Bowls for swimming pools made of polypropylene. Pool bowls. We reinforce the bottom for concreting the base

To ensure that the pool design fits perfectly into landscape design your site, you must first select the most suitable place to install the structure. The process of constructing a polypropylene pool consists of several stages, namely:

• The first step is to mark the area for digging a pit. The pit should be 0.5 meters larger in length and width than the polypropylene bowl itself. You can dig a pit using an excavator or manually. The depth of the pit consists of the depth of the pool and the thickness of the preparation for the pool. For pools located on the surface of the earth, the depth value is zero.
• The flat surface is covered with a supporting reinforced concrete slab, the thickness of which must be at least 200 mm.
• Extruded polystyrene is laid on a hardened concrete slab, and the pool bowl is installed on it.
• Reinforcement is passed through the holes in the stiffeners (for greater strength of the concrete bed, the reinforcement of the side walls can be connected to the base slab).
• The bowl is placed on the base and the level is checked. The internal spacer formwork is installed, the bowl is filled with 10-15 cm of water.
• A stage-by-stage filling of the pool walls with light-grade concrete is carried out.
• At the final stage of pool construction, the armored belt is poured.

The pool bowl itself is made from sheets of durable polypropylene. Without special knowledge, experience and skills, you are unlikely to be able to create such a design yourself. In addition, you will need special construction tools for welding and cutting polypropylene sheets.

Features of choosing a pool bowl

To choose high-quality, beautiful and durable polypropylene pool, contact the SPA-Technology company. Our professional consultants will help you decide on the shape and volume of the structure. Our craftsmen will quickly complete any order - from the smallest bathhouses to large bowls of non-standard shape. We have the most affordable prices, and in the process of work we use only high-quality materials and modern innovative equipment.

It is impossible to downplay the benefits of water procedures. Swimming in your own pool is a great way to spend time with health benefits. This hobby allows you to get rid of fatigue, increase vitality, and restore the nervous system. And on hot summer days it gives pleasant coolness and positive emotions not only to adults, but also to children. In order to extend the pleasure of swimming all year round, more and more people are resorting to building swimming pools in their suburban areas.

Pool made of propylene - advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of this choice is the opportunity to purchase a ready-made product and install it yourself in a pre-selected location. Installation work will take very little time, which is an important factor.

Save time- not the only advantage. A well-known material used in the manufacture of acrylic ponds is polypropylene, its quality characteristics include:

Of course, technology there are also disadvantages Polypropylene, a material resistant to external influences, is not insured against accidental mechanical damage. Accidentally inflicted scratches are noticeable and cannot be disguised, since the plastic is difficult to grind.

How to choose the optimal pool shape for yourself

When choosing a form, a lot of disputes can arise between family members, because everyone strives to create something beautiful and different from others, so that it impresses everyone.

Nevertheless, both experts and happy owners of artificial reservoirs, based on experience, are unanimous. It is recommended to select the simplest possible forms, oval, round or square. Yes, there is a great temptation to succumb to fashion magazines and pick up a model from the glossy pages.

But it is important to understand that intricate shapes require more complex care, there will be a need to use reagents for water purification, and installing a filter system will not be possible without detailed calculations of the installation location and the correct power. It’s unlikely that anyone enjoys the extra hassle. It is better to add originality to the design not by form, but by choosing a non-standard staircase, for example, or creating a unique finish for the area adjacent to the pool.

Installation of a polypropylene pool bowl

The algorithm for creating a polypropylene bowl is similar to the algorithm for installing a reinforced concrete pool. You need to start with preparatory work. First of all, you need to take measurements of your territory, mark the area where you plan to build a pool with your own hands. What to pay attention to when choosing a place:

The dimensions of the pit and the pool bowl should not be identical. The pit is supposed to be larger in size than the pool itself, ideally 0.8 - 1 meter. The pit should be half a meter deeper.

Construction of the foundation

When the pit is ready, its bottom is lined with layers of crushed stone and sand, this will protect the bowl from ground movements. If the level groundwater quite high, it is recommended to install additional drainage. After this, a base for a polypropylene pool is formed from concrete. To strengthen the concrete layer, special steel rods are used, from which they are formed cells 25–30 cm. In this case, the rods for fastening are treated with special compounds or coated with paint in several layers, but under no circumstances are they welded, otherwise the rod may lose strength and be subject to the harmful effects of moisture.

