Making A Pool From Polypropylene With Your Own Hands + Photos And Videos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

We build a polypropylene pool with our own hands

Many owners of private houses and summer cottages like to equip their plots, creating conditions close to luxury on them. Previously, pools were also referred to them. But now a pool near the house is not uncommon. It can be bought if funds permit. But people familiar with the construction business and arrangement prefer to independently carry out work of this kind. Fortunately, the modern market offers a huge range of necessary materials and tools. Today we will talk about how to build a polypropylene pool with your own hands.

Content

• 1 Feasibility of the idea

  1.1 Features of polypropylene

• 2 Choosing a place for the pool

  2.1 How to choose the right place in an open area

• 3 Preparation of the pit for the pool

  • 3.1 Theory: what needs to be done and how much it will cost
  • 3.2 From theory to practice: digging and preparing the pit

• 4 Choosing a polypropylene profile

  4.1 Table: number of polypropylene sheets for pools of different lengths and widths

• 5 We select equipment and start making the bowl
• 6 The procedure for making a pool bowl
• 7 Installation of the bowl in the pit and installation of additional equipment
• 8 Securing the bowl and pouring concrete
• 9 Completion of work: decorating the pool and the surrounding area
• 10 Video: building a polypropylene pool with your own hands

Feasibility of the idea

Beginners in this business are probably worried about the question: how realistic is it to build such a structure with your own hands? The constructions look complex, cumbersome, and even frighten with their appearance and the prospect of dealing with such a complex matter. In fact, there is nothing wrong. The main advantage of polypropylene pools is that you can buy a ready-made product, choosing it according to your taste, and all you have to do is install it in a prepared area.

Even a small area can accommodate a pool

Yes, the preparation of the site and the installation of the product is not easy, but there is nothing particularly complicated in it. It will take a lot of physical strength and time, but when we were afraid? The main thing is to adhere to the basic rules of technology, and you will succeed.

It will be more difficult if you decide to build a pool yourself from polypropylene sheets. You will need to make a pool bowl. And here you already need certain skills in working with the material. But this is not a problem for our craftsmen.

Features of polypropylene

Polypropylene is gaining more and more popularity among builders and repairmen. This material is very easy to work with, and it is perfect for creating both an indoor (indoor) pool and an outdoor one. That is why it is often used for the installation of various hydraulic structures. The advantages of polypropylene over other materials are undeniable:

1. Polypropylene is water- and gas-tight, it has low thermal conductivity. The last point will help you save a lot: you do not need thermal insulation and electricity for heating, since polypropylene retains heat and does not allow it to go into the soil or concrete.

2. This material is flexible and allows you to create many shapes. You can order or create a pool of any configuration, size and color to your liking. In addition, the polypropylene surface is very attractive in appearance.

   

   Possible shapes of polypropylene pools

3. The material is reliable, resistant to chemicals and aggressive environments, durable and shock-resistant. The color is stable, protected from fading. Also, polypropylene is lightweight.

Together, these qualities provide a polypropylene pool with a long service life without problems and worries. The material does not lose its qualities during operation for up to 20 years. The work on the manufacture and installation of the pool bowl in total will take you no more than a month. As you can see, a polypropylene swimming pool construction enterprise is simply doomed to success! The main thing is to strictly adhere to the technology.

Choosing a place for the pool

First of all, decide where you want to install the pool - inside or outside the house. Further actions will depend on this, these methods have their own specific characteristics.

For example, a swimming pool in a house will need a suitable room: it should have high ceilings if you just put the finished bowl inside the room, and there is enough space for supporting and supporting structures - fixing formwork, stairs, ramps, sides.

It would be better to place the pool at an appropriate depth below floor level. To do this, you will need to dig a recess inside the room. Would it be advisable taking into account the foundation, structural features?

Installing a pool outside the home is much easier than inside

The easiest and most logical option is to build a pool in an open area. Moreover, polypropylene is excellent for outdoor use, it tolerates any temperature and climatic conditions well. Therefore, we will discuss in more detail how not to be mistaken in choosing a suitable place.

How to choose the right place in an open area

You will have to consider not only your taste and wishes, but also such features as:

• the slope of the site;
• type of soil;
• wind direction on the ground;
• features of the location of large plants.

It is not a good idea to place the pool next to large deciduous trees or young plantations. Firstly, the root system tends to grow, reach for moisture. This can damage the waterproofing of the product. Secondly, you will have to constantly catch the leaves from the water. Otherwise, they will lead to the emergence and growth of green algae.

