building our swimmingpool

[sjeng]

So, we started to build our pool 10 x 5 m
no contractor i build the pool myself with a few local workers, no fancy things just a swimmingpool
the last four weeks we dug the hole, hard work as it is solid like a rock the famous thai red one. but now it is almost done. all the land is taken out and put outside the perimeter wall with use of a few weelbarrows, a lot of weelbarrows have to say, 75 m3 of land/stone.
keep u informed, pics next time
sjeng

[MGV12]

So, we started to build our pool 10 x 5 m
no contractor i build the pool myself with a few local workers, no fancy things just a swimmingpool
the last four weeks we dug the hole, hard work as it is solid like a rock the famous thai red one. but now it is almost done. all the land is taken out and put outside the perimeter wall with use of a few weelbarrows, a lot of weelbarrows have to say, 75 m3 of land/stone.
keep u informed, pics next time
sjeng

Digging a pool that size by hand, even with local help, is a major achievement in red dirt ... well done.

My pond extension was less than half that amount and we sometimes wished we had had a backhoe in!

Look forward to the pics.

[pattayapope]

Sjeng sounds like an interesting project will be good to see the photos, sounds like you have got some good workers to shift that amount of soil, I bet the are happy the hole is dug now, how many people did you have?

[sjeng]

I had 4 some day 6 people lets say 5, but i did work also (lol) trying to keep them going , until now i payed for digging the hole 24 000 thb and a few bottles of whiskey to keep the engine going. I was thinking of using an bachoe but it could not get in my backyard, gate on the back only 1,5 m so a no go.

[sjeng]

details and pics
so 10 x 5 m deep 1.5 - 1,2 m, skimmer pool , 2 inlets 1 skimmer 1 vacuum cleaner;
floor and walls 20 cm rebar 12 mm (min) dubbel layer, grit 20 x 20
the top of the pool will be about 20 - 30 cm above ground level i hope the frogs, dogs and the rest of the screepyones stay out, additional profit no problem with high groundwaterlevel during the rainy season. formwork for the concrete outside is made with sinterblocks, inside with playwood.
there is only one small problem, there is no pool supplyshop nearby, so have to order and get it all in udon (200 km)

see you
sjeng

[Maseratimartin]

Hi Sjeng,
that is now the perfect build for many of us who are still planing for a similar pool as yours!
Thanks for the first photos and hope you keep the info coming....
Good start....
Martin

[LilBudda]

Wow that is one neatly dug hole! Wish you all the best, hope things work out...

[sjeng]

So one week ahead.
the walls are up. one of the 10 m walls collapsed because the workers were so cleaver to fill up the gap with land and water , i was not at home at that time.
s**t always happens when you let them alone. lucky nobody got hurt. I speak my few dozens of ugly words to them and they understood. UGLYFGH:GFhVYGFN!!!!???!!!!

so 200 new sinterblocks and a few bags of cement and fixed again. for workers safety i put some ancors from the wall to the land and told them DONT FILL UP, wait for the concrete is put in.

So now working on the rebar first layer is going in 12 mm rebar, grit changed to 24 cm still an overkill on rebar as there is a second layer coming in.

for the next few days they promissed some rain around here , so the work have to stop for the week-end. time for me to go shopping to Udon to buy the waterstop, skimmer and some pipework for in the walls.
monday start with the second rebar layer and then its concrete time, and put the floor (20 cm) in.

[pattayapope]

Sjeng it will be interesting to see your final build cost to see how much the pool people mark up the cost, I would expect a pool like yours would cost between 500 to 600 K if built by a pool builder. Looking good so far hope the rains don't cause you any problems unitl you get the shell built.

