for steel sheets to give the required rigidity, they are difficult to withstand variable loads from waves formed in the pool. As a result, the tiles often fall off the walls. Secondly, the sheets are welded together, and the welding spots quickly rust and collapse at high humidity. And thirdly, metal and concrete have different thermal expansions, which contributes to the rapid destruction of walls. But since there was no alternative, they built it just like that.

Examples of mortars and additives that are used in the construction of concrete pools

Today, there are additives that make the concrete walls of the pool impervious to water - they do not absorb or let water through. There are additives that simultaneously improve the adhesion to the rebar and make it more durable. There are solutions for sealing a cold seam, which is formed at the junction of the bottom and walls: the joint is treated with a composition for better adhesion, and a special cord is laid, which expands upon contact with water. Then all this is additionally coated with a waterproof sealant.

There are also water-repellent compounds for plastering, tiling and grouting. All these measures together give the bowl of the concrete pool a high degree of tightness. Making a concrete pool with your own hands using this technology is not particularly problematic. There will be a lot of work, but the costs are less than with caisson technology.

Preparatory stage

First of all, you need to decide on the size and depth of the pool. For adults, a comfortable depth is about 1.5 meters. Swimming is comfortable with a length of at least 5 meters, and how many lanes there will be is your choice (the width of one is 1.5 meters). You also need to decide how the upper edge of the pool will be located relative to the ground - at the same level (fully buried) or higher (partially buried).

In addition to size, decide on the shape. If the construction experience is small, the simpler the form, the better. Mostly they make rectangular or oval pools. But in addition to the main perimeter, it will be necessary to make a pit on one side. This is a small structure, which has a greater depth than the main bowl. There are pipes from the bottom drain or nozzles from the sides. Often there is also the equipment necessary for maintaining the pool (filter, heater, chlorine generator, etc.).

Find out the size and shape, find a place on the site. It is desirable that large trees do not grow nearby, there are no tall buildings that will block the sun. Trees are still constantly shedding foliage or color, so they add more work when maintaining the pool.

To place a pool on the site plan, it is desirable to know at what distance the groundwater is located in this place. This is very important information that is necessary to determine the measures for waterproofing the pool bowl. If you already have geodetic studies, then be sure to check with them. The bowl should be placed on the most “dry” area - so that the waters are as deep as possible. If there is no plan, it would be very good to order geodetic surveys. And plan according to their results.

Otherwise, you will have to navigate the terrain. Estimate where the neighbors have wells or wells, at what depth the water is in them. Approximately determine the area with the lowest location of groundwater. Plan the pit there. But this is a very risky undertaking.

Excavation

On the ground, apply the dimensions of the pit - it should be 60-80 cm wider and longer. Maybe the dimensions will be larger - you will need to put spacers under the formwork. Dimensions are marked with pegs, twine is pulled between them. The depth of the pit will be 40-50 cm more than planned: a place for backfilling and a bottom slab, plaster, finishing.

You can dig by hand or with the use of machinery. If you can master the work with your own hands - this is for small concrete pools - you can save. If there is no time or energy, it is easier to hire an excavator. In terms of money, he will cost the same as the work of a brigade of "diggers", and in time he will do the job faster.

Filling under the bottom plate

At this stage, a pipe for bottom drainage of water is laid - if such is provided. It is displayed in the pit at a slight angle. If the pool area is large, one drain hole will not be enough. You need two or three. Accordingly, you dig trenches, lay pipes at a slight slope towards the pit.

After these works, the bottom of the pit is leveled and rammed. In this case, a slight slope towards the bottom drains is formed. Then roll out a layer of geotextile along the bottom. It makes the base more durable, prevents the formation of cracks. In addition, it does not allow the soil to mix with the bedding, without interfering with the removal of water. Geotextile strips are laid with an overlap, with a 15-20 cm approach.

Foundation preparation - laying drainage pipes, pipes under the bottom drain, then leveling the base with a slope towards the drain. From above, everything is covered with rubble and sand

Next up is waterproofing. Choose the material of your choice. The cheapest are roofing material or plastic wrap. It is undesirable to use the film, it is torn during work. Roofing material is more reliable, it is rolled out with an overlap of 15 cm. At least two layers must be made, the seams of one must overlap with the other.

Then a layer of gravel is poured - 20 cm, rammed to density with a vibrating plate. Sand is poured on top - a layer of 15 cm. It is shed and rammed. The base for the bottom plate is ready.

Bottom plate reinforcement

A low formwork is placed along the perimeter of the bottom of the future pool. It outlines the contours of the pool. Only the dimensions of the bottom are better to be made 20-40 cm larger. So the base will better resist heaving forces.

Inside the formwork is laid. Use ribbed rods with a diameter of 10 to 14 mm. Ten millimeters are suitable if the soils are not loose and the depth is shallow. The more difficult the soil and the greater the depth of the pool, the thicker the reinforcement is needed.

For round sections, 10 mm reinforcement is used - it is in bays, and it is easier to make rounded shapes out of it. And in order not to lose strength at the same time, the step between the bars is reduced.

There should be two levels of reinforcement: the first is 5 cm above the bottom edge of the slab, the second is 5 cm below the top edge. The thickness of the slab is usually 20 cm, so the distance between two levels of reinforcement is 10 cm.

The step of laying reinforcement at the bottom is 20 cm. The entire area will be in a cage of 20 * 20 cm. To withstand 5 cm from the edge of the slab, it is necessary to lay the bars on some kind of supports. You can use brick halves, or you can use special coasters.

This is how the reinforcing belt of a concrete pool looks “in profile”

Each intersection is tied with a special knitting wire. Then vertical racks are tied there, which hold the second tier of reinforcement.

