Do-it-yourself swimming pool in the country. Photo step by step

With the development of building technologies and materials, more and more people decide to build a pool with their own hands on the site in order to swim and cool off in the summer heat, please children and grandchildren, decorate private property and give them more comfort. Properly designed and manufactured strictly according to technology, located in a well-chosen place and beautifully decorated, the reservoir will become a favorite vacation spot for the whole family.

Advantages and disadvantages of stationary pools

The design of stationary pools is fundamentally different from collapsible types, it has its own characteristics:

strength and durability;
the ability to create any complex and multi-level forms, small or huge dimensions and volumes;
placement both indoors and outdoors, use in winter;
a large selection of building and finishing materials and decor allows you to realize the most daring design fantasies;
the ability to connect communications and additional options and devices: hydromassage zones, fountains and waterfalls, slides, lighting, water purification and filtration systems, draining and automatic heating;
such an object is built once and for all, its dismantling is impossible without destruction and will require significant financial and labor costs;
in winter, the bath must be mothballed so that frost does not damage the walls;
unlike light inflatable and frame low-budget models that are quickly mounted, stationary reservoirs are built in compliance with all building codes, the drying time of materials, mistakes and shortcomings are unacceptable here and can lead to serious problems.

Stationary structures have both advantages and disadvantages.

How to make a stationary pool with your own hands

On the market there is a huge range of ready-made pools, various prefabricated models from various materials, accessories for them. You can buy a finished composite bowl and dig it in at home, or you can build a monolithic reinforced concrete pool or lay it out of brick. In any case, you first need to create a project and draw a pool plan with dimensions, calculate the estimate and the amount of materials, prepare tools and equipment for work.

It will no longer be possible to move the finished object, so it is important to choose a suitable place and determine the area allocated for the recreation area, following simple rules:

an open solar area contributes to the natural heating of water. This arrangement will save on electricity bills;
the bowl must be strictly horizontal, so it is recommended to choose flat areas without relief;
large trees can damage or deform the bottom and walls, especially undesirable species such as willow, poplar, chestnut, whose root system is developed. Replanting or removing a tree from a site is much cheaper than repairing a pool;
a slight slope can be used to simplify draining;
shrubs growing nearby and stunted and fruit trees lose their foliage throughout the season, which means that you will have to constantly collect fallen leaves and perishable fruits and berries from the surface of the water;
the site must be protected from the wind and prying eyes, you can choose a place near the fence, wall, hedge, the distance to the fence is preferably at least 2 m;
the risk of an accident and leakage, moisture ingress under the foundation of the house or flooding of the basement should be taken into account;
the convenience of summing up communications and placing equipment, draining is important;
if the footage allows, then it is worth allocating a place for a recreation area where you can sunbathe;
it is impossible to make a pit on moving or unstable soils, if the groundwater level is high, then it is not recommended to deepen the reservoir, it is better to choose a model for installation on the surface.

Next, you need to decide on the size and shape of the reservoir, these parameters depend on the purpose of the pool. Elongated shapes are more suitable for swimming, and round bowls are more suitable for relaxing with children. For self-construction, it is better to choose simple outlines - a rectangle or a circle, which are less laborious in execution.

The depth of the bowl varies from 0.5 m for children's bathing to 1.5 m for adults. If ski jumping is planned, then the depth should be increased to 2.3 m, in order to avoid hitting the bottom. You can divide the bottom into children's and adult areas with a gentle difference in depth, or build two bowls separated by a partition to prevent children from falling into the deep part.

Concrete

The most durable and durable construction technology is considered to be steel-reinforced concrete. For beginners, it is convenient to use polystyrene foam blocks as fixed formwork, they are inexpensive.

List of necessary tools and materials:

cement brand not less than M-300;
a concrete mixer, if you need a lot of concrete, it makes sense to order a ready-made concrete machine in a mixer;
roulette;
pegs;
cord for marking on the site;
shovel;
hammer;
screwdriver;
self-tapping screws;
formwork boards or polystyrene blocks;
sand;
crushed stone;
geotextile;
insulation;
reinforcement in the form of steel bars;
finishing materials and decorative elements.

Stages of work:

Make a marking of the site, mark the dimensions with pegs, pull the cord around the perimeter. The boundaries of the pit should be larger than the size of the bowl by about 1 m on each side. Dig a pit, it needs to be deepened by 50 cm from the size of the pool. The bottom must be carefully tamped and leveled, remove clods of earth, stones, uproot the roots. Then pour a layer of crushed stone 25–30 cm.
Lay the reinforcement on special supports so that the reinforcing grating, after pouring the solution, is in the thickness of the concrete layer. This will ensure the strength of the structure. Put together formwork from boards, make reinforcing supports.
Fill the bottom of the pit with crushed stone and install the screed
Pour the concrete screed in one go. The layer thickness is 25 cm, level with a vibrator or simply pierce the layer several times with a rod to expel air bubbles.
Pouring concrete solution
Wait for the screed to dry and set the design strength, periodically moistening the surface, this will help the concrete not crack when it dries. Drying takes 7-14 days.
Line the pool bowl with geotextile or dense polyethylene. The best solution is to treat the concrete surface with a penetrating waterproofing agent or a layer of liquid rubber.
Lay insulation or polystyrene foam blocks on top, fasten them with tape. Lay out the walls of the formwork, inserting a reinforcing rod into each section of the block.
Perform formwork installation
Install the ladder and recesses for additional equipment. Pour concrete into the formwork and wait for time to dry.
Pour concrete and wait for it to harden
The interior of the bowl is finished with ceramic tiles, mosaics, a special film, if necessary, primed and coated with waterproof paint for pools.
From the outside, the pit is filled up and the sides are finished, the necessary filtering equipment is installed and the water supply and drain are connected.
Finish the bowl with ceramic tiles

from brick

Another popular building material is brick. The advantages of this method:

reliability and strength of the structure, long service life;
the possibility of laying out various shapes and sizes of the bowl;
ease of installation of stairs, slides and other additional equipment;

There are also disadvantages:

the need for insulation due to low thermal conductivity;
long construction period and sophisticated technology;
high material cost.

