9 Tips & Tricks For Building Out Your Own DIY Natural Swimming Pool

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When thinking about putting a DIY swimming pool in your garden, you might want to think about natural swimming pool options as a fun and beautiful addition to your home.

Instead of an energy sapping, money grubbing pool of regret, your little piece of heaven can be a cost effective contribution to the recovery of our environment – Isn’t that a nice concept!

We’ve created this article to help you to weigh up your choices and provide tips on how to do it yourself if you dare.

What Is A Natural Swimming Pool?

Ever looked at a lake or river and admired the tranquility of the crystal-clear waters? – Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take a piece of that natural beauty home?

Great news! You can!

A natural swimming pool is organically sustainable which means that it can maintain itself without the need for chemicals. This type of pool is a kind of closed ecosystem that uses natural solutions such as aquatic plants to keep the water clear instead.

You may find it a refreshing alternative to traditional pools and a fantastic problem solver if you have an adverse reaction to typical pool chemicals like chlorine.

The cost aspect of a project like this isn’t too scary either… Maintenance costs for natural swimming pools are a lot less than you may think if you get it right. Doing it yourself could reduce the price of installation even further.

Let’s take a look into some of your options and learn how to reduce the cost of building an all-natural swimming pool by rolling up your sleeves and doing it yourself.

So, without further ado, here are our 9 top tips and tricks for building out a DIY natural swimming pool.

1. Be Realistic With Your Build

If you’re building a pool with a little extra sparkle, it’s always useful to ground yourself on occasion so that your plans don’t exceed your budget, build time or space and leave you disappointed.

Take some time to think about the basics before you start considering extravagances such as fountains, waterfalls and water features and you won’t go far wrong.

After all, having a slightly less bedazzling pool is better than having to halt your project until you have the finances to fill the big hole that is now your garden.

2. Keep It Simple, Stupid

Simply put, don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Major building projects experience hiccups all of the time. So, the simpler your project, the less likely this is to happen. Why not try the following checklist to decrease the likelihood of your natural swimming pool build going off the rails?

Tips on how to make a simple DIY natural swimming pool:

  • Choose a simple shape
  • Get the basics right before thinking about extras
  • Have a stage by stage plan for each part of your pool build
  • Have some extra money put to one side just in case you forget to cost for anything or need a little extra help for the day
  • Create a realistic schedule and stick to it

3. Choose A Flat Bottom Natural Swimming Pool Design

You know how we mentioned that a simpler swimming pool design is more cost effective?

Well, the pitch of your pool is one factor that this applies to. Having one level for the base of your pool is easier to get right and will take less time to perfect. You could also find that you need that plant equipment for one less day or less pool lining materials.

Once your pool is built, you will also find it easier to maintain and clean by going for a slightly less complex pool floor design.

4. Don’t Make Your Pool Too Deep

If you want to avoid the cost of extra reinforcements for the walls of your swimming pool, we would recommend that you make them less than 2m tall. This depth will work just fine for anyone who isn’t a major diving enthusiast and is looking to keep the cost of extra steel and concrete to a minimum.

A shallower pool will also be easier for you to clean and maintain when the time comes to it.

You may even be able to leave the scuba suit and oxygen tanks in the cupboard!

5. Get Your “Zoning” Right

Natural swimming pools don’t just require swimming space. They also need a reserved area surrounding the pool for vegetation and filtration. Make sure that you get it right by reserving 50% of the pool surface area for the shallow plants will make up your ecosystem and entirely remove the need for an expensive filter as well as chlorine.

Useful tip: Before you start building your pool yourself, why not map out a to scale area for the development as well as the extra space that you will need for other things?

This will give you a clearer vision of what you’re building, make sure that you aren’t overestimating the amount of space that you have to work with and ensure that your new natural swimming pool is the perfect fit.

Box shaped pools tend to be simpler to plan for and contend with, so when thinking about space, why not make it easier for yourself by going for a traditional shape?

6. Think About Your Fittings

Your pool needs a variety of pipes and fittings in order to work properly, but this isn’t too pleasing on the eye.

In order to create the best looking natural pool paradise possible, plan where these fixtures are going to sit and come up with some clever ideas on how to hide them from view.

This is where you can afford to be a little more creative and quirky without breaking the bank. You could hide pool piping underground, with plants or with ornaments – The possibilities are endless! All you need is a little imagination.

7. Get Your Drainage System Right

Not organizing sufficient drainage can turn your natural pool into an absolute nightmare, so do not scrimp on the planning of this one.

Position your pool in a place that isn’t the lowest point in your garden so that you can figure out a way to remove surface and ground waters away from the area and prevent completely flooding the rest of your lovely garden.

Surround your natural pool with good drainage channels to achieve this and avoid turning your garden into a frog filled swamp! As always, remember to think about the positioning of your drainage so that you don’t ruin your beautiful oasis with ugly pipes

Using a conveniently placed natural well (if you have one) can also be a brilliant alternative for this.

8. Cut Costs By Using Black Lining For Your Pool

If you’re building a natural swimming pool, we’re guessing that you don’t want to ruin the eco-vibe by installing lots of electric heaters. This is where black pool lining can be incredibly beneficial to a natural pool build.

The color black absorbs heat better than its lighter counterparts which can reduce the need for pool heating or even remove it entirely, making your pool maintenance even cheaper!

Aesthetically, this could also make your pool look like an even more natural part of your landscape and be a stylish addition to your project.

9. Prepare All Your Materials In Advance

Ordering all of the materials that you need for your pool build in advance can help your project to keeping rolling along nicely because you aren’t waiting around for deliveries.

To help you out with this one, I’ve comprised a list of the basic items that you will need to start your natural pool build.

MATERIALS

  • Cement
  • Sand
  • Gravel
  • Fittings
  • Boards (formwork & bars
  • Liquid glass
  • Clay

TOOLS

  • A shovel
  • A hammer
  • Hacksaws
  • Pliers
  • A plumb
  • A level
  • A mixer

Remember, these are just the BASIC items that you will need to get your pool build started. Make sure that you plan your budget to cover any additional features that you would like.

Please consult an expert if you are unsure as to what extras you need.

Wrapping It Up

There you have it, some useful tips on how to make your very own DIY natural swimming pool to enjoy with friends and family!

A natural paradise like this can make a beautiful addition to your home without harming the environment and costing you a fortune to maintain, so if you’re thinking about putting in a pool anyway, why not go au natural?

If you’re tempted to take on the challenge, we hope that this guide has helped you get a clearer idea of what you need to do in the planning stages, what you will need to get started and how you can cut your costs.

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In this article, we will help you weigh up your choices and provide tips on how to build your own DIY natural swimming pool; a fun and beautiful addition to your home. #poolonomics #DIY #backyard

Categories: Pool Care, Pool Construction