It takes about 2 to 3 months in most cases for a professional pool builder to build a swimming pool.
The first step in building a swimming pool is to clear the area of all overgrowth, rocks, and debris on a new pool. Once the area is cleared out for pool construction it will take about a week to level the area and put in the forms for a concrete pool. The concrete pool or fibreglass pool can then be poured or fit and this will take about 3-5 days depending on the size of the swimming pool. After that is all set it takes about 2 days for the concrete pool to cure properly, which is when you pour water into it and it doesn't crack or break. Once it is set and dry, the tile work on the new pool can begin which takes about a week or so for pool construction by a qualified pool builder with a building permit.
The building process of a pool starts with the swimming pools design and the planning process which may take about two weeks. The swimming pool design often includes the shape, theme, pool fencing, and amenities of the swimming pool and pool shell for several factors. The size of the concrete pools and pool area is determined by your concrete pools needs In the planning stage which will determine how long the process takes and other different factors and finishing details for the new house. The shape for example of the new dream pool may be a standard rectangle, freeform, kidney, bowtie, or irregular before excavation starts. All the important factors need to be considered. Amenities include waterfalls, fountains, slides, diving boards, and other features you wish your pool to have. After the pool design is complete professional builders are brought in to break ground. Once this is finished the construction process will start on the interior of the new pool which consists of installing forms around the inside wall (this ensures that concrete will not seep out of broken joints), rebar (steel reinforcement placed into wet concrete during certain points of the pour to prevent cracking of the finished product) and interior finishing. A complete stabilisation and compaction process is carried out before the pool is filled with water this might take up to a week. Pool finishings such as decks, steel frame, coping and tile work are installed throughout this period of pool construction. Finally, when everything is complete the pool will be filled with water after passing the building approval process. The time taken to complete the pool varies greatly depending on the machines used.
Professional pool builds use equipment like bobcats, cranes, concrete mixture, working drawings, and trucks to carry out their work and the whole process.
These pieces of equipment needed in the design process are necessary for the movement of materials, dirt, and construction and excavation and can be costly.The equipment used by a pool expert in the build of a pool is below.
These are small construction vehicles with an attached forklift. They are useful for carrying dirt, sand, and other supplies during the build of a pool. They can carry up to about 1/4 ton. A bobcat has tracks instead of tires so it can go over rough terrain without getting stuck or damaged.
These are larger than bobcats and have extending arms that reach out very far. They carry most of the heavier materials like stone, tile, stucco, etc during pool building. These machines can carry several tons at once so they are very heavy.
Pool builders use dump trucks for dirt and materials like stone or tile. These are also used for hauling equipment to the building site.
Many different types of pools are built by pool builders. These include but are not limited to the below.
These pools are the standard pool shape and have concrete walls. They can be built inside or outside, above ground or in-ground.
These pools have cement foundations with decorative tile on the exterior walls. The tile can also be used as a form for building natural stone decks.
These layouts use stucco for the pool surround and decking material like flagstone and pavers for accents and patterns.
These pools use a mixture of sand and cement injected through sprayers to coat concrete walls to create the shell. These pools are solid and require less interior finishing after pool installation.
These pools are made from fibreglass and resin. Instead of using cement, they use a strong fabric mesh that is wrapped around metal forms built on site. They can be almost any shape and often look like natural stone or tile but don't require the same level of maintenance.
The costs of building a pool can vary widely based on size, amenities, and construction type. On average, the cost to have a pool built is approximately $18,500 to $25,000. This price can vary dramatically when pool finishes like tile or natural stone are included. These prices do not include the cost of piping, filtration equipment, landscaping, and other accessories.
The main difference between saltwater and a freshwater pool is the type of water that is used in the pool. A freshwater pool uses ordinary tap water whereas a saltwater or chlorine generator pool converts regular tap water with salt into chlorine with the help of an electrolytic cell which is usually placed inside a chlorine room. Saltwater pools can also have water softeners installed to reduce hardness in the water which reduces wear on electrically operated equipment like pumps, filters, and heaters. A salt system can produce about (1/2 kg) of salt per day.
There are three main types of pool filters in use today. Each type has pros and cons depending on the size of the pool, location, maintenance requirements and budget.
These are usually used for smaller residential pools that do not require a lot of filtering capacity. They are very easy to maintain because they have no moving parts to wear out or replace. These systems are good for removing small objects like leaves but only remove about 1/2 the bacteria from the water so they must be vacuumed daily.
This type of filter is more popular with commercial pools because it provides better filtration but can be slightly harder to maintain than sand filters due to having both internal cartridge filters and outer housing that requires regular cleaning. This type of filter can be used in above-ground or in-ground pools and will capture most bacteria and small particles like suntan lotion, hair, and dirt.
This type of filter is the best except at removing impurities from pool water due to its unique method of operation that removes particles with little suctioning required.
These filters use tiny diatom shells for filtering rather than cartridges or large mechanical grids like sand and cartridge system for the type of pool and time it may take to build.
The downside to this type of system plumbing is they do not remove small amounts of algae or bacteria so must be backwashed regularly with a separate vacuum system.
There is a wealth of information online on the legislation and laws around swimming pools. Take a look at the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading for an example of state laws, but check to see if they apply to your region.