To work, you will need the following tools and materials:

container for mixing cement-sand mixture;
drill with mixer nozzle;
brick;
cement;
sand;
crushed stone;
liquid soap or cheap dishwashing liquid as a plasticizer; reinforcement in the form of a rod and a grid;
plaster mixture for finishing;
coating composition for waterproofing;
geotextile;
Master OK;
putty knife;
level;
roulette;
shovel.

Here is the sequence of technological steps.

Made of polypropylene

This relatively recently invented material has properties that allow it to be successfully used in the construction of swimming pools:

easy to process;
fastened by welding with sealed continuous seams;
does not require the creation of formwork or frame;
safe for humans;
has a smooth and non-slip surface;
keeps warm for a long time.

Of the minuses, one can note the darkening of the surface over time.

Polypropylene constructions are easy to handle and install

First you need to prepare the equipment and accessories:

polypropylene sheets with a thickness of at least 8 mm;
extruder for their welding;
building hair dryer for seam correction;
PVC film;
shovel;
level;
roulette;
fittings for screed;
concrete mortar;
sand;
crushed stone;
geotextile.

Installation steps:

Care rules

All types of pools need systematic care and cleaning. Recommendations will help keep the pond in order.

You can collect debris and foliage from the surface with a skimmer or a simple net with a fine mesh; bottom vacuum cleaners or brushes are used to clean the bottom.
To change the huge volume of water less often, you can use disinfectants based on chlorine and active oxygen, ionizing installations.
For the winter period, the tank must be preserved.
You can protect the surface of the water from dirt by covering it with a special film.
Regularly check the integrity and performance of the filter elements, communications, tightness of the finish.
You can close the reservoir with a polycarbonate roof or build a pavilion around the bath.

The pool needs to be cleaned regularly

A swimming pool is associated by many people with luxury and wealth, but it only takes hard work and adherence to technology to create it. And if you have a creative imagination, you can turn an ordinary concrete or brick tank into a real decoration of the site, a bright element of the landscape and a great place to relax.

It is difficult to find the owner of a country house, who at least once did not think about building a pool or a font in the house. This desire is understandable. Bribes the opportunity to swim regardless of the season and weather conditions, always be in good shape and incomparable pleasure from taking water procedures.

Many novice developers believe that making them is not very difficult. Enough desire, free funds, and the dream came true. Many of the pitfalls and features lurking in the "wet" area, equipped inside the house, are overlooked. This is exactly what we will talk about in today's material, from which you will learn:

How does a pool in a private house differ from an ordinary font;
Is it worth it to build a "wet" zone in the house;
What nuances should be learned before starting the construction of a pool in the house;
How to build a swimming pool in the house;
How much will it cost to build a "wet zone" inside the cottage.

Pool and font: similarities and differences.

If you look at the results of our survey, you can see that the majority of FORUMHOUSE users were in favor of the "wet" zone.

But, before moving on to the features of arranging a font or pool in a private house, you need to understand these concepts, because. already at this initial stage, confusion arises, because often a font is called a pool, and vice versa.

A swimming pool is a complex engineering and hydraulic structure that includes a bowl, filtration equipment designed for water treatment, pumping equipment necessary for recycling (changing and, if necessary, draining water), and a water heating system.

A classic font is a relatively small container (sometimes mobile, made of wood) filled with cold water, designed for contrasting water procedures. Traditionally, a font is an attribute of a bath, and a small pool is a sauna. In the font there is a more frequent change of water.

The indoor pool is primarily intended for entertainment, swimming, and equipped with attractions - waterfalls, geysers, hydromassage, countercurrent (artificial current) - it becomes a center of attraction for the whole family.

Few people can afford to make a full-fledged swimming pool for several people “in three lanes of 25 meters” in the house. Therefore, developers choose a different type of pool: a health-improving, small one (sometimes also called a font), equipped with SPA equipment with a volume of water in the bowl of 1-3 m3.

The second option - sanitary facilities, with a volume of 3 to 8 m3, as well as the first type of home "reservoir", are used as an addition to the sauna, hammam or bath complex.

To swim, they build a larger structure - 15-50 m3, 1.5 meters deep (which is enough for swimming). Accordingly, the requirements for such structures, as well as their price, increase in direct proportion to their size.

But even if you want to build a relatively small pool in the house, with a bowl size of 3x5 meters, you should prepare for the costs in advance. Therefore, before proceeding with its construction and making a conscious decision, it is necessary to understand what requirements are imposed on the room inside which the “wet” zone is located.

Wet zone construction: pros and cons

The advantages are obvious - the pool is in the house itself, you can use it whenever you want. It is this, as follows from the comments of our users, that becomes the main driver of the desire to build it.

Lutsenko FORUMHOUSE user

For me, it will be a place of cultural relaxation, where you can splash around and sing karaoke.

Barnauleichik FORUMHOUSE user

I planned to build a big house for the whole family, as they say, "for centuries." Pool in the cottage I want 5 meters in length. I equip it with a countercurrent and I will "swim" against the current.

The participants of our portal are echoed by the user with the nickname Sintetik, who decided to build a house measuring 11x16 meters with a swimming pool and sauna. In his opinion, the main idea of such construction is to get all the water activities without leaving the building.

