How to build a cheap large pool from pallets in 1 day

Advantages and disadvantages

The possibility of arranging a reservoir without the involvement of specialists or serious financial investments in a capital hydraulic structure is already a huge plus. If we consider the advantages of a pool made of pallets for a summer house in detail, we get the following picture:

The time for independent arrangement from scratch is from several hours to 2-3 days (depending on the volume, availability of material, number of workers).
Minimum financial investment (you can only use used materials).
A fully decorated structure is a spectacular accent of garden design.
Implementation of the project at all stages is possible alone.
If necessary, the structure can be dismantled in a few hours.

It would be hard to call the fragility of the design a minus. With minimal investment, it is impossible to create a pool from improvised materials for a long period of time.

Self-assembly of a pool from pallets

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages include:

Minimum financial investment. To build a pool, you can use used pallets or purchase new ones at a low cost.
Fast installation and finishing process - depending on the simplicity of the design, the availability of the necessary materials and the number of assistants involved, this can take from several hours to two days.
Unique pool design as a spectacular garden design element.
Quick dismantling of the structure if necessary.

It is important to take into account the disadvantages that you will encounter:

Short service life of an artificial reservoir.
Unreliability of the structure if old and low-quality pallets are used.
It is impossible to preserve a pool made of pallets for the winter - it must be disassembled and subsequently reassembled for the next season.

Preliminary preparation

You can prepare the base area of the pool in two ways.

Cover the entire substrate on which the pool will sit with a thick plastic or waterproof sheet.

Create the substrate in the same way as the perimeter using wooden pallets. Place them next to each other and you get a raised, flat surface.

In both cases, the bottom of the pool should be insulated with thick plastic or waterproof tarpaulin. Treat the pallets so that the pool looks aesthetically pleasing.

You can then build a perimeter wall. Position the pallets according to the given shape and connect them using fasteners. You can also use strong ropes or wire. In any case, the pallets must be pressed tightly against each other and also secured to the ground.

You can line the inside perimeter wall with old bath towels. The inside of the pool, carefully waterproofed with tarpaulin, is attached to the edge of the pool, which can then be covered with wooden trim.

Don't forget about the steps. You can make classic steps from pallets.

How to make a pool from pallets with your own hands

Assembling the bowl from scratch requires a few simple steps. As an example, here are instructions with a photo of a pool made from round pallets:

Assembling the font with your own hands begins with preparing the site. You need a flat place without stones or large vegetation. It is optimal to remove the grass and add a small layer of sand. If you have unnecessary foam boards, they can be used for the substrate. The prepared area is covered with a tarpaulin, and the sides of the font begin to be formed from pallets.
As each pallet is installed, they are connected to each other with fasteners. First, the pallets can be sewn together with strips, then reinforced with clamps and mounting angles.
When the sides of the bowl are assembled, they begin arrangement. The inside of the fence is covered with old blankets, carpets, and felt. The soft substrate at the bottom is arranged in the same way.
The final cover is film. The waterproofing material is spread evenly over the bowl. Overlaps of about 20 cm are made beyond the sides. The edges of the film are fixed with tape. To prevent the round bowl from being crushed by water pressure, it is tightened from the outside with a cable or mounting belt.
The outside of the font is covered with clapboard or other facing material. Decorative edging is nailed from edged polished boards along the end of the sides. It can be used instead of benches. The board is treated with protective impregnation and opened with transparent or colored varnish.
The finished pool is filled with water. The structure is inspected for leaks and the strength of the pallet connections is ensured.

To make it more convenient to use the font, install a ladder with your own hands. You can consider lighting for night swimmers.