Not a bad place for a pool: close to the building, there are no large trees and plantings nearby

Clay soil is most suitable for building a pool. Clay does not allow water to pass through, and this can be useful if the waterproofing layer is broken.

The slope on the site can also be helpful. It can save the amount of excavation required. Taking into account the direction of the wind is necessary in order to make it more convenient to remove the debris that has got into the pool. It is advisable that it be nailed in the same place. There you also need to equip an overflow pipe. So all the excess water will go into the drain, taking the garbage with you.

Preparation of a pit for a pool

So, you have found a suitable place on the site. Before starting the main work, you need to make a markup based on the size of the pool bowl. The pit should be about 1 meter wider and 50 cm deeper.

Theory: what needs to be done and how much it will cost

Before starting work, you should calculate as accurately as possible how much they will cost. This applies to both money and time spent.

Pools made of polypropylene today are considered optimal in terms of value for money. They will cost much less than concrete or tile and mosaic structures. In many ways, they take less time. The formula for calculating the cost of building such a pool is simple and consists of the sum of the following items:

• the cost of the equipment and materials involved;
• the cost of the pool bowl;
• the cost of digging a pit;
• the cost of pouring a concrete bottom and gaps between walls.

Equipment includes tools for work, which are described in more detail below. In the case of a single use, it makes no sense to buy them because of their high cost. But you can rent them for an almost symbolic fee, which depends on the construction and repair companies in your region.

As for materials, you will need polypropylene sheets (the main thing in the future pool), geotextiles, reinforcement rods to create a reinforcing mesh at the bottom of the structure, and concrete mortar for pouring.

The retail price for a polypropylene profile varies between 3000-7000 rubles for a sheet of standard size 1500 X 3000 mm or 2000 X 4000 mm. The options depend on the thickness and length of the sheet.

The price of polypropylene sheet may depend on the length, width and even the country of origin.

Geotextile is almost the cheapest material. Manufacturers offer it in the price range from 12 to 60 rubles per running meter of canvas. Cost options depend on the width of the web and its density.

Concrete is also relatively inexpensive. The average price is about 4500 rubles per cubic meter of solution. It may vary depending on whether you will mix the mortar yourself at the construction site or order ready-made concrete from a construction company with delivery.

As for digging a pit, you can do it yourself. But do you want to spend so much physical strength? And this event will take a lot of time. It's easier to hire an excavator that can get the job done in a matter of hours. The cost of services very much depends on the region and can be taken into account both in hours and in the withdrawn cubic meters of land. The first option is preferable.

The same applies to pouring concrete at the bottom of the pool and in the space between the bowl and the walls of the pit. True, this work will not take you too much time, and you can easily cope with it yourself.

If you do not want to make your own pool bowl, you can order a finished product from a manufacturer in your region. You can choose not only the desired width and depth, but also the thickness of the profile, and even polypropylene from different manufacturers. A domestic product is much cheaper than an imported one, and is in no way inferior in quality. For example, a bowl up to 3 meters wide and up to 6 meters long may cost no more than 100,000 rubles.

From theory to practice: digging and preparing the pit

The decision was made, the materials were purchased in the required quantities, the place for the pool was finally selected. It's time to start digging a pit.

1. First of all, drive in the pegs according to the marking scheme and pull the rope. This will set the boundaries of the pit. Do not forget to take into account the allowance for width and depth, as mentioned above. Also note the height at which the proposed pool side will be.

   

   You can save money by deciding to dig the foundation pit yourself, but the excavator will cope with this task much faster.

2. Provide drainage to protect the pool bowl from pressure. Carefully level the bottom of the pit, lay geotextiles. Fill in a layer of rubble 30 cm (geotextile will not let it go into the soil).
3. After completing the digging work, you will have a lot of land. Only a small part of it will be backfilled. The rest can be used to level the ground in the area.

4. Tamp the drainage well and start laying the reinforcing sheet. Place the bricks evenly along the bottom of the pit: they should hold the mesh of reinforcement at a height of at least 5 cm above the level of the rubble. For the screed to be of high quality, install the beacons, securing them with plaster mortar.