The advantages are obvious, but there is a second side to this issue. Minuses become real "underwater reefs" on which the desire to build a "wet zone" can break.

First, here are the results of our second survey:

As you can see, most of the users of our portal made a choice in favor of the option of accommodation on the site, in an extension to the house. This is due to the fact that the pool in the house is not just a large “bathroom” filled with water, but, as mentioned above, it is a real water complex equipped with expensive engineering equipment. Special requirements are imposed on its design, premises and building, which should be known in advance.

How to build a swimming pool at home

Already from the name "wet" zone it is clear that this room must meet a number of specific characteristics. These are reliable waterproofing, the use of waterproof materials and compounds for finishing the “wet” zone, summing up all the necessary communications, and a well-designed ventilation system.

In addition, a pool or a font in the house is always an additional and big weight. A stone bowl, the construction of which took tens of cubic meters of concrete, plus the water in it, exerts a significant load on the underlying structures or soil layers.

There are projects of private houses where the pool is located in the basement, on the first floor, or is located on the second floor (in this case, an additional load is placed on the ceilings and walls).

Based on this, we remember this rule - the pool is designed together with the house. The main mistake is to build a building, and then think about how to place a pool in it, or try to place a large font in the basement. The base plate in this case may simply not withstand the load and crack.

The pool and the house should be two independent structures. The pool bowl must not be connected to the walls of the house, the ceilings of the building or walls must not be supported on the bowl.

rex@ FORUMHOUSE user

The principle of construction is as follows - first we make a general project and coordinate it with the organization that will build your pool. According to technology, a bowl is first built, and then a building is erected around it. The depth of the foundation of the building in the place where it runs next to the pool is determined by the authors of the project.

Timidzhar FORUMHOUSE user

The foundation of the house should not be connected to the foundation of the pool.

Particular attention during construction should be paid to the strength and tightness of the bowl, as well as reliable waterproofing of the "wet" zone. Reinforcement, concrete grade, additives that give the mixture increased water resistance, waterproofing, additional equipment that is planned to be equipped with an individual pool, the availability of all necessary utilities - all this is taken into account in advance, and not after.

The waterproofing of the bowl must be continuous over the entire surface. When casting a bowl from concrete (if this construction option is chosen), it is undesirable to make cold seams - in the future they may become a possible place for leakage. From here - the walls of the bowl are poured in one go.

In addition, if it is planned to build a pool in a house, it is necessary to find out whether the soil can withstand the total mass of the building and the bowl filled with water, or the soil may eventually give uneven sedimentation, which will lead to an emergency: the walls of the building or the bowl will crack, and the water from it will begin to flow outward, washing away the foundation. In this case, expensive repairs will be required.

It is impossible to understand how to build a pool at home without solving a number of engineering and design problems. Moreover, building a bowl is not always one of the most difficult tasks.

How to build a swimming pool at home - problems and solutions

The organization of a room for a pool or a font and the availability of free space are one of the main factors influencing the final decision of their construction. Those. - an additional room is added to the area of residential and non-residential premises of the house, where a pool or font will be placed.

Considering that people do not swim in the pool every day, we come to the conclusion that a room will appear in the cottage, which will actually stand idle for a large amount of time. And the cottage itself will have to be built with an increased area, and all its engineering systems will be designed and tied to the maintenance of the pool.

Full-fledged indoor pools are built in cottages ranging from 300-400 sq. m or more.

But even having made a decision to build a huge house (which still needs to be maintained and heated), one must ask the opinion of the household - how often they will use the pool, and whether it will eventually turn into an expensive and useless toy that requires constant investment.

Many developers miss such an important point in arranging a “wet” zone as ventilation. In one of our previous articles, we already talked about, but we repeat - a large amount of water that is constantly in the house is a source of high humidity.

From 1 sq. m of the pool per day evaporates approximately 0.25 (the figure is given for reference) liters of liquid. Without the installation of supply and exhaust ventilation (which is calculated in relation to the area of the water mirror in the pool or font and the temperature of the water and air in the room), the pool in the house will turn into a constant headache.

In the absence of ventilation, the evaporated water will condense and fall out in the form of droplets on the surfaces of the "wet" zone. Over time, this will lead to deterioration of the finish, dampness, the appearance of fungi and an unpleasant odor.

And this is just one of many factors that complicate the arrangement of the “wet” zone of the house. Let's add the need to install engineering and filtration equipment, water heating, arranging indoor mortgages for additional communications.

You also need to think in advance where to drain the water. A septic tank or storm drain may not be able to handle a large volume discharge. That is, all systems in the house and the pool area must be calculated with a margin for its long-term operation. Do not forget to add on the costs of laying additional routes for electrical cables in the “wet” room, installing another electrical panel, the cost of purchasing moisture-proof switches and switches, pumps and electricity costs. After all, for the functioning of the pool, it is necessary to equip it with appropriate equipment operating from the mains. We calculate whether the allocated power is enough for the normal operation of the “wet” zone in the house. For guidance, let's resort to the following approximate numbers given by a user with the nickname Besrom:

Filtration system - 0.55 kW;
Illumination two LED lamps for 12 volts - 100 W;
Control system, valve - 0.50 kW;
Countercurrent - 3.5 kW;
Waterfall - 2 kW.

Moreover, it is best to use a three-phase network of 380V. Not surprisingly, the monetary component becomes a decisive factor in answering the question "to be or not to be in the house" wet "zone."

Make a pool in the house: the cost of construction and maintenance

nah nah FORUMHOUSE user

I conceived the construction of a pool 15x5x3 meters. So I thought about how much it would cost me to maintain it for 1 year and 10 years, taking into account all the necessary planned activities and overhauls.

