Removing a swimming pool

[crjx]

Hi,

I have a large concrete swimming pool right in the middle of my back yard that I would really like to get rid of. It was the one thing that put me off buying my house and I have put up with it for several years, but now I think the time has finally come for it to go.

I have done some searching on the net and in theory it seems pretty straightforward, but I would be grateful if someone could answer 2 questions for me

1. The big problem I have is that there is no vehicle access possible to the pool to drive a truck or any sort of machinery in (I would have to demolish part of my house, and there is no rear access). Does this make removal impossible, or is there some type of fill that can be piped in, or some other creative means of getting rid of a swimming pool (ie building something over it and turning it into a wine cellar?!)

2. If this is possible, what sort of contractor would I be best off getting to do this? A builder? or a landscaper? Or are there people who specialise in this sort of thing?

Many thanks

[Groggy]

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?)

[Barry_White]

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

[Burnsy]

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.

[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/

[hansp77]

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...

[Burnsy]

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 rolleyes:

[Honorary Bloke]

Yep, Burnsy, but you said it first so you get the credit. :D 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. :)

[Burnsy]

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.

[Groggy]

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 :D .

[Ekim]

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

Regards,

Mike

[Terrian]

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.

[crjx]

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.

[ian]

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

[Buzza]

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. :2tsup:

[Honorary Bloke]

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.

If you explore that link a bit more, you will see that they supply an automatic pump with each cover. So when it rains, the pump just empties the pool again. :)

Groggy, I have begun digging but it looks like hard yakka after the first metre or so. :D :D :rolleyes:

[crjx]

If you explore that link a bit more, you will see that they supply an automatic pump with each cover. So when it rains, the pump just empties the pool again. :)


I did see this, but imagine a lot of leaves and dirt and other gunk would still accumulate in the bottom



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.

ian



I have heard this can be a problem with a plastic pool in an area with a high water table, but would this really be a concern with a concrete pool in Melbourne (I live in Caulfield)????

[ian]

a sealed concrete pool will float
whether it will ever be a problem depends on where the water table gets to when it rains and rains and rains some more

just remember thet the current drought / very dry spell with depressed ground moisture levels is not a permanent fixture and at some stage it will rain enough to possibly bring the water table close to the surface


ian

[ian]

Hi,

I have a large concrete swimming pool right in the middle of my back yard that I would really like to get rid of. It was the one thing that put me off buying my house and I have put up with it for several years, but now I think the time has finally come for it to go.

The big problem I have is that there is no vehicle access possible to the pool to drive a truck or any sort of machinery in (I would have to demolish part of my house, and there is no rear access). Does this make removal impossible ?hire a crane and lift the demolition machine over the house

[luckysack]

As already said, there is definately a possibility of a concrete pool floating when ground water rises. I suspect that you would have a hydrostatic valve installed at the bottom of your pool which is designed to relieve the pressure built up underneath the pool shell. BUT this does not guarantee that your pool will stay in the ground when empty. There are many influencing factors but if you think there is a chance of water gathering beneath your pool think long and hard before emptying your pool! If you have good drainage such as nicely sloping block that is well above the water table then you're sure to be safe.
How do I know? I've had my concrete pool empty for a good 12 months and had absolutely no movement at all.

[klinger]

How bout teaching the kids to swim. They start learning from 6 months on. Takes away the danger and everyone gets to enjoy whats already there.
But if your after the extra yard, deckit.

[prozac]

Put a roof over it and turn it into a shed.

[rod1949]

Import a few Maron from here in WA and turn it into a Maron pond and then sit back and watch the $$$$$ roll in.

[frog_hopper]

We recently filled in our pool. Ours had metal sides (old Albatros style pool) and we had to grind them out.

We registered for fill with every pool company in Brisbane (good way to get *clean* fill). After a few weeks, we had a call that someone had the fill in our area, and they organised us a bob cat and got filled the hole in in a mater of hours. It cost about $400 for the bobcat and that was all. It worked out well as we were not sure on the exact amount of dirt that was going to be required, and they just stopped bringing it when the hole was full.

We had 1.6 meters (2 meters including area under the eves) access down the side of the house (quite steep also) and I was surprised that they could get a machine through. They ended up using a 2 meter wide bobcat and excavating down under the eves. Exactly much access to you have???

Anyways - whilst we were in the process of deciding what to do, we were advised by several pool places NOT to empty the pool until we had decided what do do with it. You might want to check what the case is for concrete pools, but you may not be able to fill it up again later if you damage it by removing the water (try phoning up a concrete pool renovation mob).

We also considered the underground tank idea - has a lot of merit. Drainage was going to be the issue if we built a deck over it.

Other thing to think of, is that if you fill in a hole over 1 meter deep (according to Brisbane City Council) you must get council approval, as someone else may want to build over it in the future if they buy your place.

Another things to check are that the dirt you are receiving does not have fire ants in it (do you get these in VIC?).

Hope this helps.

[frog_hopper]

If you live on a sloping block, you could take the dirt from somewhere else in the yard, and re retain where you took the dirst from (this was our backup option).

That would give you the dirt, then you would just need to get the machinery over the house.