   

   Installing a reinforcing mesh over a layer of rubble at the bottom of the pool

5. It's time to pour the concrete mixture under the pool bowl. You can make it yourself or order it ready-made. If you decide to use the services of professionals who are armed with a mixer or concrete mixer, there will be no problems. In case of independent work, use a gutter from the boards to fill it: it is convenient to feed the solution to the bottom of the pit through it.

   

   Pour concrete onto the substrate until it completely covers the entire surface

6. Pour the concrete until a slab is at least 20 cm thick and 50 cm wider than the bowl's perimeter. The concrete should now completely dry. This will take at least 5 days in dry, hot weather. If the summer is rainy, cover the stove with plastic.
7. When the floor in the pit is dry, place an inexpensive heat insulator on it. For example, Styrofoam will do a great job in this role. To strengthen it, it is enough to glue it with tape. If necessary, you can lay a layer of hydro-textiles.

The pit is ready. While the concrete in it dries up, we will deal with the most, perhaps, the most difficult work in this whole event: making a pool bowl from polypropylene. We warn you right away: the task is not easy, so we will describe all stages of work in as much detail as possible.

Choosing a polypropylene profile

For the manufacture of pools, polypropylene sheets of various thicknesses from 5 to 15 mm are used. For the walls, they should be thicker than for the bottom.

The price for a polypropylene profile also depends on the thickness of the sheets. So what to choose so that the pool turns out to be of high quality, and the cost does not hit your pocket once again?

The strength and waterproofing properties of a bowl made of 5 mm sheets do not differ from the same product made of an 8 mm profile. But there is one important feature. For example, when you weld stiffeners to a thinner profile, it may be pulled slightly, and small waves will be visible on the wall. Thick propylene sheets - from 8 mm and more - do not give such an effect.

Professionals recommend taking into account the size of the pool when choosing the profile thickness: the larger the size or diameter of the structure, the thicker the sheets should be. Although polypropylene is a very durable material, the amount of water used is still important

When calculating the amount of polypropylene, keep in mind that the sheets will have to be cut

Table: number of polypropylene sheets for pools of various lengths and widths

Length mm	Width, mm	Depth mm	Width / length of polypropylene sheet, mm	Number of sheets
4000	1500	1500	1500 X 3000	5
6000	2000	1500	1500 X 3000	ten
6000	3000	2000	2000 X 4000	ten
8000	2000	2000	2000 X 4000

We select equipment and start making the bowl

Perhaps, it is the welding of polypropylene sheets that is the most difficult job in installing the pool. But even with it, you can cope without much difficulty if you carefully read the instructions and strictly adhere to them in the process.

For the walls and bottom of the pool, you need to use polypropylene sheets of different thickness. They are joined end-to-end by welding, while the seams, thanks to modern technology, remain almost invisible. Despite this, they are strong enough to ensure structural integrity under any stress during operation.

First of all, you need to acquire tools:

• A welding extruder is a special device designed for welding thermoplastic products.

  

  Extruder for working with polypropylene

• Extruder nozzles for different types of joints.

  

  Extruder nozzle set

• Heat gun (heat gun) for processing and aligning seams.

  

  Thermofan

• A special rod for joining seams (sheets are soldered with it).

  

  Polypropylene welding rod

These tools are not cheap, so there is no point in buying them. Well, unless you are planning to start building polypropylene pools on an industrial scale in the future. Otherwise, it would be more correct to rent the instrument.

Before starting work, draw up a detailed drawing, which will indicate all dimensions. With it, it will be easier for you to calculate the amount of materials required, including polypropylene sheets.

A detailed drawing will help you calculate the amount of materials

Seams are welded with an extruder. The principle of its operation is as follows: the supplied hot air heats the surfaces to be welded to the required temperature. A polypropylene rod heated to the melting temperature is introduced into this zone. Its granules fuse the polypropylene sheets together to form a strong seam.

The procedure for making a pool bowl

The pool is strapped with polypropylene sheets according to the following algorithm.

1. Take a drawing with the marked parameters of the pool bowl and use it to outline the joints.

2. Pre-cut all the details: walls, bottom, side, stairs. Start making from the bottom of the pit. Connect the polypropylene sheets from the outside using an extruder and a flat corner attachment.

   

   Weld polypropylene sheets from the outside

3. Lay the polypropylene cut in the shape of the bottom into the pit on the concrete slab. Substitute the sides to its edges and weld them on both sides: on the inside, use a rod to weld the seams, and on the outside, use nozzles for welding. The double seam provides extra strength and durability.

