Installing A Swimming Pool

Installing a swimming pool need not be the daunting task that you may think! Most above ground pools are very easy to install. Whilst for sure an in-ground pool is going to be hard work if you opt to do all of the work yourself, you will be surprised to see what little effort is required to install most above ground pools.

Vital Swimming Pool Installation Tips

Firstly here's my biggest tip when it comes to above ground pool installation then you need to make sure no matter what size, make or model you are installing that the ground it is going on is perfectly flat and level as if not this will place an uneven load on one side of the above ground pool resulting in catastrophic failure in as worst case scenario!

The ground also needs to be firm as it will be taking the weight of several dozen tons of water. The main rule of thumb is that if you need to level ground up, then dig down to do so and do not 'build up' the soil, as this will result in the weight of the water compressing the area you have built up resulting in an uneven surface.

Another factor to consider is the placement of the swimming pool in relation to power, water and drainage. I will address drainage first as it's a very much overlooked issue. If you place your above ground swimming pool at the bottom of a slope or in a dip, then you may find that you are unable to easily drain the water out of it. This could result in the expense of you having to pump it out. So take care to place your pool somewhere that allows for the easy drainage/run off of a large volume of water. This problem is less so for an in-ground pool construction whereby your contractor will ensure suitable drainage is built in.

Likewise careful thought needs to go towards placing any pool near a power source, which will be needed for a water filter pump and/or heater. An extension won't be legal or safe in most cases, and whilst an above ground swimming pool maybe cheap to buy, it won't work out cheap if you have to dig a two foot deep trench 50ft long to take the power to it! The same principle applies to an in-ground pool.

The same priniciples should be applied to a water source to fill it and drainage pipework. If not it could end up costing you $3000-20,000 to install services properly.

Avoid placing any pool under or near trees - the shade they offer may seem a good idea, but the endless removal of leaves will be a real pain and can easily clog up or block your filter. This will drive you crazy in the long run. Likewise take into account the fact that the sun moves around and whilst your pool maybe in full sun when you erect it in the morning it may not be by the time the sun has swung around in the afternoon.

Lastly if you are going to carry out the groundworks for an in-ground pool yourself then do not under estimate just how much soil you are going to have to excavate and pay to have taken away. It can often work out far cheaper to employ a groundworks company as a sub-contractor if you are installing your own in gorund swimming pool.

By Richard Allen -