In the video you can see a DIY pool made from pallets:

Wooden podium

This is a more complex design, for the manufacture of which you will need:

The work is carried out in several stages:

Along the perimeter of the pool, concrete columns are made with a slight depth (up to 50 cm). Pool posts do not need to be buried too deep, 40–50 cm is enough
Measure the boards according to the diameter of the pool, adding 20 cm on each side.
Treat boards and bars with a moisture repellent compound (see above).
Lay the wooden blocks on a previously prepared place, cleared of turf and debris, previously covered with roofing felt, at a distance of 30 cm.
Attach the boards to wooden blocks with screws in such a way that there is a distance of 1 cm between the boards for ventilation. To ensure good ventilation, podium boards are laid with a gap of 1 cm
Sand the edges of the boards.
Place the podium on a flat surface.
Cover with linoleum or thick film. They are installing a swimming pool.

How to do it yourself step by step?

The construction of an artificial reservoir from wooden pallets consists of several successive stages - selection and preparation of a suitable site, construction of the pool bowl, as well as final finishing.

Preparation of the site at the dacha

For the construction of an artificial reservoir from wooden pallets, it is allowed to use only previously prepared areas , without the slightest irregularities, vegetation and stones.

Preparatory work includes several stages:

Marking the site and leveling it.
Designation of boundaries.
For a buried structure - digging a pit with an area slightly larger than the area of the bottom of an artificial reservoir.
Filling the bottom of the pit with sand and gravel and compacting it thoroughly. As an alternative, you can simply cover it with foam boards.
Covering a carefully leveled area with tarpaulin or roofing felt.

Making a homemade bowl

The bowl of the future pool should be formed in the following sequence:

Arrange wooden pallets close to each other so that the board panels are directed into the structure.
At several levels (bottom, top and middle), firmly connect them to each other using clamps, mounting angles or self-tapping screws.
Strengthen the resulting structure with slings, tightening it around the entire perimeter.
Cover the bottom and inner sides of the reservoir bowl with felt or soft improvised objects - unnecessary carpets, blankets or mattresses. This is done for insulation purposes.
In the interior space, spread a waterproof film evenly over the soft layers. It should extend beyond the outer side of the sides by approximately 25 cm. It is advisable to use a film of a pure blue shade, which will ensure the aesthetic appearance of the water in the pool.
Securely secure the film using mounting tape.
Fill the pool with water to test the waterproofing.
Tighten the structure along the outside with mounting straps or cables - the result should be something similar to hoops on wooden barrels. This technique will help prevent damage to the bowl under water pressure conditions.

Attention! Considering the relatively short lifespan of a homemade pool made from wooden pallets, you should not install complex and expensive equipment. Vibrating pumps can damage the film bottom. Therefore, it is better to get by with a simple bottom pump that can not only pump water, but also filter it.

Final decoration

After assembling the pool bowl and testing its hermetic properties, you can begin the final stage of work - aesthetic decoration.

To do this you need to perform the following steps:

Place connecting bars or boards on the upper edges and sides of the artificial reservoir bowl between the pallets, ensuring more reliable fixation of the film.
The entire outer side of the frame, including the edge and side parts, should be trimmed with decorative material - for example, plastic or wooden panels, boards or plywood sheets.
All wooden elements are impregnated with antifungal and moisture-repellent compounds, and then covered with stain, which plays a decorative and protective role.
If desired, install stairs, gangways and railings.
Fill the pool with water and check its tightness again.

Step-by-step installation instructions

After choosing a place to install the pool, you need to mark the site.
For this purpose:

pegs;
roulette;
laces.

The marking boundaries for the site should extend 0.5 m beyond the contours of the pool.

Taking into account the shape, the outlines of the base are determined:

For a round product, a peg is driven into the soil and a rope is put on it. A can of paint is attached to the free end. Using the principle of a compass, a circle of the appropriate diameter is drawn.
For an oval pool, two circles are drawn in the same way. The borders are then connected by parallel lines using threads.
If the shape is a square or rectangle, you need to drive 4 pegs in the corners. Between them, threads are stretched at right angles - the sides of the platform.

Before laying the base, the area must be cleared of grass and debris, and then the soil must be compacted tightly.