The "wet" zone in the house can become a significant expense item, because the pool or font must be filled with water, maintain its constant level (water constantly evaporates; to reduce the level of evaporation, the pool is covered with a special blanket or blinds). It’s not enough to understand how to make a pool in a country house, and what budget to lay down for construction - you still have to spend money on “chemistry” to disinfect water and, most importantly, maintain acceptable conditions and positive temperatures in winter. Those. water will have to be heated, and the heating system of the house may not be able to cope with this. Given that the climate in our country is harsh, and the heating season, depending on the region of residence, will last 6-8 months, the pleasure of water procedures can cost a pretty penny.

rex@ FORUMHOUSE user, Moscow.

In my experience I will say build a building with a bathhouse, a shower room, a bathroom and a relaxation room with a pool of 3x6 meters cost 1.7 million rubles. Swimming pool with a concrete bowl and all heated equipment, countercurrent, waterfall - 1.2 million rubles.

According to user Step48, owning a house with a wet area is like owning a car. The more complex and expensive the car, the more expensive its maintenance. So it is here: you need to spend money on water treatment, water heating, maintenance (not everything can be done by hand), control the operation of equipment, perform scheduled maintenance, etc.

Sintetik FORUMHOUSE user

I built a pool in my house with my own hands. Bowl 3x4x1.5 meters. It took about 10 cubic meters of concrete. Construction cost 100 thousand rubles. Equipment + another 400 thousand rubles. Mosaic decoration - 200 thousand rubles. Total already 700 thousand rubles.

Based on these figures, the construction of a home "wet" area with a pool measuring 15x5x3 will cost 10 times more, because. a heavy bowl will pull a serious foundation behind it; it is necessary to make engineering equipment, pumps, etc. In fact, in terms of costs and further maintenance, this is not the construction of a room for a “wet” zone, but the construction of a second house, not even a house, but a full-fledged house.

Summarizing

Undoubtedly, having a swimming pool in a private house is both prestigious and useful, but only if there are sufficient funds for its construction and, importantly, constant operation and maintenance. In other cases, you need to think ten times before deciding to build it. Therefore, when arranging a “wet” zone or a room for taking water procedures, first of all, one must be guided by common sense and, as an option, build a small pool or font. Moreover, our portal has accumulated extensive experience in the construction of such home structures.

Titled "Fairy Tale".

Not every summer resident is lucky to have his own house near a pond, where after physical work you can relax and enjoy cool water. The rest have to either get into the car and go in search of the nearest river, or make a pool with their own hands in the country. More often they choose the second option, because in addition to relaxation, the pool also provides side benefits:

warm, settled water, which can be used to water flower beds and a garden (if you did not add chemical disinfectants to the pool!);
the ability to switch children who are passionate about tablets, mobile phones and laptops to a healthier vacation;
improvement of the body, etc.

It remains to choose from the many options for stationary pools the one that is suitable for the needs of the family and the landscape of the site.

To simplify the care of the built pool, consider the following points already at the planning stage:

It is better if the pool area has clay soil. It will stop water leakage in case of breakdowns of waterproofing.
Choose a place with a natural slope of the soil. So you make it easier for yourself to dig a pit and immediately decide where to put the drain system.
Tall trees should not grow near the future pool, because their root system, sensing the proximity of moisture, will stretch to the walls of the structure and can ruin the waterproofing. The most "aggressive" are poplar, chestnut, willow. If trees are already growing on the site, then you will have to part with them in advance. It's cheaper than repairing a damaged pool.
Low-growing trees are also undesirable, because you will have to constantly remove the leaves from the bowl, and during the flowering period, the water turns yellow with pollen.
Pay attention to which direction the wind blows most often in your country house, and try to place the pool so that the air moves along the bowl. Then all the dirt and debris will be nailed to one wall, along the edges of which it is recommended to install a drain system.
Try to locate the pool closer to the water supply to make it easier to fill.

Preliminary calculations - sizing

Width and length are determined based on the purpose of the pool. If it is intended for swimming, then a rectangular shape is chosen, making the bowl elongated. If for relaxation, splashing and rest of the whole family, then it is more convenient to communicate in round bowls.

A more important criterion is depth. It is believed that in order to feel free, swim easily, turn around under water and jump from the side, you need a one and a half meter depth (and no more!). But ski jumping requires a deeper bowl - at least 2.3 m. True, it is enough to make such a depth in the diving zone, creating a smooth transition from the main size (1.5 m).

If the construction of a pool in the country is intended exclusively for children's recreation, then the depth of the bowl should not exceed half a meter. This is enough for fun games and floundering without risk to health.

The most complex design is a combined pool in which everyone will swim. In this case, different depths are created for the children's and adult zones, and both zones must be separated by a solid partition that starts from the very bottom. So you insure against accidental entry of children into the adult zone.

Important! In any pool that has several different depths, it is necessary to make the bottom flat and smoothly transition from one size to another. Sharp jumps in depth are unacceptable for safety reasons. A person, walking along the bottom, can gape and miss the border, beyond which another depth will begin, and in a panic, when the legs instantly go down, the risk of choking is very high.

Choosing a bowl: buy ready-made or make it yourself?

The most time-consuming work is associated with the preparation of the pit and the pouring of the bowl. But manufacturers have figured out how to build a pool in the country faster and easier. They created ready-made bowls that only need to be dug into the ground and fixed. In addition to the obvious plus in ease of installation, ready-made structures are also beneficial in that they are produced in various shapes and colors, which cannot be said about concrete. In addition, during operation, concrete bowls can crack if soil movements begin.

Types of finished bowls: plastic and composite

There are two types of ready-made bowls on sale: plastic and composite. The principle of their installation is absolutely the same. Only the technical characteristics of the materials differ.

