Polypropylene is a special type of plastic that is optimally suited for the construction of outdoor and indoor pools. The material has high performance characteristics, due to which polypropylene hydraulic structures successfully compete with other types of pools (reinforced concrete, fiberglass, collapsible and frame). In addition, polypropylene is easy to use, which allows you to create various forms of structures and bring unusual ideas to life on your own.

Content

1. Polypropylene for the pool: technical and operational characteristics of the material
2. Advantages and disadvantages of polypropylene pools
3. Creating a pool from a finished polypropylene bowl
   • selection of the shape and size of the pool bowl
   • pit device
   • construction installation  video
4. How to make a pool of polypropylene sheets yourself: an algorithm of actions and useful recommendations  video  video

Polypropylene for the pool: technical and operational characteristics of the material

Installation of pools made of polypropylene has become very popular, since such structures have high-quality, durable waterproofing, have an attractive appearance and a long service life. In technical terms, polypropylene pools are reliable and not inferior to traditional reinforced concrete hydraulic structures.

Polypropylene is a thermoplastic material characterized by high water resistance and strength, which is tested for bending, impact and torsion.

For the manufacture of pools use standard sheets of polypropylene with a size of 4 * 1.5 meters and a thickness of 8 and 5 mm. In addition to special flexibility, the following technical and operational characteristics are inherent in polypropylene:

1. Resistance to temperature fluctuations. Polypropylene sheet for swimming pools retains its qualities in the range from 40 to + 85 degrees. Withstands short-term temperature exposure + 95 degrees.
2. Material strength. Polypropylene is resistant to high static loads (it is much stronger than polyethylene).
3. Good dielectric. Polypropylene sheets can be used as electrical insulating material.
4. Resistance to chemicals. The material withstands contact with acids, alkalis, liquid metal, aggressive gas.
5. Low density. Polypropylene sheets have the lowest density among plastics (0.7 g / cc).
6. Environmental Safety. The material is non-toxic and can be used for the manufacture of not only bowls for pools, but also containers for transporting food.
7. Ease of processing. Polypropylene is easily cut with scissors, sawn, drilled and bent.
8. Polypropylene sheets are easy to polyfusion welding, hot air from an industrial hair dryer and extruder.

Polypropylene sheet products have high performance characteristics (wear resistance, low solubility, elasticity, durability) and have a wide range of applications.

Advantages and disadvantages of polypropylene pools

Polypropylene pools have become widely demanded due to their advantages:

• versatility polypropylene construction can be installed outdoors or indoors (basement, sauna, basement, detached building);
• water tightness of the hydraulic structure 100% - this property completely solves the issue of waterproofing the pool;
• low heat and vapor permeability of polypropylene can reduce the cost of electricity and heat carrier for heating water;
• there is no need to drain the water from the pool even in severe frosts (polypropylene is resistant to seasonal temperature fluctuations) the pool can even be used as a winter ice rink;
• after installation, additional surface treatment of the pool bowl is not required, since the polypropylene sheet already has a finished, attractive appearance (usually blue, white or blue);
• the surface of the pool does not slip when wetted, it is safety, does not need complicated maintenance and does not fade;
• the surface of polypropylene significantly reduces the likelihood of the appearance and reproduction of fungi and algae in the pool (the cost of buying chemicals for pools is significantly reduced);
• modern multifusion welding technology allows you to create pools of any complexity and any size;
• the pool can be equipped with additional installations (skimmer, countercurrent, hydromassage nozzles, underwater searchlights);
• the terms of manufacturing and installation of a polypropylene pool are less than that of a reinforced concrete structure;
• competitive cost of polypropylene pools (at a price of 1.5-2.5 times less than a reinforced concrete pool, a polypropylene structure is not inferior to a traditional analogue in any parameter);
• the maximum term for the turnkey pool is two weeks;
• the manufacture and installation of a pool bowl made of polypropylene can be done by yourself.

The disadvantages of polypropylene pools include:

• the color of the pool bowl can only be monophonic, there is no possibility to create a mosaic pattern;
• if polypropylene sheets were welded on an automatic machine, subtle seams may remain.

Creating a pool from a finished polypropylene bowl

selection of the shape and size of the pool bowl

The variety of sizes and shapes of polypropylene pools is surprising and allows you to realize the most daring design ideas.

The scale of the pool will depend on the destination and location:

• a large bowl will be needed to create a fully functional swimming pool;
• the average size is suitable for family pools or counter-current swimming pools;
• compact bowls can be used to create a decor pool, hot tub or sauna font.
  

The shape will be determined by the configuration of the site and your own imagination. Typical forms of polypropylene pools include structures in the form of: circle, oval, bean grain, rectangle, corner.

Making an intricately shaped pool bowl is a more complex process, requiring special skills in working with polypropylene

In addition, a complex shape pool requires more painstaking care, it is necessary to calculate the location and power of the filters, regularly purchase additional reagents.

For a home pool, the circle, oval and rectangle are considered the optimal shape. The traditional design can be diversified with interesting steps, handrails and other functional and decorative elements.

The standard pool depth is 1.5-1.6 m, but if desired, you can order or build a pool bowl yourself with other parameters. In the pool where children will bathe, it would be nice to provide a separate zone with a depth of not more than 1 meter.