The thickness of the concrete layer should be at least 30 cm. Having calculated how much concrete is required, you can determine whether it is worth preparing it yourself by renting a concrete mixer, or whether the volume of material is large enough and it is easier to order it ready-made.

Bowl installation

After the concrete base has hardened, a polypropylene bowl is installed on it, communications are laid to filter water in the artificial reservoir and illuminate it. Pipes are supplied for supplying and draining water, each of which must be insulated with protective sleeves, insulated and wrapped with tape.

The number of drains, nozzles and skimmers can be calculated in accordance with the configuration of the reservoir. You will definitely need to install a water filtration system. It is most convenient to place it in the basement of the house.

Pool concrete pouring technology

The empty space between the foundation pit and the walls of the structure is concreted at the last moment. To fill it out correctly you should follow the sequence:

1. Install spacers inside the bowl, then fill the pool with water to the recommended level.
2. Cover the walls of the installed pool with foam.
3. Drill holes in the stiffeners and insert reinforcement into them at a distance of 50 to 70 cm.

The voids around are filled using the installed bowl, and its adhesion to the concrete screed will ensure the reinforcement is completed.

Concrete is poured gradually, each subsequent layer is poured only after the previous one has completely dried. Each layer hardens within one day.

Pool decoration

Registration is the final stage. You can improve the space around the pool with your own hands or with the hands of a landscape designer, for which you can use a mixture of the same polypropylene with sawdust, a special board, stone tiles or ready-made rolled lawn. Ceramic tiles in the pool are usually laid out in natural colors, close to the color of the water, blue, white, light blue, emerald.

Swimming pool using polypropylene sheets

You can also build a pool using polypropylene sheets. The sheets you need to take different ones, the thickness of the bottom and for the walls should be different. The sheets can be joined together by welding; this method will allow you to achieve a good aesthetic appearance; marks at the joints will become less noticeable.

The seams are very strong thanks to modern technologies, which also make it possible to achieve the integrity of the welded surfaces under various transferred loads.

The high quality of the design makes it very popular among future owners. To build a pool, first of all, a drawing is drawn up with the exact dimensions of the structure, then it is calculated number of polypropylene sheets. The minimum sheet thickness is 8 mm. If the material needs to be bent, you can choose a slightly thinner one. A welding extruder with attachments for making various seams and a hot air gun will definitely come in handy. The extruder is equipped with an air heater, which, during welding, heats the surfaces of the fragments and the polypropylene rod, which fuses the sheets together. In addition to polypropylene rods, you can use granules from this material.

For one-time use, an extruder is too expensive; it is better, like a concrete mixer, to rent it. If you have time to search and place ads, you can buy a used one and find new buyers after use. In order to avoid having to waste time and effort moving a heavy and impressive structure, it is better to assemble the bowl immediately at the installation site of the pool.

To extend the life of your pool, you need to take good care of it. To make bathing not only enjoyable, but also safe for health, water needs to be purified regularly. Cleaning is carried out using reagent, reagent-free and combined methods. Reagent methods include purification with chlorine, bromine, and silver ions. Reagent-free is a method of purifying water using ultraviolet light. If several methods are used at the same time, this is a combined method. Physical care is also one of the components of cleaning, using special filters, vacuum cleaners, brushes and nets.

Only increased attention to cleanliness will allow you to forget about the problems associated with water purification and use the pool only for pleasure.

If near your country house If there is no natural body of water, then it’s probably worth thinking about building a pool right on the site. Being a complex engineering structure, and not an ordinary pit, the pool requires a very careful approach to its construction and choice of location. In years past, the presence of a swimming pool on a property was an indicator of very high wealth. Today, so many cheap materials have appeared that you can even build polypropylene pools with your own hands, the cost of which will be within reason.

Material selection

Any person wants to build a swimming pool so that they do not have to spend money on its repair or reconstruction later. For this reason, it is worthwhile to carefully consider the choice of the type of material for your artificial pond. Previously, pools were made of concrete, plastic or a special waterproof film. Today, thanks to materials such as polypropylene, you can install a pool of any shape or size you like on your property.