The plastic bowl requires additional insulation of the pool walls from the outside

In plastic structures, polypropylene is the main material. It is not afraid of burning out, does not require draining water for the winter, is environmentally friendly, resistant to mechanical stress. A smooth surface prevents the formation of plaque and sediment on the walls and bottom. Such bowls do not require additional interior decoration, because they look aesthetically pleasing. The only negative: if the pool is installed in a place where there is no shade, then polypropylene can expand in the heat, which is why the bottom and walls “go in waves”. But as soon as the temperature drops, the bowl returns to its normal form.

Composite bowls are made of fiberglass, which is not afraid of either frost or heat.

Composite structures do not have this problem. The main material in them is fiberglass, which is bound with polymer resins. All the advantages characteristic of plastic bowls are also characteristic of this material. But there is a small "but": the composite is quite expensive.

DIY bowl options

And yet, some summer residents still prefer bowls that are created on the spot, because it is not always possible to find a container with a size and shape that is ideal for a particular landscape, and very large pools (about 10m in length) cause difficulties in transportation. The vast majority of owners make pools for summer cottages with their own hands from concrete. This item is always on sale. If it is impossible to deliver it to the site in the form of a liquid solution, an ordinary concrete mixer is installed, and a mixture is created on site with the addition of sand.

The bowl made of polystyrene foam blocks is easy to install due to the lightness of the material and keeps the water temperature perfectly

It is possible to create the entire bowl from concrete, including the walls, but this requires a long time and a lot of work to install the formwork and pour.

Resourceful summer residents came up with a simpler arrangement of the pool in the country: they kept only the bottom concrete, and the walls began to be made of polystyrene foam blocks or steel sheets. In the first option, the pool turns out to be warm, since polystyrene foam has low thermal conductivity. Steel walls are very easy to install, as they are sold ready-made with all additional equipment in the form of a facing film and fastening fittings.

Installation of a pool with a finished bowl

Consider how to make a pool in the country using a factory bowl.

Site marking

We carefully measure the bowl delivered to the site.
We mark the place of the future pit on the ground using pegs and a rope. We drive the pegs into the corners of the future bowl, and we stretch the rope between them. The more non-standard shape of the pool, the more often drive in the pegs.
We retreat from the stretched rope by a meter and make outlines around the entire perimeter (cut off the ground, hammer in new pegs, etc.). It is from this markup that you will begin to dig a pit. Such a margin is needed to make it easier to lower the bowl, insulate its walls and create a solid foundation.
We remove the internal markings and proceed to dig the pit.

Excavation

The pool pit must have a flat and stable bottom, so it is concreted

The pit should be half a meter deeper than the size of the bowl itself. Now we create the base on which we will put the bowl:

Pour the bottom with a 20-centimeter layer of coarse sand and tamp.
We lay out a metal mesh for the fortress along the sand and pour a concrete solution over it, 25 centimeters thick. We wait until dry.

The concrete layer with which the bottom is poured must be reinforced so that it does not crack when the soil moves.

After that, we insulate the pool:

We lay geotextiles over the entire concrete base, and three-centimeter slabs of expanded polystyrene over it. They will insulate the bottom of the pool from the cold ground.
On top of the insulation, lay a thick, durable film.
While the bowl is at the top, its walls should be insulated. The outer surface of the walls is “packed” in expanded polystyrene and insulated with polyethylene.

The outer walls of the bowl are insulated with polystyrene foam to isolate from cold ground

Installing the bowl and connecting communications

We lower the prepared bowl to the bottom of the pit.
We connect to the bowl all the necessary communications. We put a protective sleeve on the pipes and fix it with adhesive tape so that it does not move during concreting.

Spacers will not allow the bowl to bend when the concrete reinforcement of the pool is poured; And all pipes must be packed in a protective sleeve so that they do not freeze in winter.

We concrete the remaining voids between the soil and the walls of the pool as follows:

We install spacers inside the bowl so that the plastic or composite does not bend under the pressure of the concrete mass;
We put the formwork, and lay reinforcement along the perimeter;
The solution is not poured all at once, but in layers: we fill 30-40 cm of water into the pool and raise the concrete to the same height. We are waiting for solidification, then water again - and after that concrete. Thus, we bring the concrete layer to the surface of the soil.
We wait a day until the pour solidifies and only then we remove the formwork.
We fill the voids from the formwork with sand, spilling it with water and ramming it.

It remains to ennoble the pool area and let water into it.

For outdoor pools, it is desirable to create a hinged roof that will protect against dirty precipitation, or at least sew an awning with which you will cover the structure when you leave the dacha.

If the arrangement of pools in the country seemed to you a difficult task - buy an inflatable or frame version. Such pools are quite suitable for water recreation, and for the winter you can easily disassemble them and hide them in the attic.

Own pond, which you can plunge into on a hot day, is the dream of almost every summer resident. To some, it seems impossible, but someone gets down to business and proves that nothing is impossible. To help the latter, we will tell you how to make a pool with your own hands and give step-by-step instructions for this process.

Types of pools

There are four types of pools suitable for use in the country:

inflatable. Almost everyone is familiar with them, because they have probably seen children splashing in such rubberized fonts more than once. However, now manufacturers are also producing large pools with a displacement of several tons.

Of the advantages of this type, it is worth noting the cheapness and ease of transportation (when folded, they fit in the trunk of a car), of the minuses - fragility and susceptibility to mechanical damage;

frame. Prefabricated structures, easy to install, and therefore quite transportable. They last longer than inflatable models, but their price is also higher.