Materials and tools

For installation you should prepare:

sand (preferably river sand);
gravel;
water;
cement (it is better to take frost-resistant brand F200);
boards;
construction trowel;
reinforcement or solid reinforcing mesh;
beacons made of metal profiles;
level;
construction mixer or concrete mixer.

A layer of geotextile can be laid at the bottom of the base. This material prevents the soil from mixing with the sand mound. Thus, the site will not sag during application.

If the pool bowl is large, it is more profitable to order a concrete machine to complete the process in one day, saving time and effort. When making the mixture yourself, you need to use cement and PGS - a mixture of pebbles with river sand.

Manufacturing process

Manufacturing stages:

After removing the top fertile layer of soil, do not throw it away. The earth will be useful for supporting the formwork in the future. Sand 10 cm high is poured onto the bottom of the site, compacted and filled with water. Get a high-density sand substrate

It is important that it is as even as possible. Gravel is poured onto the sand: the layer thickness is 5 cm. A sand and gravel cushion is created. Reinforcement or a ready-made reinforcing network is laid on top. Formwork is made along the contour - walls that limit the shape of the future concrete base. Optimal height – 10 cm

On the outside of the wall you need to press it tightly with pieces of turf. Concrete is poured using a concrete mixer or mixer. The mixture should be homogeneous. It is necessary to achieve complete filling of the formwork. The platform is pierced with a metal stick to release air bubbles and increase the strength of the concrete. The surface is leveled using a construction trowel. Leave the platform until it hardens completely and remove the formwork; After hardening, the top layer is cleaned and sanded.

The optimal height is 10 cm. The outside of the wall should be pressed tightly with pieces of turf. Concrete is poured using a concrete mixer or mixer. The mixture should be homogeneous. It is necessary to achieve complete filling of the formwork. The platform is pierced with a metal stick to release air bubbles and increase the strength of the concrete. The surface is leveled using a construction trowel. Leave the platform until it hardens completely and remove the formwork; After hardening, the top layer is cleaned and sanded.

When installing a high concrete base, the unattractive walls of the site can be finished with natural stone.

What to put or lay on concrete?

The finished concrete site should be coated with special impregnations in order to:

increasing durability;
fortifications;
preservation of appearance.

For this you can use:

primer;
plaster;
waterproof paint coating.

You can cover the site:

wooden flooring;
polyethylene;
a substrate, if it comes with the pool;
linoleum;
polyurethane insulation.

Step-by-step photos of pallet pools

And here we found for you a couple of step-by-step photos with master classes on how to make a wooden frame pool from pallets (or pallets).

From a tractor wheel and from a covering awning

As you can see, it’s not so difficult to make one from a tractor wheel.
But from the awning, here you already have to figure out that you can pass the steps through the holes in the awning, which remains only to be pulled and secured above ground level!

Singapore. Swimming pool on the roof. A selection of CREEPY photos

Below we have posted 4 photos of a hotel rooftop pool in Singapore. This is the largest known swimming pool in the world, which is located on a large platform, which in turn lies on three skyscrapers at once. What a scope!

There are palm trees on the roof, there are hammocks, and there is room for several thousand people. I wish I could swim there!

See the entire selection of photos in the gallery below.

Homemade pool from pallets

Having a swimming pool on your property is probably everyone’s dream. However, not everyone can afford such an expensive pleasure. This is exactly what one enterprising Swede thought and built a pool from ordinary wooden pallets. The best part is that the materials cost was no more than $80.

Swede Torben Jung made his own swimming pool from recycled materials.

Torben Jung dreamed of having his own swimming pool on his property. And since the Swede could not afford his purchase, he decided to make a swimming pond with his own hands. Following instructions found on the Internet, Jurgen built a real functional pool. The guy filmed the entire work process with a camera and posted it on social networks so that anyone could invent something similar for themselves.

1. Wooden pallets

Wooden pallets are the basis of the pool.

Tensioning straps strengthen the structure.