Today, the industry produces a special grade of polypropylene, which has the following properties that allow it to be used for the construction of hydraulic structures:

• First of all, it is very low water, heat and gas permeability.
• Pool tanks are maintained at the required temperature, so there is no need for thermal insulation.
• A pool made from this material will save energy, since the heat contained in the water will not go into the ground or concrete.
• From polypropylene you can make a container of absolutely any shape, even irregular shape.

• Attractive appearance and technical reliability.
• Impact resistance aggressive environment and chemicals.
• Long period of operation.
• It has very high strength and impact resistance.

• The durability of its color and excellent protection against fading.
• Light weight and abrasion resistant.

To make the pool bowl, a polypropylene sheet measuring 4 x 1.5 m is used. Its thickness is either 5 or 8 mm. For this material, temperatures up to + 95 degrees are considered safe, which is quite sufficient for the stated purpose.

The technological process for the production of a pool bowl is represented by the installation of sheet propylene by welding with invisible and very durable welding seams.

Preparatory stage of construction

Before starting the construction of a pool, it is necessary to carry out some preparatory work, on which further installation steps will depend. The design stage is perhaps the most important step towards the success of the entire project. First, the depth of the pool is selected, which, according to European standards, starts from 1 m and ends at 1.65 m. The choice is also made of the shape of the bowl itself, so that it fits in a particular area. You can choose any one, but you need to know that the more complex it is, the more difficult it is to install and maintain the pool. For geometrically irregular shapes It is more difficult to calculate the power of pumps and filters.

Entertainment devices such as horizontal bars, trampolines, stairs and slides must also be installed optimally, so calculating their location is very important. It is also necessary to take into account that if someone in the family does not know how to swim, then building a pool that is too deep is dangerous. The pool should be located on an area cleared of buildings and vegetation next to the water supply.

To facilitate the installation process, it is necessary to draw a diagram of the entire structure, and then use it to calculate the direct installation of hydraulic equipment. The structure for installing the bowl or pit must be 1 m wider than the bowl itself. This will allow you to carry out installation work with convenience.

Step-by-step instructions for constructing a polypropylene pool

If you have an irresistible desire to save money, then you can do without hiring labor and do everything yourself. You can also hire an excavator if he manages to enter the site. However, you need to know that the cost of renting an excavator is quite high.

• After the location of the structure has been established, pegs are driven in along the contour and some kind of rope is pulled. Then you need to fix the height of the planned edge of the pool. The depth of the pit needs to be increased by 50 cm more than the height of the pool.
• It is imperative to drain the bowl, which protects against the pressure of nearby groundwater. To do this, level the bottom of the pit, cover it with geotextile, after which the entire bottom is covered with crushed stone with a layer thickness of 30 cm. Geotextile will prevent the crushed stone from sinking into the ground. The excavated soil is scattered around the area next to the foundation pit, and later part of it will be filled back in.
• We begin laying the reinforcing mesh after constructing and compacting the drainage. The reinforcing mesh should have 25 cm cells, which is placed on the bricks. They should be distributed evenly along the bottom of the entire pit, so that the mesh is raised 5 cm above the crushed stone. In order for the screed to be of high quality, it is necessary to install beacons from metal pipes for gypsum mortar.
• Then we start pouring the concrete mixture. You can prepare it yourself using a concrete mixer or order a ready-made one. It is easier to pour high-quality concrete mixture using a gutter, for example, from ordinary boards. This design allows you to conveniently supply the solution to the very bottom of the pit.

• After pouring, we should receive a concrete slab, the thickness of which is 20 cm, exceeding the dimensions of the pool tank by 50 cm along the entire perimeter. Normal drying of the concrete pedestal will occur only after 5 days.
• A heat insulator can be laid on the concrete, which provides additional thermal protection for the pool and prevents the water in it from quickly cooling. Sometimes it is also necessary to lay hydrotextiles. As a heat insulator, you can choose very inexpensive materials, such as polystyrene foam, which can be fastened together with ordinary tape.

Assembling a pool bowl

The most difficult thing in building a pool is welding finished polypropylene sheets. To do this, you will need a special welding machine, a hair dryer with the necessary attachments. For soldering, a special rod is used to connect polypropylene seams.