Along the edges of the slab, where the walls will subsequently be erected, the reinforcement bars are bent upwards, in the form of the letter “G”. Vertical rods are subsequently tied to them. This ensures the required strength of the connection. They are left hanging, and later used to create a reinforced belt for walls.

Filling the bottom with concrete

After the reinforcing belt is connected, you can start concreting. Concrete is used with additives that give water-repellent properties and improve strength characteristics. The solution can be ordered and delivered to your site by an automixer.

It will be cheaper to do it yourself - in a concrete mixer. But the work will take a lot of time, and you can’t take breaks. The pouring should be continuous so that the edges of the previously laid mortar do not have time to "grab". You need to work, at least together - one lays out, levels, the second - prepares a new batch.

The outer wall of the formwork can be placed before the start of reinforcement

When laying, it is necessary to avoid the formation of voids - there should be no air in the thickness of the concrete. To do this, use a special vibration unit or an ordinary pole, which is used to pierce the solution, swaying from side to side. Since the bottom must be strong, it is advisable to use a vibrator: you will not achieve the required density with a sixth.

The solution should cover the upper reinforcing belt by at least 5 cm. To make it easier to navigate, set the beacons on vertically raised wall reinforcements or on the formwork.

After the solution is laid out, compacted and leveled, the plate is covered with plastic wrap and left to gain strength. The term of "aging" depends on the additives used and the weather - on temperature and humidity. On average it is 4-10 days.

building walls

All embedded elements are mounted in the walls. These are pipes for water intake and supply nozzles, holes for installing spotlights (if the pool is illuminated), as well as channels for supplying electricity.

The next stage of work is the construction of formwork for the walls. It can be made from edged boards or from moisture-resistant plywood and OSB (thickness not less than 21 mm). The crate will need to be supported - the solution will create a noticeable pressure. To prevent boards or plywood from failing or arching, spacers are made both inside and outside.

Formwork made of sheet material is fastened with metal studs, which prevent the sheets from falling apart. Outside, they are supported by boards set at an angle and fixed with struts. Read about the manufacture of formwork in the article The creation for the foundation is described, but the frame for the walls of the pool is no different, except perhaps in height, and even then not always.

After the formwork is ready and strengthened, a waterproof solution is poured. Everything is exactly the same as when pouring the bottom plate. After the concrete has gained the required strength, the auxiliary frame is removed and the surface is plastered. Your concrete pool is already shaped, and you did it yourself. It remains to put it in order and install the equipment.

Plastering

First, a plaster metal mesh is fixed on the finished concrete wall. They work with a solution with waterproof qualities. You can either buy ready-made mixtures, or add appropriate additives to the standard composition. They are added strictly according to the norm, since excess can only harm.

For plastering the walls of the pool, you can use the following composition: cement M-500 (1 part), sand (2 parts), latex additive, microfiber (according to manufacturers' standards). Microfiber will serve as reinforcement and increase the strength of the layer, the latex additive will give elasticity and make the composition water-repellent. As a result, the plaster will not have increased resistance to cracking.

After leveling the walls, you can mount the embedded parts - the nozzles themselves are installed and, until now, plums, backlight spotlights. They are sealed with special cords, then the joints are additionally coated with sealants. To ensure greater tightness, sand or cement is poured onto the applied sealant.

After plastering, mortgages are inserted - nozzles, plums, spotlights, etc.

Waterproofing

Liquid coating waterproofing is applied to the plastered walls of the pool bowl. Moreover, it is desirable - on a fiberglass mesh with a cell of 5 * 5 mm.

If groundwater is located close, the walls must be prepared more seriously before applying liquid waterproofing. The walls are coated with a penetrating primer with water-repellent properties OSMOSEAL. It will not allow groundwater to seep through.

There is also a composition with increased elastic properties - UNOLASTIC. Applied with a layer of 1 mm, it withstands cracks up to 2.5 mm. First, the surface is treated with a penetrating primer, after drying, the elastic composition is applied with a spatula.

Outside, the pool bowl is also covered with liquid or built-up waterproofing. And it is possible - and that, and another.

Before finishing, you can check the quality of waterproofing work. To do this, they draw water into the pool, mark its level on the wall. Leave for 12-14 days. If during this time there is no noticeable decrease in the level, the waterproofing is done with high quality.

Laying tiles is also part of the waterproofing work for a monolithic pool. Glue is used with water-repellent properties, as well as grout for joints. Another finishing option is to use a PVC film welded to the dimensions of your pool.

thermal insulation

Most of the pools require water heating: the mass of water is large, even if there is sun, it is not enough to heat up to a comfortable temperature. For this, special water heaters are used, which are paired with a water treatment system.

But, if you do not make the thermal insulation of the bowl, the cost of electricity for heating will be large, and the efficiency will be low: the heat will go into the ground. Therefore, after waterproofing, a layer of heat insulator is laid. The insulation may be sprayed. Work in this case will take several hours, but you will need to hire specialists.

Slab insulation can be laid independently. Recommended - polystyrene foam. It has excellent performance characteristics, besides it also has water-repellent properties. For summer use, a thickness of 5 cm will be enough. It is only desirable to lay thinner sheets in two layers so that the seams are blocked. Lubricate the seams with water-repellent mastic. The density of polystyrene is not less than 35 kg/m 3 . In this case, it will also partially compensate for the heaving forces.

backfilling

If the soil is not fluffy, in the gap between the pool wall and the bottom of the pit, you can fill up and compact the previously excavated rock. Otherwise, it is better to fall asleep with gravel. It will partially compensate for winter heaving. In general, for the winter in outdoor pools, water is drained only below the level of nozzles and skimmers. Frozen ice partially compensates for the pressure from the ground. And so that the ice does not destroy the walls, plastic eggplants are thrown into the water, which should be about half flooded (you can pour a little sand). When the ice freezes, they take on most of the load. The walls remain intact.