The assembly and dismantling of such a pool does not cause difficulties, and they are less susceptible to mechanical damage. But like any mobile structure, frame pools are not durable;

propylene. They are a bowl made of polypropylene and filled with water. They are distinguished by good waterproofing, long service life and ease of installation.

Of the shortcomings, the high cost and problematic delivery should be indicated, since most often the bowl is bought ready-made;

pits. Pools poured out of concrete in a pre-dug pit. Their construction is a rather laborious process, but this pool on the site is difficult to damage, and with proper care it will last for decades.

If you undertake to build on your own, then you will succeed inexpensive swimming pool yet durable and easy to use. Making such a country pool with your own hands is difficult, but possible. How - we will tell further.

Choosing a pool location

When choosing a site for a pool, be guided by the following recommendations:

keep the pool away from trees. Their roots can damage the waterproofing and create a water leak, and the foliage will add to the work of cleaning the bowl of debris;

the groundwater level under the pool must exceed 1 meter, otherwise they may come to the surface, and together with the artificial one you will have a natural reservoir resembling a swamp;

give preference to a site with clay soil. Clay does not pass moisture well and will become additional waterproofing;

consider the wind rose. The wind brings debris, so build your pool so that you have access to a place where this debris will accumulate.

How to make a pool with your own hands?

And now the promised step-by-step instructions, how to build a garden pool with your own hands.

1. Develop a preliminary project, which should take into account the location of the pool (we wrote about it above), the shape and size of the bowl and the supply of communications (water intake and water drain).

2. Mark the boundaries. Using a tape measure, pegs and rope (twine), mark the area.

3. Dig a pit. Its length, width and depth should be about half a meter more than the design ones, the walls should have an outward slope of 5-6 °, and the bottom should be inclined to one of the sides by 5 °.

4. Level and tamp the bottom, then fill it with a 30 cm layer of sand or gravel and lay two rows of roofing material on top of bituminous mastic, thus providing waterproofing to your pool.

5. Make a formwork from a wooden beam and boards. To strengthen and strengthen the structure, use reinforcement: rods with a diameter of 4-8 mm are suitable.

6. Pour the hydroconcrete, after installing the water supply pipe and drain. If hydro concrete is not available, use cement (grade C500) mixed with sand in a ratio of 2:1. When you remove the formwork, treat the walls with cement milk, applying it with a brush.

7. Line the pool. Suitable PVC film for swimming pools, tiles, mosaics.

It remains only to improve the remaining plot, in which our article will help you "10 budget ideas to make the garden picturesque", and enjoy your vacation.

We hope that with our instructions it will not be difficult to make a pool with your own hands in the country. If you still doubt your abilities, then take on a simpler frame version of a country pond:

On a hot summer day, while relaxing in the country, it is very pleasant to plunge into a cool pond. It is good if there is a pond or a river nearby. And if not? This is where you need your own pool. Does it need to be as big as in the Sports Palace? No, the purpose of a country artificial reservoir is to have fun, and not to set swimming records. Find out about all the nuances that you need to know about in more detail later in the article.

What are country pools?

Types of pools found in summer cottages:

from improvised materials;
frame;
from wood and film;
from polypropylene;
from cinder blocks;
from concrete;
from composite plastic.

Which of these types to choose depends on the taste preferences of the owner, his experience with the materials used. The depth of a country artificial reservoir for adults usually does not exceed 1.5 m, and for bathing children - 0.5 m.

If the summer cottage has a slope, it is better to install the pool at its highest point. The location should not have trees and shrubs in the immediate vicinity.

With a buried stationary option, the root system can damage the integrity of the structure and disrupt its waterproofing and tightness.

It is better to orient the artificial reservoir along the prevailing wind direction on the ground. This arrangement will prevent dry leaves, grass and dust from entering the water.

During the construction of the pool in the summer cottage, stairs, gangways and ladders are provided. They will provide safe entry and exit from the artificial reservoir from the outside and inside.

Additional attention should be paid to the system for filling the pool with water and emptying it. Typically, in large artificial reservoirs, automatic cleaning is used, when water is passed through a closed cycle through a filter system. This allows you to not change the water for a long time.

If engineering communications are connected to the summer cottage - water supply and sewerage, you can use this happy circumstance. However, a direct connection will require a project and permission from resource supplying organizations. Unauthorized connection to these networks is unacceptable and can be punished with a heavy fine.

For the power supply of pumps, filters, water heating devices and for lighting in the evening or at night, an electrical power supply system must be provided.

Advice

It is better to entrust the connection of electrical equipment to specialists. This will protect against accidental electric shock both when connecting and during operation of the pool.

Frame

Frame pools include structures made of vertical posts and horizontal connecting strips installed with a certain step. They can be stationary and collapsible, that is, those that can be dismantled or moved to another place at any time.

Vertical racks of stationary pools are rigidly pinched into the ground. In this case, either pre-excavated pits or drilled wells are used. Racks can be in the form of metal pipes or rolled products - channel, angle, I-beam, concrete - round or rectangular section, wooden - in the form of logs or timber.

Pinching is performed using a concrete or cement-sand mortar. Before use, wooden elements must be treated with agents that prevent rotting, fungal infections and protect against insects that feed on wood. To reduce the flexibility of the racks when filling an artificial reservoir with a height of more than 50 cm, spacers are arranged.

Horizontal planks are attached to the posts with bolts or self-tapping screws, creating either a solid shield or a sparse one, if longitudinal gaps are left between the boards to save materials (in this case, the tensile strength of the film used is taken into account). Most often, horizontal slats are made from wooden edged boards.

In the simplest case, the inner bowl is lined with a polypropylene or polyvinylchloride (PVC) film. There are films produced specifically for swimming pools that have a rich blue color. In a more expensive version, for long-term stationary operation, sheet propylene is used, the seams of which are welded with a conventional building hair dryer. External finishing can also be made with a polymer film or plastic siding, on which some pattern or coloring is applied for decorative purposes.