Welding the seams of a polypropylene pool is performed according to a special algorithm:

• We mark the joints of the seams according to the prepared drawing, on which it is necessary to note all the parameters of the bowl.
• Making a bowl must begin from the bottom of the pit, but first you need to cut out all the necessary details of the future structure: the bottom, the side, and also the steps. Polypropylene sheets must be connected from the outside, welding them using a gun with a hot air stream passing through a nozzle for a turned corner. Welding equipment is very expensive, so it’s easier to rent it.
• Then the bottom of the pit is laid with polypropylene blanks, which are cut in the shape of the bottom of the pool. The edges of these sheets are connected to the sides of the future pool and they begin to be welded on both sides: on the outside with nozzles for welding seams, and on the inside with a polypropylene rod for soldering the seams. This double seam is more durable.

• The steps are made in the same way. When the bowl of the future pool is welded, it is necessary to weld more stiffeners to it using the same rod. The distance between such ribs is 50-70 cm. Once the structure is completely manufactured, it must be firmly installed and secured.

Installation of auxiliary embedded elements and securing the bowl

After the work on the construction of the pool is completed, we proceed to installing a hydraulic system consisting of pipes around the perimeter, installing special bottom drains and installing lighting equipment in place. For the proper functioning of the pool, you will need special equipment to filter water and suck out contaminants from its bottom (the so-called vacuum cleaner).

After all the equipment is finally installed, you need to connect it and communications. Then you need to check the entire resulting pool system for its functionality. If our pool is functioning correctly, then we proceed to fixing the bowl itself and then filling it.

Securing the polypropylene bowl

To hold and maintain the correct shape of the bowl walls, it is necessary to install spacers inside the pool. After this, all pipes are protected with special protective sleeves. Formwork is assembled and reinforced around the bowl.

During the process of pouring concrete, it is necessary to ensure that the walls do not sag. Next we perform the following steps:

• First, fill the bowl with water to a depth of only 30 cm.
• Fill in liquid concrete the gap around the entire pool is up to the same 30 cm and we wait for the first layer to dry completely.
• A day later, add another 30 cm of water to the pool and pour the second layer of solution to this height.
• Thus, we continue to concrete the height of all the walls of the artificial reservoir.
• After the concrete formwork has dried, fill the remaining free space with sand and compact it.
• The final stage of the entire construction will be the improvement of the area around the polypropylene pool.

Repair and maintenance of a propylene swimming pool

Polypropylene pools belong to the category of one of the most reliable structures. Despite this, sometimes situations arise when they have to be repaired. To the complex major renovation include the elimination of serious problems: replacement of waterworks, the premises of the entire pool. Minor or unexpected repairs involve eliminating such faults as: replacing a burnt-out underwater light, repairing a pipe rupture. We classify as medium repair such work when repairs individual elements a specific system or an entire heating, filtration, hydraulic control system.

In order for such repairs to be made as rarely as possible, it is necessary to carry out proper and timely care for polypropylene pools. The main scourge of such structures can be called dirt and chemicals. Cleaning of dirt must be carried out annually using the usual mechanical method. In this case, detergents must be used that are safe for polypropylene. It is better not to use conventional chlorine-containing products, as they discolor the surface of the bowl and make it faded. Chlorine destroys the microporosity of polypropylene. Therefore, it is better to use safe chlorine compounds such as sodium hypochlorite or similar.

If you decide to build a pool yourself, you will need special equipment and materials. The most popular artificial hydraulic structures are polypropylene pools. A lot of money is not required to build this pool, and the design of the facility can be created in any way you like.

Polypropylene pools are becoming more and more common today. This is due to their excellent quality characteristics. Feedback from consumers who have already been using such products for a long time will help you verify this.

Reviews about durability and the need for finishing

Polypropylene products today are used as swimming pools for many reasons, among them low vapor, heat and gas permeability. At the installation stage, you will not need to use insulation materials, since polypropylene has low thermal conductivity, which helps maintain a constant water temperature. This allows you to keep the water inside the pool warm for quite a long time. This quality is reflected in the consumption of coolant and electricity. Thus, the owners note that they do not have to heat concrete, earth and air, but only the water itself. Polypropylene pools are characterized by excellent impact and mechanical resistance to bending. Seasonal temperature changes are also not a problem for this material. This is why swimming pools are installed outdoors. You can also save money during the installation process, since the bowl does not require lining or finishing. You do not have to purchase tiles or film, since the internal base of the pools has a finished look.