Conclusion

Building a concrete pool with your own hands is an undertaking for a month or two, or even more. It depends on how much time you can devote to the construction site, how many assistants you will have. We have described the "correct" technology. But it guarantees a long life to the pool without cracks and leaks.

One very interesting version of a concrete stepped pool, which is built in the country with your own hands, see the video.

Currently, it is increasingly possible to observe how private owners are building pools on their plots. This is not only a means for entertainment and relaxation, but also part of the interior of the whole house. Building a pool with your own hands is not so easy. Particular attention in its manufacture should be paid to the filling of the floor and walls. Most often, concrete is used for these purposes. It is an artificial building material consisting of several components: sand, cement powder, crushed stone or gravel and water. It has high strength and is widely used in construction. Thanks to the introduction of special additives into its composition: stabilizers, sealants, water repellents, it is possible to obtain a material with desired properties.

Today it has become popular to build a swimming pool in your country house. Particular attention during construction is paid to the foundation. The floor and walls are usually filled.

For example, pouring is relevant only if the bowl does not let moisture through. Hygroscopicity is a very important property. Since the pool is built directly on the ground and in its upper layer, the structure will be exposed to both surface and groundwater. Therefore, its durability, strength and moisture resistance will largely depend on the quality of the fill. Let us consider in more detail how the filling is carried out, its main stages.

Preparatory work

Filling the pool involves additional work. These include the design of the formwork.

The construction of the pool implies the mandatory construction of formwork.

Formwork installation is a very important part of the work, and it will be necessary to observe the thickness of the protective layer. Formwork can be wood or plywood. Reusable formwork will be required when constructing from reinforced concrete; for steps, slopes, disposable formwork is optimal. Before pouring, it will be necessary to pour an underlying layer in the form of sand, crushed stone or gravel with a thickness of 100 - 200 mm. Next, reinforcing with steel mesh is carried out.

To fill the pool with a solution, you will need a whole set of raw materials and tools. First of all, it is a concrete mixer, mixing containers, buckets, a shovel, purified river sand without clay impurities, tap or well water, high-grade cement powder and crushed stone (gravel). It is necessary to prepare the solution, observing all proportions. The mixture is prepared as follows: 1 part of cement is taken, for example, grade 500, mixed with water. Water must be taken as much as cement or a little less. All this is thoroughly mixed, half of the required volume of sand is added, that is, 1 part, then 2 buckets of crushed stone and the rest of the sand are added. The ratio of components depends on the grade of cement and the required grade. It must be remembered that after the preparation of concrete, it must be used within 1 - 3 hours.

Pouring technology

Filling the pool is a rather simple matter, the main thing is to follow all the basic requirements. Pour concrete into the prepared formwork up to the top board of the shield. Such work involves the phased pouring of the bottom of the bowl first, and then its walls.

Filling the pool involves a phased filling: first the pool bowls, and then its walls.

To fill the bottom, a mixture of grades not lower than B 15 in terms of strength, and grades not less than W 15 in terms of water permeability, is used.

For an open variant, such a quality indicator as frost resistance will be very important. The mark on it is allowed not lower than F 100 - F 150. It is advisable to introduce anti-corrosion additives, strength stabilizers and water repellents into the mixture.

There are 2 main ways to fill the pool: continuous and in 2 steps. In the first case, the work is carried out in 1 step, and a monolithic block is obtained. With it, the next layer seizes with the previous one without cold joints. This method is bad because it may require special equipment: concrete pumps and concrete mixers. Concreting is carried out using submersible vibrators.

Method in 2 doses

If it is not possible to organize a continuous supply, then use the second method.

Arrangement of a reinforced concrete pool bowl: 1. Reinforcement class A-I, A-III
2. Anti-corrosion coating of fittings. 3. Concrete М350В25W6-8
4. Sealing cold seam. 5. Primer. 6. Leveling plaster layer. 7. Waterproofing on a grid. 8. Tile adhesive
9. Mosaic. 10. Grouting. 11. Floor tiles. 12. Thermal seam.

It is based on the use of a special key, which makes it possible to ensure tightness at the junction of two layers of concrete: hardened and fresh. Thus, here the use of a cold joint takes place. First, the bottom is poured, and only then the sides. A self-expanding cord with a diameter of 2–3 cm is laid at the joints of the two layers of the solution. The mass is poured onto it. The tightness of the structure is ensured due to the fact that in the aquatic environment the cord sharply increases in size, closing all possible gaps and thereby does not allow water to pass through.

There is also the so-called layer-by-layer pouring of concrete. In this case, after the first poured layer has solidified, wooden shields are removed. They are rearranged higher so that the lower edge of the shield remains 20 mm below the filled layer. Shields are fastened with nails or dowels. After the poured concrete is level with the ground, the shields are placed at a height of about 30 cm from the ground level. At a distance of 300 mm from the inner one, an external shield is installed around the entire perimeter, the shields are fastened together. Between the shields there are 2 layers of reinforcing mesh and a layer of reinforcing bars. At the end, pour the thickest part of the walls of the pool. After pouring, the entire surface is rubbed.

You have decided to build a pool, and a solid one, not prefabricated, and one that will delight you not only for one season, but for several years. The most common and inexpensive option for building a concrete pool with your own hands on your suburban area is, of course, an excavated concrete pool. You know the construction technology, but there are questions about pouring concrete so that it does not crack, fall apart and last at least 5 years without major repairs.

How to fill the pool with concrete? Read the detailed guide on how to pour a concrete pool with your own hands.

