DIY swimming pool with sandy beach entry from all sides
Darko SavicJun 16, 2021
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A way of building an inexpensive, DIY swimming pool that looks like a sandy beach (similar to the one pictured above) without needing to hire professional/expensive pool builders. It's basically a pond-pool hybrid with shallow slopes covered by loose sand.
I think I have it mostly figured out, except for one problem - how to keep the loose sand from sliding to the bottom of the pool. I have a few ideas that need to be tested.
Requirements:
EDPM rubber liner
geotextile or discarded carpets
water inlet and outlet valves
flexible pool cables
water pump & sand filter (can be bought as a kit)
a bunch of pipe elbows and connectors
sand of your choice
optionally also rocks/boulders
Digging the hole
Dig a hole where all walls are sloped at a maximum 45 degrees angle (preferably less). It can be done manually or by hiring an excavator for a few hours. The lower the angle of the walls, the bigger the hole will be needed. On the plus side, the more natural beach-feel you will get and the easier it will be to keep the sand from sliding down the slopes into the bottom of the pool.
The hole can be made in any shape and size you prefer, as long as the walls are sloped at a shallow angle.
Water circulation and cleaning area
The water needs to circulate and all the bigger debris like leaves, insects that fall into the water need to be accumulated someplace for easy removal.
Create a small creek that leads from the swimming area to a cleaning area. That replaces the need for a skimmer. All the dirt will accumulate in the cleaning area for manual removal.
Laying the pipes
In the existing hole, dig small trenches and lay the pipes for multiple inlets in the swimming area and one outlet under the cleaning area. All the inlets should cummulateively direct the water to flow towards the cleaning area. Position the inlets so that all the water is continously mixed and there are no blind spots where the dirt can accumulate.
Waterproofing the hole
Line the hole with geotextile or discarded carpets (soft side up). This serves as protection from punctures for the EDPM liner that holds the water.
When the EDPM liner is placed, you need to make a few holes in it to fit the water inlets and outlets.
I will continue in the creative contributons section with things I haven't quite figured out yet...
Rubber grid/honeycomb mats to keep the sand from eroding to the bottom
Darko SavicJun 16, 2021
There are many commercial slope erosion control systems such as these examples:
Geoweb from Geosystems:
Unknown brand:
3D geomats
Geomat Trinter:
Beco Bermueller Bemat:
Here is a video explainer showing installation of such a system.
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Sand pool
B
Bridget Broussard Sep 30, 2023
Professional sand pools are made with quartz sand mixed with an antimicrobial resin. once it hardens the sand stays in place. I believe microban makes the resin but I've not been able to find it for sale to the public
Darko Savic Jun 16, 2021