Ease of care

The surface is easy to clean, has a pleasant shade, and is also resistant to dyes and chemicals. When wetted, the base does not become slippery, which indicates injury safety.

Reviews about resistance to temperatures and leakage

Polypropylene pools today are becoming more and more common in everyday life for the reason that they perfectly withstand the effects of alkalis and acids. Among other things, the surface can be exposed to ultraviolet radiation, which does not damage the material. Polypropylene is not capable of entering into chemical reactions. It does not fade or wear out, which allows the product to be used for 20 years. During this period, there will be no need to carry out repair work, you will only have to carry out disinfection and cleaning. Consumers emphasize that polypropylene is incredibly resistant to record high and low temperatures. This allows owners of outdoor and closed types do not pour water onto winter period. This way, you can use the outdoor pool as a winter skating rink. Experts note that these products are incredibly airtight. Due to the manufacturing technology, the container has ideal waterproofing. The surface prevents the emergence and development of algae and fungus on the surface. indicate that such pools are ideal from a disinfection point of view. Polypropylene pools are available in a wide range of colors.

Reviews about cost and variety of forms

A polypropylene pool for a summer residence can have all sorts of shapes. This became possible to achieve thanks to a special design of this kind that allows even the most unusual imagination of a designer and architect to come true. Additionally, you can purchase the entire set of equipment, which may be the same as that provided for reinforced concrete products. Among them are hydromassage nozzles, skimmers, countercurrents, air massage nozzles and more. If we compare polypropylene pools, reviews of which you can read in the article, with traditional ones, then their cost and production time will be much more attractive. Thus, these products cost 2.5 times less compared to concrete analogues.

If you want to buy a pool, then, according to buyers, everything will depend on the size and depth. Owners of private houses who have already installed similar structures on their territory indicate that a bowl whose size is 4 x 8 meters with a depth of 1.5 meters will cost approximately 100,000 rubles.

Feedback on production times

Polypropylene pools, the price of which was indicated above, are manufactured on a turnkey basis within a period that varies from a week to two. Afterwards, according to consumer reviews, an environmentally friendly, durable and solid pool appears on the territory, which initially could be sold in the form of rolls or individual sheets.

Negative reviews

Polypropylene pool bowls also have their disadvantages, which, if you consider them, you may refuse to purchase such a product. Among the disadvantages, buyers quite often point out that the bowls have very noticeable weld seams between sheets of material. This may clearly indicate that budget plastic was used in the process of arranging the pool. Some owners of private houses refuse to purchase a polypropylene pool in favor of one made from natural materials and concrete, due to the more aesthetic appearance of the latter option. Another disadvantage is that polypropylene is not vandal-resistant. This is reflected in the construction of the pool. If the length exceeds 8 meters, then the bowl will have to be additionally concreted. This may lead to additional material costs. Despite the fact that the lifespan of such structures is considered impressive for polypropylene, a number of consumers abandon plastic structures in favor of other solutions. This is due to the fact that concrete structures can last for a much longer time.

Professional installation required

You can purchase polypropylene sheets for swimming pools yourself. However, experts recommend entrusting installation to a team of professionals. This is the only way in many cases it is possible to achieve a positive result that pleases its owners for a long time. Moreover, experts in their field advise entrusting this work to companies whose workers have many years of experience in the installation of polypropylene bowls. As practice shows, if the installation of a polypropylene pool was carried out incorrectly, this can cause deformation or even rupture of the material during operation. Therefore, before ordering installation manipulations from a certain company, it is recommended to ask what experience it has and what place it occupies in the market for providing relevant services.

Option for manufacturing a stationary polypropylene pool

Polypropylene pools, the price of which may seem impressive to you, can be made independently. In this case, you will have to be guided by a certain technology. At the first stage, it involves preparing a pit, which will determine the size of the future structure. Next, the bottom and walls should be leveled, and a screed should be poured onto the surface. During the manufacturing process, polypropylene sheets should be used. At the next stage, a pool bowl is made on a reinforced concrete slab, which will have stiffeners. In this case, you will have to use hand-held hair dryers and a welding extruder. That is why there is no way to do without special equipment. Embedded elements should be inserted into the resulting bath and the pipes should be taken out towards the technical room. At the next stage, the bowl is tied with reinforcement, thermally insulated and expanded. Now you can start making the external formwork. The internal formwork will be a polypropylene bath. Then you can carry out layer-by-layer concreting of the walls with the addition of water to the pool.