The correct technology of pouring concrete will ensure the service life of the pool - more than 10 years. At the same time, do not forget to subject it to cosmetic treatment and drying from time to time.

It all starts with the project of the pool, for this you choose:

: round, oval, square, rectangular, other.
Location.
Water-resistant concrete grade.
Necessary building materials.
Appropriate dimensions to fit the area.

Let's take a closer look at each point. When choosing a form, you need to consider what main functions your future structure will perform:

Dive into the heat.
with hydromassage.
Swimming.
Swimming workouts.

IMPORTANT! Despite the fact that concrete pools can be made of any shape, the most acceptable is a rectangular shape, when the length of the pool was 2-3 times its width. Round or square pools are more expensive when calculated per 1 sq.m of its area.

And in accordance with the size of the site, so that the construction does not require the uprooting of fruitful garden crops and the demolition of the necessary structures, you decide on the choice where the concrete pool will stand harmoniously and in its place.

The location of the stationary concrete pool must also meet the following criteria:

Sunny side;
Distance from the fence or buildings;
Convenience when moving on the site;
Proximity to communications - a drain, a set of water.

If it is possible to comply with all the criteria, then you can immediately mark the place of the future reservoir with pegs.

When choosing a brand of concrete, be sure to consider:

Strength.
Hydraulic resistance.
Tightness.
Frost resistance.
Little susceptible to external mechanical influences.

It is better to choose a brand of concrete, starting with M300, although many experts for rough pouring advise a cheaper option - M100. In this matter, decide for yourself how much the planned budget allows.

And only after all of the above, start digging a pit, the dimensions of which should be larger in length and width than the size of the pool.

brand	Class	Frost resistance	Waterproof	Proportions: cement-crushed stone-sand-water, part		Price per m3, rub.
brand	Class	Frost resistance	Waterproof	Cement brand M400	M500	Price per m3, rub.
M100	B7.5	F50	W2	1:4,6:7:0,5	1:5,8:8,1:0,5	3500
M150	B12.5	F50	W2	1:3,5:5,7:0,5	1:4,5:6,6:0,5	3600
M200	B15	F100	W4	1:2,8:4,8:0,5	1:3,5:5,6:0,5	3800
M250	B20	F200	W4	1:2,1:3,9:0,5	1:2,6:4,5:0,5	3900
M300	B22.5	F200	W6	1:1,9:3,7:0,5	1:2,4:4,3:0,5	4000
M350	B25	F200	W8	1:1,5:3,1:0,5	1:1,9:3,8:0,5	4100
M400	B30	F300	W10	1:1,2:2,7:0,5	1:1,6:3,2:0,5	4450
M450	B35	F300	W14	1:1,1:2,5:0,5	1:1,4:2,9:0,5	4700
M500	B40	F400	W16	1:1:2:0,5	1:1,2:2,3:0,5	4800

Do-it-yourself concrete pool

The advantage of building this particular type of pool is obvious:

You can build a bowl of any size, any depth.
In addition to traditional shapes (rectangular, square, round, oval), you can lay in your project both arcuate and serpentine, and any other shape.
A concrete pool with your own hands can be finished with different materials.
A do-it-yourself pool made of concrete does not require large cash costs.
Eco-friendly.
Reliable.
Durable.
Resistant to corrosion and external influences.
With proper maintenance, it will last for decades.

Plus - a concrete pool with a beautiful finish will decorate your site. It will not only perform its functions of improving the health of the owners, but will simply please the eye of both you and your neighbors.

How to fill the pool with concrete

If you prepare concrete yourself, then choose:

coarse sand;
crushed stone;
cement;
hydrostable additives;
water.

ADVICE! If you prepare the concrete mix yourself, then its recipe may be as follows (when calculated per 1 cubic meter):

600 kg of cement 400 grade;

1,600 kg sand of medium granulation;

60 kg microsilica;

0.8 tons of fiber;

1 kg of plasticizer;

water-cement ratio = 0.3.

The mixture begins to be prepared with water using a concrete mixer.

To prevent concrete from sticking to the shovel, you can pre-lubricate the shovel with oils of any format.

How to pour a concrete pool - step by step instructions

When digging a pit, keep in mind that the bottom of the pool should be sloped towards the drain. Lay immediately - to drain the water, it is advisable to install two drains. Reinforce the bottom as follows:

Spread a layer of coarse granulated sand - 20 cm.
A layer of crushed stone - 10 cm.
Moisten with water.
Tamp down.
Lay sheets of roofing material overlap.
For a tight overlay of sheets of roofing material, coat the joints with mastic.
Apply another layer of ruberoid.
Lubricate with mastic, any hydraulics - for complete water resistance.

Instead of roofing material or inexpensive PET film, you can use more expensive sealed sheets, the so-called geotextile sheet, also polypropylene sheets, etc.

IMPORTANT!During the pouring process, it is very important that the metal and wooden structures are completely covered with the mixture.

Filling the pool with concrete begins with concreting the bottom.

Before that, we make fittings. Metal rods must be strong, not subject to corrosion. It must be taken into account that the closer groundwater is to your pool, the stronger it should be and not move and deform under their influence. Therefore, we choose the rods as large as possible in diameter.

We lay reinforcement on the bricks - the distance from the bottom surface should be 5 cm.
We lay out the first row of reinforcement so that we get a grid with cells of 2 cm by 2 cm.
Laying the first row is carried out along the entire bottom of the pool.
Do not forget to bend the reinforcement at a right angle and bring the metal rods up - to fasten the reinforcement for pouring concrete into the pool bowl - in particular, the walls.
Concreting the bottom of the pool should be a continuous process.
Pour concrete until the layer above the reinforcement mesh reaches 5 cm.
With a sharp stick, after pouring the bottom of the pool bowl with concrete, make holes that will facilitate the release of air from the fresh solution.
Cover the concreted bottom with a film for better setting and freezing of the concrete.

