You want to install a swimming pool and you want to do it by yourself. It seems like a good idea and perhaps it is, but there are a lot of things (like swimming pool fence compliance) that you will have to consider first before plunging in and hoping that it all ends up well. Homemade pools are becoming increasingly popular projects, especially as things like eco-pools and alternative swimming ponds become more of a norm. Done right you will save yourself money but done wrong and you are opening yourself up to the world of pain. So, before you decide what route to take, here are a few things that you might want to consider first.

 

Equipment

Making a pool is not just about digging a hole and watching it fill with water. That might happen when you are on the beach, but it is not going to happen in your back yard. It goes without saying that digging a pool will require spades and wheelbarrows but think a little deeper and you soon discover that it might require a whole lot more. For a start you will need to fence the area off to prevent people falling in to the unfinished hole. You will probably also need to fence it once it is completed to prevent drowning. There could be one solution to two problems here or you might want to go online and search for something like ‘fence hire Melbourne’ to solve the initial scenario before erecting something more permanent once the job is done.

 

Muscle

Do not for a minute think that you are going to do this all by yourself. Theoretically you could, but that is going to take you a long time. It is not just about the digging it is about removing soil once it is done as well. And that is just the making of the hole, you still need to do the structure once that is done. Either with bricks, plaster and waterproof paint or with fibre glass or granite. The options are plentiful, but it takes time, and as much as you want to save money you also need to be practical.

 

How much can you do

This question follows logically from the above section on muscle. While you might have the strength and wherewithal to dig the hole and perhaps even to manage the plumbing elements of the job, it is unlikely that you will have the capability to also do the internal structures. Well, you might, but assess the situation honestly, don’t try to take on more than you can handle and end up with an expensive disaster on your hands.

 

Rubble

Think about what you are going to do with all the waste that is left behind once the job is done. Before you start you need to plan for this. There will be a lot of good soil coming out of the ground and you should look to retain this and use it. But where and how are the questions. And if you can’t where will it all go? This is not the Shawshank Redemption where you can fill your pockets with sand and spread it around the exercise yard at lunch. This is more soil that you can imagine, and you will need a bona fide plan to get rid of it.