Installing a swimming pool in most cases requires significant financial investment. However, only if you buy ready-made stationary bowls. But you can make a pool from polypropylene with your own hands. A design made from this material will be an alternative to expensive pools, but the quality of the product will not change.

Properties of polypropylene

This material is one of the technological achievements in the chemical industry. Polypropylene was created relatively recently - in the middle of the 20th century.

In 1954, the result of the joint work of the German organic chemist Karl Ziegler and the Italian chemist Giulio Natta was the discovery of metal complex catalysis for the polymerization of olefins. Thanks to this achievement, scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize.

Polypropylene is a cloudy white solid obtained by industrial polymerization of propylene under medium and low pressure conditions with mandatory interaction with organometallic catalysts. To put it in simpler terms, polypropylene is the lightest thermoplastic.

Polypropylene is produced in several types:

1. Polypropylene homopolymer (PP HO). Polypropylene, in chemical composition which are macromolecules with identical monomer units. This polymer is quite hard, due to which it has high bending strength.
2. Metallocene polypropylene (mPP) is produced by polymerization using appropriate catalysts. This material is very similar to rubber.
3. Copolymer (PPCP) is produced in the form of transparent or white granules. The value of this material is its high impact strength at low temperatures and simultaneous elasticity.
4. Polypropylene random copolymer (PP random copolymer) has a crystalline structure. This material is widely used in the production of food packaging, laminating films and coatings.

Due to its versatility, polypropylene is widely used in various fields of activity. The ability to modify polypropylene to produce an elastic or hard, high-strength material makes it more in demand than plastics and polyvinyl chloride.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

This material has advantages due to which it has gained the greatest popularity in the construction of swimming pools:

1. Polypropylene is easy to process. This feature allows you to create bowls of different shapes, which means you can implement any design solutions according to your own drawings and diagrams. The pleasant shade and structure of the material blend harmoniously into the surrounding landscape.
2. When welding the joints of polypropylene parts, a reliable waterproofing layer is provided, which does not require additional processing and sealing.
3. When installing pool equipment (lighting, filter devices, hydromassages and nozzles), there is no need to make sealing layers, since these devices are installed directly into polypropylene.
4. Pools made of this material do not require external finishing. Polypropylene is waterproof and has a smooth surface, giving it a ready-to-use appearance.
5. A structure made of this material, placed in a prepared pit, does not require the installation of a retaining frame or formwork. To do this, it is enough to strengthen the sides of the pool bowl with a concrete mixture.
6. Welding seams has high strength. This allows you to use the pool by placing it on the surface of the ground. The reliability of the design is high even without installing the bowl in the pit.
7. Polypropylene is environmentally friendly building material, does not release toxins when interacting with water, does not enter into a chemical reaction with other substances, and therefore is absolutely harmless to human life. The material simultaneously prevents the growth of bacteria.
8. The surface structure of polypropylene is such that it is difficult to slip in a pool. However, this does not mean that it does not need to be cleaned. If this is not done, the inner surface of the bowl will become a source of proliferation of microorganisms, which will make the bottom and walls slippery.
9. The smooth surface ensures easy cleaning of the pool. This feature prevents the rapid proliferation of algae.
10. Polypropylene has low thermal conductivity, so rest assured that the water will not cool down soon.
11. The material has a uniform color throughout the entire thickness of the sheet, so you should not be afraid of any scratches or minor damage.
12. Polypropylene has high strength, which makes it easy to transport and handle. The material is resistant to temperature changes. These criteria apply only to high-quality polypropylene. Otherwise, the material may burst at low temperatures, and when draining water in the summer, it may lose its shape without the possibility of recovery. In this regard, before purchasing the material, you need to inquire about the guarantees and product quality certificates from the manufacturer.
13. The cost of a pool made of this material is 1.5–2.5 times cheaper than a stationary version of similar sizes.
14. The duration of installation of polypropylene products is no more than 7 days.

Polypropylene, being a very convenient material both in processing and in operation, still has some disadvantages:

1. The material is susceptible to ultraviolet radiation, which can cause the color of the coating to fade.
2. Welding seams requires special equipment and some skills in working with polypropylene.

