Pool design and construction
The decisions that make or break a pool are taken before the first excavation. Here you will find what to think about for the position, size, depth and order of the works.
A prefab pool goes up quickly, but designing it takes time. Start with the position and size, move on to depth and shape, and leave details such as the steps for last. If the house is being built now, design the pool together with it.
Articles
Prefab pools
Prefab pools with 2 mm galvanized steel panels, 1.10 or 1.50 m high, and a PVC liner with a written 10-year guarantee. No…
Pool types
Your choices in a prefab pool: metal or polyester panels, 1.10 or 1.50 m high, skimmer or overflow, in-ground or…
Small pools
A small prefab pool for a yard or garden, up to 50 m² without a building permit. How to choose the position, size and depth. A project in…
Construction step by step
Building a prefab pool step by step: site survey, paperwork, excavation, panels, pipework, liner and filling. What happens at each…
Construction time
How long it takes to build a prefab pool: the engineer's paperwork, the works and the filling, and what brings…
Garden placement
Where to put the pool in your garden: sun, wind, trees, the view from the house, distance to the plant room and utilities,…
Pool excavation
Pool excavation: what changes in loose, clay or rocky ground, what happens with groundwater and spoil, access…
Sloping plots
A pool on a sloping plot: a level platform, a pool partly raised up to 1 m, draining water from the high side and…
Raised pools
A raised or semi-above-ground prefab pool up to 1 m: when it suits, how to clad the outer walls with wood or stone,…
Pool shapes
Prefab pool shapes: rectangular, L-shaped, with built-in steps or a bench. What the panels allow and how the…
Pool depth
Prefab pool depth: 1.10 or 1.50 m panels. What it means for children, swimming, water volume, heating and excavation, and why…
Pool steps and ladders
Pool entry: a stainless steel ladder, built-in steps or a bench. Where the entry goes, handrails and non-slip…
Common mistakes
The most common mistakes in pool building: the wrong position, an undersized filter, poor drainage, no cover, forgotten…
Choosing a builder
How to choose a pool builder: what to ask about the guarantee, material specifications, completed projects, permits and…
When to start
When to build a pool: planning in autumn and winter, works in spring, why summer is…
Pool lifespan
How many years a prefab pool lasts: what the frame can take, when the liner is renewed, what wears out the equipment and…
Metal pool panels
Metal pool panels in 2 mm galvanized steel: how they are anchored, how they are joined, what the support buttresses do and how…
Polyester panels
Polyester pool panels: what they are, in which ground conditions they are considered and how they compare with galvanized…
Prefab or above-ground kit
A prefab pool or an above-ground kit pool from a shop? A comparison of durability, filtration, looks and use, and what applies to…
Pool with a waterfall
A pool with a waterfall or water curtain: how it is added to a prefab pool, why it needs its own pump and what changes in…
One-sided overflow
One-sided or perimeter overflow? How a one-sided overflow works, what it needs in terms of channel and tank, and…
Family pool
A family pool for 4–6 people: what size you need, why a depth of 1.10 m is preferred, where the steps go and how…
Mini pool
A mini pool or plunge pool from 2×3 to 2×4 m: little water, quick warming and room on a terrace or a very small yard. What to…
A pool for swimming
A pool for swimming and exercise at home: why length matters, why a 12×4 m stays under 50 m², a depth of 1.50 m…
Pool in a new house
A pool for a house under construction: coordinating with the architect and engineer, power and water supplies, the plant room position…
Pool in an existing garden
A pool in an established garden: how machinery and panels get in, how to protect plants and paving, where the spoil from the…
See also
Equipment
A guide to pool equipment: filter, pump, circulation, heating, lighting, covers, cleaning robots, salt…
Water & chemicals
A practical guide to pool water: pH, chlorine, alkalinity, hardness, shock chlorination, algae, cloudy or…
Liners & lining
All about pool liners: colours and how they change the water, reinforced membranes, non-slip surfaces,…