Fans of extreme diving from a springboard should provide in the pool a zone with a depth of about 2.5 meters. Alternatively, you can install a pool in which the depth increases gradually.

pit device

First of all, you need to choose a site for the future pool. It is desirable that it be on clay soil. The area around the pool should not be planted with shrubs and trees, so that the fallen leaves do not clog the water.

After that, you can begin to equip the pit.

1. Mark the foundation pit. It should be borne in mind that for the convenience of the work, the length and width of the pit should be 1 meter greater than the dimensions of the pool bowl.
2. You can dig a pit manually or using an excavator. The depth of the pit should exceed the height of the basin by 30-50 cm.
3. The bottom of the pit must be leveled, covered with medium-sized gravel (layer thickness 20-30 cm) and tamped.
4. A mesh of reinforcement is laid (bar cross section about 3 cm, mesh size about 25 cm). The grid is located on bricks, to a height of 5-7 cm from the level of crushed stone. Bricks are installed evenly throughout the bottom of the pit.
5. Pouring concrete. The thickness of the screed should be about 30 cm. The concrete layer is leveled and left to solidify (about 5 days).
6. Dense geotextiles must be laid on concrete, and a heat insulator (foam or extruded polystyrene foam) on top of it. Styrofoam sheets or EPSF are interconnected with paper clips or tape.
7. The resulting pie should be covered with black plastic wrap and proceed to the installation of the pool bowl.

construction installation

Depending on the size of the pool, the bowl can be mounted in its entirety or assembled from parts already in place. After the pool casing is installed, it is necessary to connect the devices (water treatment, filtration, heating systems). Pipes from the systems are displayed in the office building from which the equipment will be serviced.

Subsequent fixing of the pool bowl occurs in this way:

1. Inside the pool, spacers are installed that hold the walls and the shape of the bowl.
2. All pipes adjacent to the pool must be fitted with a protective sleeve.
3. Around the pool bowl, formwork must be installed and reinforced.
4. Fill the bowl of the pool with water to a depth of about 30 cm.
5. Pour concrete mortar around the pool (concrete layer not more than 30 cm).
6. When pouring concrete, it is important to control so that the pool walls do not bend. Install additional spacers if necessary.
7. After the first layer of concrete has hardened (about a day later), add water to the pool by 30-40 cm and fill the second layer of concrete with a thickness of not more than 30 cm.
8. In stages, adhering to the described technology, it is necessary to concreting the outer walls of the pool.
9. After the concrete has completely hardened, the formwork is dismantled, the space between the wall of the pit and the concrete must be filled up with sand and made up.
10. The area adjacent to the pool should be ennobled (lay tiles, plant lawn and flowers, install lighting).

How to make a pool of polypropylene sheets yourself: an algorithm of actions and useful recommendations

If desired, you can buy polypropylene sheet for the pool and create a bowl yourself. To do this, prepare the following tools and materials:

• polypropylene sheets of dimensions 4 * 1.5 m (the thickness of the sheet for the bowl is 8 mm, for the manufacture of internal steps you can take finer than 5 mm);
• soldering iron for polypropylene (hand-held extruder or gun (hair dryer) with hot air);
• extruder nozzles for joining sheets at different angles;
• polypropylene rod for welding seams;
• tools for cutting polypropylene (suitable tools for cutting wood).

Tools for welding polypropylene are expensive, so it is advisable not to buy them, but to rent from a company working with sheet plastic

The manufacturing technology of polypropylene pools is as follows:

1. Make a drawing indicating all the necessary dimensions of the pool (side height, length, width of the pool, angle of rotation or radius of a circle).
2. Schematically show the arrangement of steps (internal of polypropylene or mounted of metal). The steps inside the pool look very beautiful and they are more convenient than hinged ones, but in order to build them you will have to work hard: calculate the number of steps, material consumption, cut out the elements of the steps from the sheets of polypropylene and weld them together.
3. We make the base of the pool the necessary number of sheets to weld together and lay the canvas on the prepared bottom of the pit.
4. Based on the outline of the future pool.
5. Solder the sheets of polypropylene in such a way as to produce a canvas:
   • web width \u003d height of the sides of the pool;
   • blade length \u003d pool perimeter side length with steps (if hinged steps are installed in the pool, then all sides of the pool are taken into account).
6. Install the canvas (pool walls) on the base of the bowl (strictly along the contour) and weld from the outside to the bottom.
7. Install spacers and center the pool walls relative to the bottom.
8. Make steps. On the inside, the joints between the steps are best welded with a bar (oval), and with an external extruder with a nozzle for a 90 degree seam.
9. Connect the finished steps to the pool side and check the joints of the connection.
10. Mount the pool side with steps to the general structure (weld side seams and bottom seams from the outside with a hand extruder).
11. After welding the stairs, bottom and walls, stiffeners must be welded. You can use a hot air gun and a welding rod. The distance between the stiffeners is about 60 cm, the thickness of the polypropylene is 8 mm.
12. If desired, the walls of the pool can be insulated with foam.

A self-made pool bowl is ready. The further algorithm for installing the pool (wiring communications, concrete pouring, territory design) is similar to the installation of the finished bowl described above.

Polypropylene is easy to use and durable in operation, and pools made of sheet thermoplastic are gaining more and more popularity every year due to their many advantages.

Author: Sergey and Svetlana Khuentsov

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