   

   Start at the bottom and weld the walls inside and out to it

4. Weld the steps in the same way. When the work on welding the pool bowl is finished, weld the ribs with a polypropylene rod. Observe the distance between the ribs of the order of 50–70 cm.

   

   This is how the pool wall looks like with welded stiffeners and thermal insulation

Before welding, clean the edges of the seams, while chamfering at an angle of 45 degrees.

The polypropylene pool bowl is ready. All that remains is to install it, secure it and provide it with additional equipment.

Installation of the bowl in the pit and installation of additional equipment

If, following the instructions set out above, you mounted the bowl directly inside the pit, then you managed to avoid installation work. Otherwise, you will have to use outside help: either ask your friends to help in placing the structure, or even call a crane if the pool is too large.

Make sure that the bowl is exactly as planned, strictly according to the drawing and markings. When securing the structure, any unplanned movement can lead to errors and further problems during operation

Place the bowl in the pit straight, avoiding any distortions or distortions

For the full functioning of the pool, it must be equipped with pumping and filtering equipment. To do this, in the bottom and side walls of the pool, at the calculated points, drill holes of the required diameter and fix the pipe necks in them:

• for water supply;
• for draining;
• for summing up communications.

However, do not forget: pipes, unlike the bottom and walls of the pool, need good thermal insulation. You will also need appropriate skimmers, nozzles and a water filtration system. To place auxiliary equipment, you can use the basement of a nearby structure.

Polypropylene pool water supply device

If you have certain skills, you can adjust the pool lighting. When all the equipment is installed, connect the communications and check the system is working. If it functions correctly, you can begin to fix and fill the structure.

Securing the bowl and pouring concrete

It remains to fill the space between the walls of the pit and the pool bowl with mortar. This work is not difficult, but long-term, so please be patient. The most important thing is to strictly follow the sequence of actions.

Embedding scheme in the ground of a polypropylene pool

1. Install spacers inside the pool. They will help hold the sides of the bowl in the process and keep the correct shape.

   

   These spacers will help keep the pool walls in shape.

2. Wrap all pipes and communications coming to the bowl from the outside with a protective sleeve.

   

   Insulate all pipes and communications

3. Formwork around the bowl and provide it with reliable reinforcement.
4. When pouring concrete into the space between the pit and the bowl, it is necessary to strictly control the absence of deflections of the structure. To avoid them, fill the bowl with water to a depth of about 30 cm.
5. Then the very long-term work that we talked about above begins. According to the technology, concrete must be poured gradually, in layers, so that it has time to dry. Therefore, pour the first layer of concrete 30 cm high and leave it for at least a day.

6. The next day, add another 30 cm of water to the pool bowl and pour the second layer of concrete to the same height. Leave it again for a day to dry the solution. Thus, do it several more times until the structure is concreted along the entire height of the walls.

   

   Pour concrete into the space between the walls of the bowl and the pit gradually, in layers of 30 cm

Done! Wait until the formwork is completely dry, fill the remaining space with sand or soil taken out when digging the pit, and tamp it thoroughly.

Completion of work: decorate the pool and the surrounding area

The walls of a polypropylene pool do not need cladding: they are smooth and have a pleasant color, which in turn gives a beautiful shade to the water. But if you have a desire to change something, you can use a special film made of polyvinyl chloride or butyl rubber. The second is recognized by experts as more durable, stronger and more convenient to use.

Butyl rubber film adheres well and is easy to cut with scissors. In addition, she is not at all afraid of temperature drops and other climatic surprises. For large pools - just a great option, any specialist will confirm this to you!

Butyl rubber is a great choice for pool finishing

Spread a sheet of foil evenly over the bottom and sides of the pool bowl and fix it with heavy objects such as stones or working tools. Place the next sheet on the first overlap. Having laid the entire pool in this way from the inside, fasten the sheets to each other with cold welding.

The area around the pool can be laid with paving slabs or filled with concrete at your discretion. The first option looks prettier, but the second is much easier to execute.

Video: building a polypropylene pool with your own hands

Until recently, swimming pools in our latitudes were considered a luxury item available only to wealthy people. Now, thanks to the simple technology and the availability of material, a polypropylene pool on a personal plot can be afforded by anyone with simple construction skills. As you can see, everything is not as complicated as it seemed at first. Ask in the comments the questions that you had while reading the article. And if you have already made a pool, then share your experience.