Installing a semi-inground pool to create a natural backyard oasis

Breaking ground

Once the client signed off on the project, excavation started, and a custom vinyl liner was ordered for the pool. That said, the first challenge was digging the base of the pool properly, if the details of the excavation plan are not followed precisely, it could cause a lot of extra, unnecessary work. Therefore, having a skilled excavator operator on staff worked in favour for Remington Home Leisure’s installation team. On this project, for instance, when the installation team arrived with the pool and all of its components, the base was prepared so accurately it allowed the pool walls and side supports to be installed and ready for concrete in less than two hours.

This particular pool comprises 51-mm (2-in.) thick wall panels constructed of an expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation core that is bonded between two sheets of acrylic-coated aluminum. Each panel was easily assembled (sometimes with the help of cooking spray) via the panel’s proprietary compression seams (i.e. spline), which locks them together.

Set in concrete

Once the pool walls were in place, the concrete footings were installed. This was accomplished using 6 m² (64.5 sf) of concrete with two crew members transporting it to the pool area via wheelbarrow, while another two workers shovelled and spread the concrete where it was needed.

It was known from the start that site access was going to be an issue, as the pool was being installed on the far side of the property and the entrance side was separated by a septic bed. Therefore, heavy equipment could not be operated on this part of the lawn. As a result, the concrete pour took approximately four hours to get it all to the pool and another hour or so to trowel it in place, giving it a fairly smooth finish. That said, a perfect finish was not needed at this time as the entire base would be grouted at a later stage. The concrete is typically given 12 to 24 hours to cure—depending on weather conditions—before proceeding to grout the pool base and starting work on other project components.

Due to some inclement weather during this project, the concrete had to be covered and the installation team returned two days later to perform the grout work. It took approximately three hours to grout the pool using the same method that was used to pour the concrete footings—two team members hauled concrete to the pool via wheelbarrow while two others grouted the pool base. While this took place, the coping and other pool fittings (e.g. skimmer, returns, and lights) were installed.