Step-by-step video instruction - how to make a concrete pool with your own hands:

How to fill the walls of the pool with concrete

The second stage of pouring the pool bowl with concrete is the concreting of the walls.

We begin to concrete the walls. For this:

Installing formwork. They can be made from plywood or wood sheet 2 cm thick.
We put a reinforcing wall. We connect the vertical rods with the ends of the horizontal reinforcement sticking out of the bottom.
Before pouring concrete under the pool, install all pipes and necessary communications (lighting, nozzles, etc.).
The distance between the reinforcing wall and the formwork must be at least 5 cm. For the strength of the bowl, you can increase this distance.
We put diagonal rails so that before pouring the concrete pool with our own hands, the pressure does not bend and deform the reinforcing walls and formwork.
We start pouring the pool bowl with concrete - 20 cm vertically.
When the concrete sets - from 10 days to a month, then we remove the formwork and wipe the walls with a mixture of water and concrete - for the best effect of high-quality solidification.

After the walls have hardened, we begin to plaster. We add microfiber and latex additives to the solution - for better tightness and strength. If you are planning a ladder or steps for descending into the pool, they must be taken into account when concreting the walls and bottom.

Sealing and finishing

After we successfully managed to pour concrete under the pool, we proceed to sealing the concrete bowl. For this you need:

Treat the walls with a penetrating primer.
all over the inside of the pool.
Check the waterproofing of the bowl by pouring some water, marking the level and leaving it for 15 days. Taking into account natural evaporation, look at the level, it should change by a maximum of 2 cm.
If desired, you can pour concrete and tile the area around the pool - this will add style unity to the place of rest and convenience when using the pool.

It must be remembered that the finish is also a kind of waterproofing. Therefore, when choosing materials, consider their functionality in terms of tightness and moisture resistance. The most common and reliable finishing materials:

Tile.
polymeric materials.
Composite materials.
Hydrofilm - polymer.

Create your own design for a recreation area with a pool: finish the area around the pool from the same material that trimmed its inner surface, connect lamps - above water, underwater, put a gazebo, think about the design of the pool roof.

A country house is a great place for rest and relaxation, family and friendly meetings. The outdoor pool will perfectly complement the design of any suburban area. Large or small, it will make guests' stay comfortable on a hot summer evening. Do-it-yourself concrete pool is not an easy task, however, if there is a great desire and patience, it is quite doable.

Country house - a great place to relax and unwind

Do-it-yourself concrete pool construction

This article will help you understand the question: "How to make a pool with your own hands from concrete?". Before starting construction, calculate in advance all the little things and nuances. The construction will take some time, but it will help to avoid further mistakes. Concrete pools have the following advantages:

long service life;
installed both indoors and outdoors;
can have any shape and configuration;
various finishes are possible.

Despite the fact that the concrete pool is a costly and complex type of work, it has high strength and reliability.

Do-it-yourself concrete pool construction

Construction technologies

For the correct implementation of the process of building a concrete pool, it is necessary to understand the sequence and importance of each stage. Concrete swimming pool construction technology includes:

pool design;
ground preparation;
installation of equipment and embedded elements;
pouring the bottom and walls with concrete;
plastering;
waterproofing and thermal insulation;
backfill.

All stages of the concrete pool construction technology are important, the correct implementation of them will affect the final result of the work.

Pool base preparation

Preparatory stage

Create your personal estimate for the construction of a country pool. Before calculations, you need to determine:

Pool size. Based on the budget and the number of people who will swim in it.
Depth and shape. If there is no experience in construction, it is better to choose the usual rectangular shape. Convenient bowl depth - from 1.5 meters.
The thickness of the structure. The deeper the pool, the more reliable its base should be, the thickness should not be less than 15 cm.
The geology of the site. It is better to order a geodetic study of the land, which will determine the density of the soil and the level of groundwater, and will help you choose the best place for installation.
Swimming pool equipment. Competent selection of equipment and embedded elements will allow you to comfortably and reliably use the pool.
The neighborhood of the pool with other buildings. Neighboring foundations will put a load on the pit, so all buildings must be completely autonomous.
Materials. Construction must be carried out with high-quality and proven materials.

The preparatory stage in the construction of a concrete pool is very important, the accuracy of subsequent processes and the overall result of the work depend on it.

Purchase of pool equipment

Excavation

After all the initial work, we proceed to dig a pit for the concrete bowl of the pool. We draw the width and length of the pit on the ground, mark the required distances with electrodes or rods using a rope. It is also necessary to leave additional depth for drainage and reinforcement, taking into account that you will need space for formwork spacers. The depth of the pit should exceed the pool bowl by 50-70 cm in width, depth and length. After determining the location of the drain and filling paths, we begin to dig a pit.

An excavator will dig a pit faster, but this method requires extra costs. If the future pool is small, you can dig a pit on your own. In the process of work, we take into account the angle of digging, and to prevent shedding of soil, we make the walls of the pit with small slopes. On one side of the pit we make a special recess for the necessary equipment and pipe outlet.

Filling under the bottom plate

After digging the pit, we proceed to the following stages of work:

Laying equipment. We break through the trenches for the pipes of the bottom drain of the water. In the left recess we place the necessary equipment (filter, heater, etc.). We settle the pipes and connect the drain to the sewer. Drain pipes are laid at a slight angle to the equipment pit for easy drainage of water.