If an outdoor pool of a stationary type is arranged, its bowl should be protected during the cold season from precipitation in the form of rain and snow, as well as dirt and dust caused by the wind. So preparation for the start of operation will be minimized. As such protection, you can use a set of several wooden shields that completely cover the pool bowl with a polyethylene or polypropylene film laid on top of them.

Structurally, the pool cover is performed in various ways. It can be a stand-alone building or an extension to the main house. Its manufacture is similar to the construction of a one-story building with a basement, based on strip foundations.

The difference is that in the ceiling of the first floor a cutout is made for the pool bowl, and it itself is located in the basement of the building or extension.

The decoration of such a pool and its enclosing structures is usually done with ceramic tiles, recreation areas are created, and sometimes a room for a bath or sauna is allocated.

Another option is a lightweight structure made of a metal (often aluminum) profile, which is either covered with transparent fiberglass panels or covered with PVC film.

Pipes can be used as racks and upper chords of arches or trusses, including plastic ones used for plumbing, metal profiles, in addition to the most common rolled products, box-shaped or “C”-shaped sections are allowed.

Horizontal and cross braces for rigidity are made in the form of metal or plastic strips.

First, an outdoor pool is arranged, then a building envelope is mounted around it. To prevent the collapse of such a structure from the loads acting on it, before its manufacture, it is better to perform a calculation of the bearing capacity.

Structurally, a light building above the pool can have a gable configuration with a pediment, four-slope, round - in the form of a tent or yurt, arched or semi-arched system. Side railings can be:

sliding;
removable.

In some cases, only a cover in the form of a canopy or awning is arranged, which protects against atmospheric influences in the form of rain or direct sunlight.

From improvised materials

This type of pools can be very simple, and one that will require a lot of effort and time.

The fastest and easiest way is to make a pool by adapting for this purpose some ready-made container already having a bottom and walls. These can be old cast-iron bathtubs, metal containers with an open top. They can be arranged both buried in the ground, and installed directly on the ground. Pools of this type are filled with water using a hose, and drained by manual scooping or using a hand pump.

Sometimes, worn-out tires of giant wheels of heavy-duty vehicles are used as artificial reservoirs.

These pools are built on a concrete base, buried in the ground to its own thickness (for the open version) or the height of the tire is added to it - for the option that provides for complete penetration into the ground.

After installation, such a pool can be painted or finished in a variety of ways. It is very suitable for children's games and entertainment.

There are pools made of railway metal containers, with the upper part cut to the required height. Such pools can be completely or partially buried in the ground or simply installed on a planned earthen platform.

For use along the walls and bottom of the pool, waterproofing is arranged on the inside, and they themselves are decorated either with ceramic tiles laid on a cement-sand mortar or with a polypropylene film.

Another option is to arrange a pool with a frame assembled from wooden pallets - pallets used for loading and transporting various goods. The configuration of such a pool depends on the area of the area allocated for it.

The number of pallets needed to make a pool is four or more. And he himself can have a plan view from a simple square to more complex polygons with an even and odd number of sides. On the prepared base, it is better if it is a flat concrete platform, the required polygon is assembled from pallets, and then pulled together in 3 or 4 levels with plastic tapes that perform the same function as metal hoops in a wooden barrel.

The bottom and walls of the resulting pool are lined with polypropylene film. Such a pool is collapsible. It is easily decomposed into component elements that can be removed indoors for the winter, transported to another site, etc.

Sometimes there are recommendations - to fold the walls of the pool from old plastic bottles. This advice seems to be very doubtful for sanitary and hygienic reasons, since the right amount of this “material”, which is required even for a small pool, can only be collected at the nearest landfill.

Made of polypropylene

These pools are usually made in two ways.

For an artificial reservoir, a ready-made bowl made of cast propylene of the required depth and dimensions in plan, manufactured in the factory, is bought. The owner is only required to prepare a flat area or a foundation pit (with a recessed version), and also to improve the surrounding area.

The bowls made at the factory have limited dimensions to ensure their safe transportation. If the owner wishes to go beyond these dimensions, the pool can be independently welded from sheet polypropylene. At the same time, for stability from bursting loads of the water column of the filled pool, both the frame system and the soil walls of the open pit can be used. Sheets of propylene are cut in accordance with the configuration of the pool and welded together using a building hair dryer.

The advantages of polypropylene pools are that this material:

has a dense water-impermeable structure;
resistant to aggressive atmospheric influences, including temperature changes;
neutral to solar ultraviolet, not subject to fading and loss of original color;

it is environmentally friendly and harmless to humans, does not emit any harmful chemical compounds into the water that can cause allergies or poisoning;
has a low heat transfer, allowing for a long time to keep the water heated, without exchanging temperature with the surrounding space;
the flexibility and elasticity of polypropylene make it possible to form bowls of various configurations and shapes from it, including those with rounded edges and wall transitions to the bottom;
well welded with a building hair dryer to ensure reliable sealing.

Concrete

Despite the relatively high cost and labor intensity during construction, artificial reservoirs made of monolithic reinforced concrete are the most effective for long-term use. Pools of this type can be used for decades, requiring only minimal cosmetic repairs and, in rare cases, replacement of decorative finishes.

As a cladding, ceramic tiles are usually used, painted in different colors, which can be laid in the form of patterns or geometric shapes. Also, with the help of tiles in the pool, special zones can be distinguished, the boundaries of which are clearly visible both on the surface and under water.

At the first stage, after the preparation and planning of the site, as well as the breakdown of the axes of the site, they begin to dig a pit using manual labor or special earthmoving machines.

