The instructions show you how to build a pool yourself. After the preparation, the earthworks followed, then the construction of the pool walls and all installations. Finally, you line the pool with foil and design the pool environment according to your own wishes.
Table of Contents
How do I build a pool?
The first step in building your own pool is thorough planning. Once this is completed, the earthworks begin. To do this, you excavate a construction pit in the ground, then prepare a floor slab on the ground and pour the foundation for the swimming pool. Next, you set up the pool walls and plastered them inside and out. You attach protective dimpled sheets to the outside of the pool, which is coated with bitumen. Now the sanitary installation and the lateral filling with earth follow when building the pool. Then you line the inner walls with foil and then fill the pool with water. At the end you design your pool area according to your wishes.
How to create a pool in 13 steps
1. Build the pool yourself – the preparations
At a glance
Measure and mark out the pool area
Plan outside areas and installations
Create project drawing
That’s how it is done
Before starting the earthwork, plan the construction of the pool thoroughly. Measure the future pool area carefully and pin the area with steel rods. Plan the access to the pool from all sides as well as the necessary installations such as the filter system or a counter-current system. Make a drawing of the swimming pool that is as accurate as possible so that you always have all the information about the pool at hand at a glance. It may be necessary to prepare the ground by leveling or filling up before excavating the pool.
Important: Take into account the depth of excavation or the height of the pool that it should not protrude more than 50 cm above the surface of the site. If the garden pool protrudes higher, you must have the walls calculated statically correctly. Include this consideration early in the planning for the construction of the garden pool.
2. Lift out the floor for the pool
At a glance
Carry out soil excavation
If necessary, contract a construction company
Possibly borrow mini excavators
That’s how it is done
To excavate the soil, you either hire a contractor or borrow a mini excavator that you use to excavate the soil for the garden pool. Advantage of smaller pools: Here you can do the work with friends, as well as spades and shovels without technical help.
Note: First store the excavated soil of the future pool. You still need part of the earth to fill in the walls from the outside. Only after all earthworks can you dispose of the excess soil or use it in the garden for other purposes.
3. Make the base plate for the swimming pool
At a glance
Form the base plate
Align and fix the planks
Tack the construction film
Line steel mats with spacers
That’s how it is done
To form the approx. 20 to 30 cm thick floor slab, set up construction planks all around, which you can precisely align and then fix. The concrete foundation builds up a lot of pressure later, so be careful.
You staple construction foil on the planks. The film protects the concrete against rising damp from the subsurface. Then you lay steel mats on spacers.
4. Fill in concrete
At a glance
Concrete the base plate
Compact the concrete thoroughly
Lay building foils over them in a protective manner
That’s how it is done
After laying out the steel mats, pour the concrete base plate and carefully compact the concrete. To protect the concrete from the weather and drying out too quickly, lay a construction film over it. Then let the concrete floor plate set for a few days. Please note the manufacturer’s instructions for the concrete.
Tip: The larger the pool, the more it is worth using the help of professionals who have a concrete pump and a vibrating bottle.
5. Build the pool walls of the pool
At a glance
Walls
Set U-stones as an intermediate ring anchor
Alternative: insert steel tub
That’s how it is done
A finished built-in pool makes pool construction much easier for you and offers further advantages. If, on the other hand, you do not want to use a steel tub, you can wall the pool walls at this point in the instructions. Since you can drill or cut holes for supply and discharge lines easily and precisely later, set the stones consistently.
Every third row you brick U-stones, which you fill with concrete. These rows of stones act as intermediate ring anchors.
6. Plaster the inside walls of the pool
At a glance
Fix quick plaster profiles
Plaster the walls with lime cement mortar
That’s how it is done
Before plastering, fasten plaster profiles of 10 mm thickness with lightning cement. Then you open the plaster with the trowel. You pull the plaster with the straight edge between two strips. To plaster the inner walls, use a waterproof plaster such as lime cement mortar.
7. Plaster and seal the outer walls
At a glance
Plaster the outside of the pool walls
Seal walls with bitumen
That’s how it is done
You also plaster the outside walls of the pool with lime-cement plaster. After the plaster has set, seal the walls with a thick bitumen coating. You can also apply the bitumen layer with a trowel and smoother. Bitumen protects the masonry from moisture in the ground.
8. Attach the knobbed film on the outside
At a glance
Attach bubble wrap to all outside walls of the pool
That’s how it is done
Now attach a dimpled sheet to all the walls of the swimming pool to protect the bitumen waterproofing against mechanical damage from stones or the like.
9. Installation of the inlet and outlet pipes
At a glance
Lay the pipes and fix them with clamps
Glue sleeves
Seal the threaded connections
That’s how it is done
When installing all inflow and outflow pipes, you use HT pipe clamps for fixing to the pool. You glue the HT sleeves of the pipes together. You seal cables with threaded connections with Teflon tape or hemp. This also applies to the connections to the filter system or pump.
Tip: If you rely on a professional for the sanitary installation for the construction of the swimming pool in the garden, you can do preliminary work such as installing the pipes yourself to save costs.
10. Fill up the soil on the outer pool wall
At a glance
Bring sand or gravel
Fill up and compact earth
That’s how it is done
To protect the pipes and installations at the swimming pool, first bring about 10 cm of sand or fine gravel into the pit as a covering on all sides. The protective layer prevents sharp stones from pressing into the pipes. Then bring the earth in 30 to 40 cm layers and carefully compact each layer with a hand rammer.
11. Line the pool with foil
At a glance
Clean the basin thoroughly
Lay out the pool fleece and foil
Seal pool foil
That’s how it is done
Thoroughly clean any dirt from walls and floors in the pool. Then carefully lay out the pool fleece and pool liner. When cutting the film, make sure that there are as few interfaces and bumps as possible – the easier the subsequent sealing will be. Use a hot air device to seal the pool liner. The film is almost liquefied. After cooling, the film joints are inseparable.
12. Check the basin and fill with water
At a glance
Check the foil seams thoroughly
Fill in water in stages
Pump water out of the pool if necessary
Seal leaks if necessary
That’s how it is done
Now comes the final work on the garden pool: Check the foil seams carefully. When all the seams are tight, fill the pool with water in stages. Observe very carefully whether there are any bubbles in the pool. Let the water stand overnight and check the amount the next day. If water has escaped from the pool, you pump the water out again and seal all leaks.
You repeat this process of instructions until the swimming pool is completely sealed. Then you have fulfilled your dream of having your own pool in the garden.
13. Personalize the pool and outdoor areas
At a glance
Install pool accessories
Lay flooring around the pool
Install wind, privacy and sun protection
That’s how it is done
When the swimming pool in the garden is ready, you install the pool accessories such as ladder and skimmer. Then you lay anti-slip plates on the outside of the pool. When designing the pool area individually, also consider elements for wind, privacy and sun protection.
You need that for your project
- Steel bars
- Filter system
- spade
- shovel
- Construction
- boards
- Construction film
- Steel mats
- Spacers
- concrete
- Steel tub or U-stones
- Quick cleaning
- profiles
- Lightning cement
- Plaster
- bitumen
- Dimpled sheet
- Tube
- HT clamps
- HT sleeves
- Sand or gravel
- Pool fleece
- Pool liner
- Hand rammer
- Hot air device
Have we now expressed your interest and you also want to build your own pool?
We have put together a collection of detailed building plans for you here.
With these detailed construction plans it is possible for you to build your dream pool yourself without any problems.
In this book we list all the materials you need, so you only need to go to the hardware store once and can use our list to buy all the parts you need for your new pool.
With these instructions it is really possible for everyone to build their own pool!