Installing pool equipment

Laying geotextiles. We ram the ground well with a slight slope towards the drains. We establish geotextiles with a slight overlap to avoid gaps in the ground. This creates a protective layer between the soil and the drainage pad and prevents water erosion.
We create reliable drainage. Crushed stone and river sand were used as drainage material. We fill the bottom of the pit with crushed stone and river sand with a fraction of up to 8 cm. The average layer of crushed stone and sand is 15-20 cm.
We are setting up the ruberoid. For reliability, we adjust the rolls in two layers with an overlap. Roofing material rolls are a high-quality and affordable way of waterproofing.

It is very important to take care of the quality strengthening of the concrete bowl of the pool, since after completion of the work, the bottom of the pool will experience tremendous pressure from the water.

Bottom plate reinforcement

Before pouring the structure with concrete, we perform reinforcing work on the bottom of the pool. We use reinforcement with a size of 8-12 cm. We process it with a special anti-corrosion agent twice. We put the rods horizontally and vertically to get a reinforcement in the form of a 20 * 20 cm cage. We make two levels of reinforced mesh, we tie the intersections of the frame with special wire or plastic clips.

Bottom plate reinforcement

The frame bars cannot be connected by a welding machine, as they will be subject to rapid corrosion. We install the necessary embedded elements on the bottom of the pit and fix them with wire, if necessary, enclose them with formwork. In order for the concrete bowl of the pool to be strong and reinforced, it is important to arrange the frame on special supports or bricks, so the reinforcement will be inside the concrete screed. Along the perimeter of the bottom, we bend the rods up (later we will fix them with the rods of the reinforcement of the pool walls).

Self-prepared concrete will be cheaper, but then you need to have several assistants to work, so that one person prepares the concrete, another pours the mortar, and the third level it. The formwork for the bottom of the pool will help to carry out the pouring process more evenly and more accurately. To prepare concrete you will need:

concrete mixer;
vibration unit;
cement M500;
sand;
water-repellent additives;
water.

We need cement M500

The quality of concrete is highly dependent on the purity of its constituents. To preserve all the properties of the substance, we buy bags of cement no earlier than a month before pouring. We use crushed stone of a fraction from 10 to 20 mm, it should not contain impurities. The preferred sand grain size should be up to 2 mm. On average, a bucket of M500 cement will take 5 buckets of sand and 7 buckets of crushed stone. For good mixing of materials, it is better to use a concrete mixer. To get a quality solution, add the components in the following order:

We mix sand with cement.
Pour in water and stir until creamy.
Add gravel.
Before pouring, add a hydraulic additive to the solution.

Pour the solution under a slight slope towards the water drain. The minimum thickness of the bottom of the pool is 15 cm. The larger its size, the greater the thickness of the bowl. During the pouring process, one should focus on the maximum density of concrete and the absence of air voids in its thickness. To do this, we use a vibrator. The reinforcement should be inside the concrete solution. Leave the filled bottom to dry completely for 10-12 days.

Filling the bottom of the pool with concrete

At the joints of the bottom and walls of the pool bowl, we lay a water-expanding cord for waterproofing the seams. Such a cord will block possible gaps and will not let water through. Vertical formwork will help build the walls of a concrete pool. The correct shape and durability of the pool bowl depends on its quality. You can use formwork made of wood, metal, plywood or corrugated board. The main thing is to ensure maximum strength of the formwork.

We put reinforcement in the center of the formwork, connect it with specially left vertical rods when pouring the bottom of the bowl. In the wall we allocate space for embedded elements (skimmers, nozzles). It is important to take into account the water purification system in advance, since its absence will bring considerable discomfort. A skimmer filtration system for water purification is more affordable and cheaper than an overflow one.

To reduce the number of voids when pouring the wall, we make vibration simulation movements with a reinforcement bar. The wall thickness is at least 20 cm. After the concrete has hardened, we remove the supporting elements. Since we get a bowl with irregularities and roughness, we proceed to the process of plastering.

The construction of the walls of the pool

Plastering

To ensure reliable adhesion of plaster to concrete, before plastering the walls, we prepare them:

Manually make the surface of the bowl more rough.
Using dowels, we attach the mesh to the pool bowl.
Before fixing, we treat the mesh with a special anti-corrosion agent.

After fixing the mesh, we apply moisture-resistant plaster on it, level the pool bowl as much as possible and leave it to dry completely. After drying, we mount the embedded parts of the pool.

Waterproofing

The waterproofing of the pool is a crucial stage, which should protect the structure from moisture as much as possible. Liquid products based on latex and silicone will be effective and reliable. We apply them on the plastered surface with an ordinary brush or roller, fill all the pores and cracks as much as possible, applying in two layers.

After the formation of a strong film, we check the pool for leaks. Fill it with water, mark the liquid level and leave to stand for 10-15 days.

Pool waterproofing - a crucial stage

thermal insulation

Thermal insulation is used to better retain heat and save electricity during heating. It is produced by the spraying process and is often called in by hired specialists. The modern market provides kits for self-insulation by spraying polyurethane foam. However, such disposable kits are expensive and not available to everyone.

Thermal insulation of the pool can be made using expanded polystyrene sheets. They are laid in a double layer with a total thickness of 5-8 cm so as to overlap the seams of the first layer. At the end, a water-repellent mastic is applied.

Backfilling is carried out manually and evenly so that the bowl does not move or tilt. At a distance of 25 cm from the outer side of the pool, we install insulation sheets. We fill the space between it and the bowl with a mixture of sand and cement (we use 3 buckets of sand for 1 bucket of cement). We slightly moisten the cement-sand mixture with water. We cover the distance between the insulation and the pit with sand, this will improve the tightness and density of the backfill. Falling asleep is carried out in several stages over 3-5 days for better sand shrinkage.