Preparing to build a polypropylene pool bowl: determining dimensions

The use of polypropylene in the construction of swimming pools and other hydraulic structures guarantees the durability and reliability of such structures, ease of use, minimal construction time and ease of installation. Much less money is spent on installing a container than on concrete or tile-mosaic products. That is why polypropylene has become the most convenient and beneficial material.

To build a pool, it is necessary to select polypropylene sheets of different thicknesses. For the walls of the bowl, a material with a greater thickness is used than for the bottom of the structure. Polypropylene sheets are available for sale in sizes 150x300 cm or 200x400 cm. The thickness of the material ranges from 5 to 15 mm. Taking these parameters into account, sheets of the required size are selected.

As practice shows, it is better to use material with a thickness of more than 8 mm. When welding seams on sheets 5 mm thick, polypropylene can be deformed, which will lead to visible unevenness on the surface.

Professional builders advise choosing the thickness of polypropylene sheets based on the diameter of the future pool - the wider the bowl, the thicker the sheets should be.

You will also need geotextiles, reinforcing bars and a concrete mixture for the base.

The size and shape of the future pool is selected at the request of the owner, but the following factors must be taken into account:

Calculations of the required amount of materials

Table: values ​​of the amount of material required for pools of different lengths and widths

If you need to make calculations of the volume of the future pool, it is enough to remember the formula for finding this value in different figures.

Typically, pools have simple shapes (circle, rectangle or oval). By calculating the volumes of these figures, you can find the values ​​of a reservoir of any shape. This is easy to do if you visually divide the complex shape of the pool into simple figures, calculate the values ​​of each separately, and then add these numbers.

The pool option is the most convenient to operate and maintain. rectangular shape. To make the calculation, you need to use the formula for the volume of a rectangular parallelepiped V=a∙b∙h, where a is the length of the pool, b is its width, h is its height.

To calculate the amount of concrete you need to know:

• pool volume;
• length of walls;
• thickness of the walls (according to the technology for installing the concrete base and walls, their thickness should be at least 30 cm).

The concrete base must be reinforced with metal rods. The grid pitch is 20 cm. To calculate required amount longitudinal metal rods, the length of the base must be divided by the lattice pitch. The transverse rods are calculated using the same principle.

Metal wire is used as a connecting element for reinforcing bars. For one connection between the rods, about 0.4 m of wire is required.

Required Tools

To build a pool and carry out excavation work, you will need the following tools, equipment and special equipment:

• excavator;
• shovels and bayonet shovels;
• stakes and cord;
• concrete mixer;
• extruder for working with polypropylene;
• extruder attachments for forming tight and neat seams;
• hot air gun for seam correction;
• wooden beams for temporary supports;
• ladder;
• containers (buckets) for bulk and liquid materials;
• mallet with a rubber tip;
• yardstick;
• sharpened carpenter's knife;
• pencil;
• building level.

Step-by-step technology for creating a polypropylene pool

When a suitable site for the pit has been prepared and the shape of the future pool has been determined, ground work for the construction of the pool can begin.