The bottom of the pit is also subject to leveling and planning. For this, ordinary quartz sand is used. Rolled waterproofing is laid on top of the sand cushion and poured with hot bitumen. Next, the slab is concreted, reinforcing it with a mesh of metal rods. The concrete grade must be at least M300 ... M450 in the old marking or from B22.5 to B35 in the new classification.

After 10 ... 14 days, a vertical formwork is installed on the bottom and the walls of the bowl are concreted. The thickness of the walls of the pool, buried in the ground by 1.5 m, can be from 25 to 30 cm. It is better to reinforce the walls with a vertical mesh installed closer to the edge facing the pit. This is due to the fact that lateral stresses from the pressure of water act on the vertical parts of the artificial reservoir, and the working reinforcement must be located on the side opposite to the applied force.

After concreting the walls and setting the concrete, the internal waterproofing of the resulting bowl is performed. To do this, roll materials reinforced with fiberglass are used, rolling them with an overlap along the bottom and wrapping them on the walls. Molten bitumen or special cold curing mastics are used as glue.

Another way is to apply in several layers a special thick composition based on artificial rubber. After polymerization, it turns into a seamless, durable rubber-like insert, up to 5 mm thick. When concreting, do not forget to install round foam inserts in the places where utilities are supplied, with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the pipes.

Do not allow breaks in the concreting of the walls for more than 5 hours. In this case, the concrete will turn out to be layered with hairline cracks that will violate the waterproof properties and structural integrity of the pool.

The formwork can be inventory - plastic, metal, from special formwork plywood, or self-made - from wooden panels knocked down with one's own hands.

Unedged slab board can be used as a formwork material to save money.

Complicated elements of reinforcement - frames, meshes are made by knitting, when individual parts are connected to each other with a soft knitting wire.

It is strongly not recommended to use electric arc and acetylene welding, since exposure to high temperature reduces the tensile strength of the reinforcing bars and weakens the bearing capacity of the reinforced concrete structure.

You can prepare concrete yourself with the help of a concrete mixer installed directly on the summer cottage. But in order to prevent accidental errors with the proportions of the constituent ingredients, it is better to use purchased concrete delivered by special mixer trucks. An added bonus is that all responsibility for low quality concrete (if this happens) will be borne by its seller or supplier.

After dismantling and disassembling the formwork, voids are formed between the concrete and the soil wall of the pit, which are called reverse sinuses. To the level of the ground surface, they are covered in layers with sand, watered and rammed. Further along the perimeter of the walls of the pool, a concrete blind area is arranged to a width of at least 0.5 m.

In order to avoid accidental injuries, it is lined with ceramic tiles with an anti-slip coating.

In the process of final finishing and cladding of the pool with ceramic tiles, it is better to use a special fine mesh, fiberglass reinforced mesh. To increase the water protection of the cladding, the tile joints should be cut and rubbed with silicone mastic.

cinder block

Cinder block was very often used in the restoration and construction of buildings in the 50s of the XX century. Then it was completely replaced by the more widely used silicate (white) brick. Currently, this material has received a second birth.

Cinder block is now most often used for the construction of secondary buildings - garages, warehouses, summer kitchens, fences. Artificial cinder-block stones are sometimes better than bricks for the following reasons:

one cinder block, due to its increased size, immediately replaces several bricks, so masonry from it is simpler than brick;
extensive internal voids of the cinder block improve its heat-shielding properties;
technologies for amateur production of cinder blocks have been developed.

The experience of using cinder block for the construction of pools in the country proved to be positive. The strength of the walls, lined with this material, was sufficient to withstand the lateral pressure of the poured water.

It should be noted that the masonry should not be made on a cement-lime mortar, traditionally used for brick and masonry, but on a cement-sand mortar. For better adhesion (gluing) of the solution to the cinder blocks, plasticizer additives must be introduced into the solution. These can be polyvinyl acetate emulsion (PVA), acrylic or styrene-based latexes.

Preparation work, a foundation pit, as well as the installation of a horizontal slab - the bottom is carried out in the same way as it is prepared for a reinforced concrete monolithic pool. The walls to the desired height are laid out with a thickness of half a cinder block, which is about 20 cm. Horizontal joints should be reinforced with a mesh of rods with a diameter of 6 mm.

Backfilling of the back sinuses should be carried out with a mixture of sand and gravel with a very thorough tamping.

If there are voids in them, one or more cinder blocks under the pressure of water can be squeezed out of the vertical plane.

Leaked moisture will get under the bottom and cause uneven subsidence of the soil of the base of the concrete slab with the formation of kinks and cracks in it. Such a pool, most likely, will be unsuitable for repair and will be subject to disassembly and alteration.

After the construction of the walls from the cinder block, the inner surface of the resulting bowl requires waterproofing and final finishing. Before using rolled waterproofing, it is recommended to use a deep penetration impregnation primer for additional strengthening and protection of cinder blocks and seams.

For the manufacture of pools, other block materials are also used, such as brick, concrete blocks, rubble and sawn natural stone. The laying of such materials practically does not differ from the laying of cinder blocks.

When building such artificial reservoirs, it is not recommended to use silicate (white) bricks, as well as blocks or panels with gypsum binder. This is because they have poor weather resistance, especially when wet or saturated with water.

When operating an artificial reservoir from a cinder block, you need to carefully monitor the technical condition of its design. If cracks appear, immediately take measures to eliminate them by deep jointing and filling them with silicone mastic. Sometimes cracks can disguise themselves as tile seams, so inspections and repairs should be carried out regularly and very carefully. Then the pool will be usable for many years. What will bring a lot of joy to the owner of the cottage and his family members.