How Builders Build Concrete Pools

Concrete pools offer a wide variety of design options. They’re the most customizable of all pool types, but that also means they tend to cost more than vinyl liner or fiberglass. If you’re set on getting a concrete pool, you’ll want to talk to builders to get prices and timelines, as well as check out some reviews. Regardless of the pool shape or size, builders can add features like tanning ledges, in-pool seating, and grottoes and waterfalls. They can even make the pool look prettier by adding colorful tile, plaster, and coping.

Before pouring your pool, the contractor will frame it using a grid of steel bars called rebar. This helps to safeguard the structure from damage during construction and will help to give the concrete tensile strength. It will also provide plumbing channels for the water lines. The contractor will place the rebar three inches above the soil, then lay plywood boards on top of it to protect the shell from being damaged.

They’ll then use a large carpenter’s level to ensure the bottom of the pool is flat and even. They’ll also build a gradual slope for the floor of the pool. If there is a hill or other obstacle on one side of the pool, the builders will build up the soil in that area to level it off.

The next step is to waterproof the pool shell. Builders do this by spraying or rolling on a waterproof coating. This will protect the surface of your concrete pool from rain, sleet, and snow, as well as sun and heat. They may also coat the interior of your concrete pool with plaster. This coating isn’t as durable as the shell itself, and it will need to be resurfaced every five to nine years.

Once the water has been tested and the rebar is inspected, the builders will prepare to pour the concrete for your pool. They’ll create a form for the shape of your pool, and then they’ll spray in a thick mixture of cement, known as shot concrete or gunite. They may mix the concrete in a tank, or they may shoot it out of a hose. The concrete is then left to cure, usually for a week or more.

Once the concrete has cured, the builders will finish up with tile and coping. Coping is the rim around the edge of your concrete pool, and it can be made of flat rock pieces known as flagstone, precast stone or bricks, or poured in place concrete. Tile is a good choice, as it resists chlorine and other chemicals better than other finishes. The last step is to apply the coping and plaster, which will take a day or so. It’s important to leave a 6 in (15 cm) gap at the waterline, as this will be where you enter and exit the pool. It’s a good idea to hire a professional to take care of this step, as it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.

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