Backfilling the pool

Conclusion

The construction of concrete pools is a painstaking and difficult task. Each of the stages of construction does not like haste and requires high responsibility. For the durability of the pool, it is important to buy high-quality materials and think through all the little things and nuances in advance. Using the described pool construction technology, we obtain a high-quality and durable concrete pool.

What are the types of building blocks?

Reinforced concrete blocks. Durable blocks will withstand any load and effectively protect against noise.
Expanded clay blocks. They have high strength and good thermal insulation characteristics.
Cinder blocks. The budget type of blocks, however, requires additional insulation and sheathing. They will have low sound insulation and environmental friendliness.
Foam concrete blocks. Fragile and short lived. They have high fire safety and sound insulation.
gas silicate blocks. Lightweight, non-flammable, but fragile and shrink significantly.
Arbolite blocks. Fire-resistant and economical material, retains heat well, but requires waterproofing, nondescript in appearance.

Reinforced concrete blocks

How to start building a house on the site?

Buy a plot. Pay attention to its location, size, proximity to communications.
Order a geological survey of the site. It is important to hire experienced specialists to carry out laboratory studies of soil and water. They will set the water table so that they can start building the house in the safest place.
Prepare a project. Order experienced professionals to create a quality project that will take into account all the nuances.
Purchase the necessary materials. When choosing materials, rely on their quality, manufacturability and economy.
Order a team of builders who will be competent in matters and conscientious in completing the tasks.

How to build a bath from foam blocks?

Build your bath on solid ground.
Calculate the number of foam blocks in advance to avoid material residues at the end.
Before pouring concrete, fill the foundation with crushed stone, expanded clay and lay a reinforcing mesh.
After pouring concrete, make waterproofing.

Bath from foam blocks

Fasten the first row of blocks with a mixture of cement and sand.
For better strength, arrange a mesh every 2-3 rows of blocks.

When building houses from expanded clay concrete blocks, consider:

Without a long exterior finish, the blocks begin to collapse.
Pay enough attention to the external waterproofing of the walls, as such blocks absorb moisture well.
Blocks require additional insulation.
They are not suitable for the foundation due to their increased ability to absorb moisture.

Building a foundation using TISE technology is the most budgetary and affordable option for building a foundation with your own hands.

Such a laying of the foundation involves the combination of two technologies - columnar and tape. To implement this technology, a special drill has been developed, which allows drilling piles with a lower expansion at budgetary costs. Such piles have the best bearing capacity, and the grillage allows you to evenly distribute the load and not experience it during the heaving of the earth.
The TISE technology allows you to independently make a high-quality and reliable foundation for any building at an affordable price.

A pool in a private house has become the norm, and owners of suburban housing are increasingly installing concrete pools in the yard, rather than inflatable or composite ones. The pool is not only wellness procedures and fun holidays, but also an organic element of the exterior of the backyard. The durability of the structure, the reliability and strength of the material are the qualities that attract private traders to concrete pools with their own hands.

A pool with concrete walls is an expensive, labor-intensive and technically complex pleasure, but its service life easily overcomes the mark of one hundred to one hundred and fifty years, which is facilitated by the installed skimmer, waterproofing and painting with hydrostone paint. Therefore, when choosing which pool to build in the country with their own hands, developers push financial costs into the background, trying to increase the quality and time characteristics of the structure.

Pool projects are different - from prefabricated units and elements, a monolithic structure, a combination of possibilities. But for any project, a multi-layer external and internal waterproofing of a concrete pool is needed - all walls and bottom. A do-it-yourself concrete pool is a classic of reinforced concrete structures, but the construction of concrete pools has many options - these are structures with bends, cascades, waterfalls, with the arrangement of hydromassage devices and artificial undercurrents. The difference in designs is determined by the following factors:

The location of the pool (internal, external, adjacent, with a canopy);
Bowl size (decorative design, dipping, swimming pool);
The shape of the structure (rectangular, square, oval, polygon, round, curvilinear, diamond-shaped);
Type of construction (prefabricated, monolithic, combined);
You can install a skimmer or overflow.

building materials

It is recommended to take concrete grades M 350-M 400, with frost resistance parameters F 100, water resistance - W 6. To model your pool, you need a heavy concrete solution with hydrophobic and plasticizing additives. The required density of the solution is obtained by a vibrator and a vacuum pump - this method minimizes the size of the capillaries so that shells do not appear in the concrete.

The composition of the solution for pouring the pool bowl - the proportions of the components are indicated for 1m 3:

0.60 t - Portland cement M 400;
1.60 t medium fraction sand;
60 kg - silica;
0.8 t fiber;
1 kg - plasticizing additives;
W / C ratio - 0.3.

First, water is added to the concrete mixer, then fillers and cement. With large dimensions of the bowl, the construction of the pool will require the order of the solution at the manufacturing plant with delivery. To build a pool of concrete, it is recommended to follow the following steps in turn:

Develop a project and construction manual - this can be a concrete block pool, a monolithic bowl, a prefabricated structure or a concrete ring pool;
Prepare the base for pouring concrete or mounting blocks;
Mount embedded structures;
Collect formwork;
Concrete and reinforce the bottom of the pit;
Perform layer-by-layer concreting of the bowl;
Lay waterproofing layers on the walls and bottom of the pool;
Finishing (plastering and painting the pool) and decorating the area around the pool;
You will also need a special paint for concrete pools - it must be waterproof and durable. Such characteristics are fully consistent with hydrostone paint.

Construction of a concrete pool

The first is the choice of the shape of the bowl, the specification of the dimensions and the place of construction. The construction site depends on the size of the structure. The simpler the geometry of the bowl, the easier it is to build a pool. The standard design is a rectangle or oval. But for any shape of the bowl, it is necessary to dig a recess at the bottom in order to mount drain pipes and related equipment in it.