[geordie]

Good going so far but be careful the reverse does not happen when you pour the concrete the wall may well go outwards so bring the dirt up with the concrete if you have to otherwise you might find yourself paying for extra concrete

[sjeng]

So the second layer of rebar is completed except for the top row, first we put the concrete for the floor and than have to check the hight for finish the rebar toprow, i think the wal have to come up some 10 cm more but we do that after the floor is ready.
today no workers on site because i not got the waterstop jet, the shop promised to deliver today, but not see them jet.
so i hope tomorrow can put the waterstop in and adjust (lift) the rebar for about 5 cm and put the small 5 cm concrete footings under (home made from empty PET water bottles ) bent and bow the rebar to adjust if nessesarry and order the 10 m3 concrete 280 water proof. probably pooring on saturday or monday, good we are not in a hurry,
will be back soon

[sjeng]

another week ahead
we did put in the floor 25 cm concrete 280 waterproof 12 m3
lucky i did have to take down the perimeterwall as the concrete maxer was abled to go over the wall.

using a slide to poor concrte easy and cheap

next day start with formwork playwood 15 mm ans a lot of wood to keep it all in place.

formwork

advice dont make the floor slope when your workers are no mathematics, it is a hell of a job to communicate with them and difficult to get everythin strait in
Pooring the concrete for the walls should be done in layers of 20 cm at the most going around the wall, the best methode is the use of half the village and a lot of small buckets. my workers were a bit to enthousiastic again and poured direct from the truck in the formwork andthe result a loud CRACK and on some places formwork moved for 3-5 cm.
needs a lot of work to breack the concrete out later i have to buy a drillhammer for sure to get one wall strait again. the opposite side off the perimeterwall they used the small bucket and no problems on that side.

concrete in and water inlet 3 x 1,5 inch

next to doo clear the buildingsite before taking out the formwork
for the tiling we take 10 x 10 cm turqoise and peach for some modelling 75 m2 at 350 thb m2.

so next week i show the dammage and the repair so far i am happy with the result, as we are only a handyman with some locals and no proffessional poolbuilders.but dont want to miss the experiance of building my own pool.

[geordie]

Its looking great a shame about the slight movement you may find it better to even it out with render depending on how large an area moved

What size was the rebar used and what was the total cost for rebar ??

how much concrete in the walls ? and what cost per cubic mtr for the concrete ??

How much did you spend on shuttering and will you sell it on ???

What do you anticipate the total cost of the pool shell minus the tiling and plumbing and for what size pool

I know thats a lot of ??????? but others will be taking encouragment from this and analysing the bank acounts? with the veiw of maybe the pool companies are ripping people off

[sjeng]

Its looking great a shame about the slight movement you may find it better to even it out with render depending on how large an area moved

What size was the rebar used and what was the total cost for rebar ??

how much concrete in the walls ? and what cost per cubic mtr for the concrete ??

How much did you spend on shuttering and will you sell it on ???

What do you anticipate the total cost of the pool shell minus the tiling and plumbing and for what size pool

I know thats a lot of ??????? but others will be taking encouragment from this and analysing the bank acounts? with the veiw of maybe the pool companies are ripping people off

rebar: 12 mm min (the cheap ones) dubbel layer grit 20 x25 cm total cost 170 thb a piece total 28.000 thb
concrete floor 12 m3 walls 20 cm total 9 m3 cost 1 cm 280 water proof 2100 thb
shuttering 16 playwood 15 mm each 660 thb = 11.000 thb
for shuttering 45 x 4 m timber each 245 thb = 11.000 thb
eucaliptus 20 x 40 thb 800 thb
nails about 6 kg
total cost swimmingpool incl hayward super pump 2 1 HP 17.000 THB and DE filter Hayward 3620 about 25,000 thb
the total cost for the pool wil be around 300.000 thb for a 10 x 5 m pool tiled and finished. incl labour.
only the water is not calculated jet (LOL)

Extra not included is the surrounding of the pool and the finishing touch, 300.000 is just for the pool and pumphouse
as it goes on lijke this i might even stay below that budget.

anyone wants to buy my second hand shuttering?????????
give me a quote

[geordie]

Good going and will be nice if you are within budget did you get a price for having it built of did you always intend on a diy job ? what was the eucaliptus for? ""props""