Thread: Removing a swimming pool

You could get a concrete pumper to fill it, but I'd recommend against that. Who would buy a place with 200 tons of concrete in the backyard?

Pay to have it broken up and carted away or do it your self over the next few months. You would be surprised at how much you can move if you only take a few bits every night and a larger amount on the weekend.

I once broke up a 16-18" concrete base for a pool with a sledge - don't try that, life is too short. Hire a decent jackhammer.

With what it would cost you in tool hire/buy and skips or trips to the dump, it may be best to just let the pros do it.

(Can't you even get a wheelbarrow in there?)

Why not build a roof over it and turn it into an underground tank to water your garden. You could get a concretor in to build formwork and pump concrete in to make the roof.

Added Comment: You could then build a roof over that and turn it into an outside Barbeque/Entertainment area

I back filled a couple of pools while I was landscaping using barrows. Team of four guys with four barrows, one mini bobcat or dingo and a heap of fill out the front. Park two barrows side by side, fill with dingo and start pushing, it takes about half a day to do an average pool if the fill is there and everything is set up. If leaving the concrete in place you will need to break the base at the low point with a jackhammer to allow drainage and also break down the sides if you don't want them in the way of garden beds and the like. It is a good idea to have someone in the poll with a plate compactor compacting as the fill goes in to stop future subsidence. Fill with sand, to allow for good compaction and drainage.

Another option is to deck over the pool, then it is always there if someone wants to use it in the future. I like the cellar idea, maybe you could have a large outdoor gazebo with decking as it's floor and a wine cellar underneath that. With cellars you are required to put in air extraction to ensure that the air within the cellar is changed out at a certain interval - not sure what though. Or as Barry suggested, use it as water storage to water the garden and deck over that.

Here's a link to a company that specialises in this. Of course they are in the States, so that's no help, but it may give you some ideas of what's possible at reasonable cost.

http://www.parkyourpool.com/

At my grandmothers place in Mordy they simply filled it in with soil, and planted it out. Can't see a thing now- its a rose garden.
(there was a thread recently with someone in Melb offering free delivered fill- can't remember if it is all gone yet)

Alternatively, I like the idea of some sort of underground water tank. I wonder how hard it would be to build a structural reinforced concrete lid on it, and then lay a foot or so of soil over it for lawn/garden? You could even lay a few concrete/steel support foundations in the middle.
Run your rain water guttering into it, and a small pump for watering your new garden (growing on top).

Alternatively again,
at my last rental we had a massive big empty pool in our yard, with a roof over the top. Just before they sold it and kicked us out, I was about to start building a floor into it (had timber and flooring all ready). I was going to have steps going down into it, and then set the floor level so that the top outside perimeter of the pool is around the perfect bench hight. Then run some benches off it around where you want it... a bit of shelving, even a few removable bits of flooring for storage underneath, or any other use.
Hey presto- you might have found a way to build yourself a big workshop. Just build some walls and a roof, lay the floor as I described and the whole structure will be a lot smaller that it normally would have been.

Edit to add- crossed a few posts...

Another option is to deck over the pool, then it is always there if someone wants to use it in the future.

Here's a link to a company that specialises in this. Of course they are in the States, so that's no help, but it may give you some ideas of what's possible at reasonable cost.

http://www.parkyourpool.com/
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Just goes to show there are no new ideas left

Yep, Burnsy, but you said it first so you get the credit. I was only trying to show him how it might look. When I lived in Arizona these people were busy as. But you never wanted to actually destroy the pool, because the next bloke would want it back for sure.

Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

But you never wanted to actually destroy the pool, because the next bloke would want it back for sure.

I am with you there, I love a swim and would like a pool at my place so could never see the sense in removing or filling a pool in. It is surprisingly common in Perth which is pretty strange considering how hot it gets in Summer. If you take it out or break it up it will cost you $20,000 if you change your mind in a few years.

Originally Posted by Honorary Bloke

Here's a link to a company that specialises in this. Of course they are in the States, so that's no help, but it may give you some ideas of what's possible at reasonable cost.

http://www.parkyourpool.com/

Here's a thought, Bob, we'll give you the GPS coords. Start digging and rip it out from your side .

You could turn it into a sunken garden/entertainment area:
http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/landscapedesign9.html

Regards,

Mike

how about access from next door neighbor ?

A friend had a concrete pool that he wanted to get rid of, we hired a hilti (electric jackhammer) broke through the bottom in a couple of places, broke the sides to 1/2m below ground level and then carted in clean fill, nothing carted away.

We were able to get a (small) tipper i via the neighbors' place, tipped straight into the hole.

Cost about $50 per hour for the tipper from a local garden supplies.

Wow, thanks so much for all the responses!

Unfortutabely there is no access from the neighbours either - only access is though my garage, through a single door at the side and down a step into the garden.

I was actually being a bit tongue in cheek when I said build something over it, as I didnt think think this was something that was actually done.

Having seen a few of the links I actually really like the idea of the deck as it is reversible. My wife is far more attached to the pool than I am (I hate it actually), and this is not final and also gives the option of uncovering it if we are still here in 10 years time, so it looks like a good compromise. It will also obviously be a lot cheaper as well. My main reason for wanting to get rid of it is safety - whilst it is quite attractive, due to its "natural" shape and the landscaping and big rocks around it the only way to fence it off has been to fence off the whole backyard. We have 2 small boys (toddler and baby) and the toddler is endelssly frustrated by the fact that he can't go into the garden at all, and stands and shakes the fence and tries to find a way through. I am susre this will only get worse as they get older. All a bit silly when the thing only gets used a few times a year.

Looks like the deck wll be the way to go - main problem I see is how you stop it becoming a swamp and breeding ground for Melbourne's mosquito and spider population once it is empty? I guess you will have to pump out the water and go down and clean it every now and then.

crjx

I don't think you want to empty the pool and leave it empty.
If you do, next time it rains it's likely to float out of the ground.
Punching a hole in the base to stop it floating would likely bugger it for future use as a pool.

Unless you can garantee that there is absolutely no way the kids could get to the water (assume that the kids will find where the key is hidden if you're thinking of a locked trap door) I wouldn't like to keep it as a rain water tank either.

I think I'd fill it with clean sand to within about 300mm of the top (you should be able to get the sand pumped in using a concrete pump) then put down a couple of layers of builders plastic then soil and then turf.


ian

summer is approaching, you could always sell to someone who wants a pool and move

Frame over the top, and then cover with an Alsinite type of product that will suit mushroom growing.

Take an interest in orchids as well, and have garage sales every second weekend selling your products at the front gate. A nice set of wide, safely built steps to get down into it, and toddlers will get a great deal of knowledge from a haven like that as they grow up.