The site should be well lit by the sun, there should not be trees and buildings shading the mirror nearby;
For large structures, geodetic surveys should be carried out to find out the level of groundwater. Based on this, the type of waterproofing is selected.

foundation pit

Digging a pit by hand is very time-consuming, and the ability to rent an excavator comes in handy here. From manual labor, it remains only to trim the walls and bottom. Before excavation, the contours of the bowl are marked with a rope stretched between the pegs. The marking is done with a margin of 70-80 cm to make the formwork, and after its dismantling, backfill the foundation. The depth and width of the pit should also be more than half a meter - for arranging a sand cushion and pouring the bottom with concrete.

The bottom foundation slab and the walls of the bowl withstand equal loads from the mass of water, so the arrangement of waterproofing and backfilling can make the structure stronger (step by step instructions):

The drain plastic pipe is laid in a special trench leading from the pit to the side wall. If the size of the bowl is large, then several drains are made in different directions, and a skimmer is mounted for each drain. Pipes must be laid with a slope of 10 mm per 1 m of pipe;
The soil at the bottom of the trench is compacted with a rammer and insulated with geotextiles;
A two-layer waterproofing is laid on the geotextile - roofing material;
At the bottom, a pillow is made of sand and granite rubble 20 cm thick.

Before you build a reinforcement cage, formwork is made around the perimeter of the trench. The following steps are required to create a reinforcing mesh:

For the armored belt, reinforcing bars Ø 10-16 mm are needed. In the curved places of the bowl, reinforcement Ø 10 mm is knitted;
With a foundation slab thickness of 200 mm, the frame must have a thickness of 100 mm, and be buried in concrete by 50 mm from all sides;
The rods in the first row are stacked in cells of 20 x 20 cm, and are tied together with soft steel wire. At the same points, vertical rods are tied, which will hold the second row of the frame. Tie a grid similar to the first tier to the resulting racks.
When laying horizontal rods, they need to be bent near the walls of the bowl at an angle of 900 so that after pouring the concrete, the ends of the rods are above the bottom surface - the rods of the wall frame will be tied to them.

To concrete the bottom, it is required to prepare a large volume of mortar with waterproof additives, with which a do-it-yourself pool will be stronger and more durable.

Working with mortar

For self-preparation of the solution, three people are needed - one prepares the mixture, another delivers it to the construction site, the third places and levels the concrete. Mortar preparation and concreting must be continuous, each new layer must be rammed. After pouring the bottom, it is covered with polyethylene and left for 10-14 days. The thickness of the bottom and walls of the bowl for a pool up to 15 m3 is 20 cm. The armored frame for the walls is mounted as follows:

The installation principle is the same as for the bottom slab: the frame must be completely in concrete, immersed in concrete to a depth of 50 mm, the vertical rods of the frame are attached to the bars of the bottom frame;
During the pouring process, pipes for water nozzles, lighting cartridges, electrical cable trays, a skimmer will need to be installed in the walls;
Formwork can be constructed from any available material;
All concrete works for one node (walls or bottom) are carried out in one day. The formwork is dismantled 28 days after pouring the solution.

Plastering and waterproofing

A fiberglass plaster mesh is attached to the walls, the mortar for plastering is prepared in proportions of 1: 2 (cement M 500 - sand). The strength of the plaster layer is ensured by the addition of microfiber latex impurities.

Then lighting fixtures, plums and nozzles are installed on the sealing cord, all this is opened with sealant and ironed with cement.

For waterproofing walls you need:

Apply a liquid waterproofing solution to the inner and outer surfaces of the walls;
The pool is tested with water - you need to draw a full bowl of water, mark its upper level, and do not drain for two weeks.
Draw water into the pool, mark its level on the wall, and do not drain for 15 days. With the exception of a few liters of water evaporated, the level should remain in place;
For finishing, you need a special paint for concrete pools, preferably hydrostone, which also has waterproofing properties. If you do not use hydrostone, then you can lay ceramic tiles on a water-repellent adhesive. Before painting the walls of the bowl, they must be painted over with a water-repellent primer.

The sun will not always heat the water in the bowl, so it is recommended to install heating elements. Heat loss is reduced not only by hydrostone paint and waterproofing, but also by a thermal insulating gasket. Thermal protection is made by spraying special substances. Without the help of specialists, it is possible to make thermal insulation with foam plastic plates with a density of 35 kg / m3 and higher. The tile joints and the skimmer along the entire perimeter are sealed with a water-repellent sealant.

The last stage of construction is the backfilling of the concrete structure. The space between the concrete and the soil is filled with previously excavated earth. If the soil on the site is heaving, then the backfill is made with a mixture of soil with sand and gravel.

Pool in the country from a concrete ring

On a small plot, you can equip a pool, taking as a basis a concrete ring, the standard dimensions of which are 1-2.5 m. How to do it:

The pit is dug along the diameter of the ring, the bottom is concreted, as for a conventional pool;
A ring is lowered onto the hardened bottom, and then all subsequent work is carried out - hydro-, thermal insulation and the rest of the finishing - plastering and painting with hydrostone paint.
In order not to concrete the bottom, you can install a ring with a lid - it will need to close up a hole in it after the drain pipe is removed through the hatch.

In autumn, the water from the bowl must be drained to a level below the nozzles, but not all, so that the ice minimizes the pressure of the earth on the walls. You can throw containers filled with sand into the water, a layer slightly above the water. This technique eliminates the pressure of ice on concrete.

How to build a concrete pool yourself updated: December 26, 2016 by: Artyom