1. First you need to make markings for the pit. It is convenient to use a stretched cord for this. The width, length and depth of the pit must be made larger than the pool structure by about 100 cm. This distance will be needed for installing additional systems and equipment for the pool, as well as for pouring concrete.
2. When the pit is dug, you need to install beacons indicating the top mark of the edge of the pool structure.
3. The bottom of the dug hole must be carefully leveled and compacted. Lay a layer of geotextile on top of the compacted soil.
4. Pour crushed stone on top of it to form a layer 30 cm thick. This layer must be leveled along the stretched thread and the building level.
5. Now you need to install a grid of metal reinforcement at the bottom of the pit, which will add additional rigidity to the concrete base. It should not touch the crushed stone, so it must be placed on some hill. It is convenient to use halves of bricks as such. In total, it is necessary to install 450 such halves, equidistant from each other by 20 cm. 30 rows should be placed along the length of the future pool, and 15 along the width.
6. Then you should make a grid from reinforcing bars with a diameter of 10 mm. The intersections of the rods must be secured. For this purpose, metal wire is used, which is used to twist the adjacent rods. To work with wire quickly and efficiently, it is recommended to use a special hook for twisting.
7. Now you can pour concrete for the base of the pool bowl. To do this, you need to use a concrete mixer. To avoid carrying the mixture in buckets, you can wooden planks make a gutter through which concrete will flow to the desired area.
8. The mixture must be poured onto the bottom of the pit until a layer at least 20 cm thick is obtained. . The width of the poured slab should be 50 cm larger than the intended pool structure. After the base is poured, it must be given time to harden. In favorable conditions (from +5 to +40 ºС), such a layer of concrete will harden in 4–5 days. At low temperatures, especially below 5 ºС, concrete will harden within three or four weeks. In the latter case, it is not recommended to pour the mixture, as the slab may crack. When laying the foundation in hot weather, it is necessary to cover the concrete with polyethylene so that the moisture does not evaporate quickly.
9. After the concrete base has dried, it must be covered with thermal insulation material. As such, you can use foam or hydrotextiles.
10. When the concrete has completely hardened, you can begin the most important work - creating a polypropylene bowl for the pool. At this stage of construction, the most difficult aspect is accuracy and precision. welding work. However, even this crucial moment can be done by anyone who has carefully read the instructions for carrying out such work. To obtain neat seams of polypropylene material, it is necessary to use a welding extruder. This tool is designed for welding thermoplastic material.
11. In addition, it requires special attachments that will allow you to make different types of seams.
12. To make the connections smooth, use a heat gun (hot air gun). The operating principle of the extruder is simple. Hot air is supplied to the polypropylene surfaces, causing them to heat up to the required state. A polypropylene material, similar to a soft rod, is then injected into the area and melted at high temperatures. As a result, the molten rod connects the polypropylene sheets, forming an even seam.
13. Using the outlined patterns, you need to cut them out of polypropylene sheets. The bowl parts need to be soldered from the outside, using extruder attachments for the turned corners. Before welding, it is necessary to clean the edges of the sheets to obtain a double-sided edge bevel at an angle of 45 degrees.
14. Then lay a polypropylene fragment of the bottom of the bowl of the future pool on the base.
15. Attach sheets of sides to the edges of this part, which must be welded on both sides. It is important to remember that for internal joints of the material you need to use welding rods, and for external joints - special nozzles.
16. The steps of the bowl are made using the same principle.
17. After the welding work is completed, it is necessary to proceed to the creation of the pool’s stiffening ribs. They are polypropylene strips perpendicular to the bowl, located vertically. The method of welding them to the pool body is similar. The distance between the ribs is from 50 to 70 cm.
18. When the bowl structure is ready, it is necessary to secure it, install pumps and filtering equipment. To do this, drill holes of the appropriate diameter in the housing and install pipes in them. The pool must have openings for water intake, drainage and communications. If necessary, pool lighting is installed.
19. Now you need to secure the bowl. To do this, the space between the sides and the ground must be filled with a concrete mixture of 40–50 cm. It is important to remember that the mixture should be poured in stages in layers with each of them completely hardening. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out each subsequent stage after two days. Accordingly, the pool must be filled with water to a level equal to the height of the concrete mixture.
20. Reinforcement is required along the perimeter of the polypropylene frame.
21. When concrete is poured into the space between the bowl and the ground, you need to ensure that no deflections form in the structure. To prevent this from happening, you need to fill the pool with water to 40–50 cm. Continue these steps until the concrete is level with the upper edge of the pool bowl. Cover the remaining areas with earth and compact them thoroughly.
22. Now you can move on to the final stage of work. To give the desired texture and shade, polyvinyl chloride or butyl rubber film is used. These materials are characterized by reliable adhesion. The film made from them is not afraid of temperature changes. The installation process of this material is as follows. Sheets of film are spread over the bottom and walls of the bowl. The edges should overlap. The material is fixed by cold welding.
23. Lay out areas of land around the pool paving slabs or boards. If wood is used, it must be pre-treated with antifungal agents and also varnished.

Since the final result will be a cumbersome structure, its assembly must be carried out directly at the installation site. This will save you the hassle of moving the inconvenient pool frame.

Video: DIY welding of polypropylene sheets

No matter how difficult the process of building a polypropylene pool may be, the result of your labors will exceed expectations. This material itself has a neat appearance, and the efforts made will only improve its attractiveness. With your own hands you will create an excellent relaxation area for the whole family and friends. If you show your imagination and equip the pool with lighting, then in the dark it will turn into a cozy place for parties.