Torben installed 9 wooden pallets in a circle, nailing slats on them. To finally strengthen the structure, he used tie straps.

2. Waterproof material and towels

Towels are laid out for softness.

After this, waterproof material was laid out, on which the Swede additionally threw towels. This is done so that the edges and joints do not put pressure on the backs of those who will be in the pool.

3. Another blue waterproof lining

Waterproof blue material.

To give the pool a traditional look, Torben chose another waterproof liner in a blue hue and secured it around the edges with a tray.

4. Bamboo facade

The outside of the pool is lined with bamboo.

The final touch in the construction of the pool was decorating it with bamboo branches, hiding all the internal materials.

5. Water pump

Water is pumped out using a pump.

By the way, Torben also took care of how easy it is to drain the water from the pool. For this he used a pump. Now, if necessary, the guy can easily change the water.

If this craftsman did not have the funds to buy a pool for his site, then for others the opposite is true: the lack of free space becomes a decisive factor.

We are building our own cinema in the courtyard of the house

How and with what to seal the gap between the bathtub and the wall

Materials

According to him, it took the blogger 14 standard pallets to assemble the sides of the pool. Another 8 pallets were used to construct the bottom. The blogger used felt to cover the walls and bottom of the pool. But, according to Caleb, you can simply cover the pallets with old wool blankets.

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The blogger purchased a special film for covering pallets, intended for arranging reservoirs. This film is made of rubber and can withstand heavy loads. Regular greenhouse polyethylene film, according to the blogger, is not suitable for covering swimming pools due to its low degree of strength.

The only thing that can be used when arranging a pool from pallets instead of such a rubber film is an old, intact, tightly stretched ceiling. In any case, according to Caleb, you can only use solid fabric to cover the pool. It will most likely not be possible to seal the joints reliably.

Recommendations for operation and maintenance

Considering that the artificial pond made from pallets is located in the open air, it periodically needs to be cleaned of insects and fallen leaves. The debris that ends up at the very bottom can be removed with the help of a juicer. To prevent water from blooming as a result of exposure to sunlight, it is necessary to cover the font with a film that does not transmit light. Thanks to this material, the water will remain suitable for swimming longer, and it will also be possible to avoid slippery sides and bottom, which is dangerous.

DIY technology for constructing a pool from pallets

Swimming in the pool on a hot day is the dream of most owners of suburban areas. It would seem that such luxury is the prerogative of large landowners who invest substantial money in the development of the territory. But even on a modest 6-10 acres, realizing the dream of splashing around in the summer is not a difficult matter. In a couple of days, an ordinary summer resident can build a pool from pallets with his own hands, and if necessary, disassemble it or move it to another place. In this article we will look step by step at how to build a pool from pallets in a small country house or in the courtyard of a private house.

Which pallets are best to make a pool from?

To assemble a good pool with your own hands, you need durable and environmentally friendly pallets. The service life of the structure, its reliability, and functionality will depend on their quality. To make a pool, you need to choose pallets with the following characteristics:

they should not be damaged or broken;
must be well processed (without knots);
without serious defects.

Among the advantages of pallets it is worth noting:

absence of harmful substances during operation;
good strength characteristics;
low thermal conductivity;
relatively light weight;
ease of processing;
versatility in use.

It is best to use pallets made of coniferous wood - pine, spruce, larch - to make a homemade pool.

The advantages of pine material include:

color (from yellowish to reddish);
light and soft texture;
original recognizable pattern;
high degree of thermal insulation.

Spruce pallets are also popular among consumers. They have a white color with a yellowish tint, the same soft texture as pine. But spruce has a lower degree of resistance to the process of decay, it has a lower level of resin.

Unlike spruce and pine, larch has a high degree of strength (25-30% higher), which explains its demand in structures with increased reliability requirements. Larch also wins in terms of the number of knots - it completely lacks them. But during the drying process, this material often cracks.

Among the hardwoods most often used for the production of pallets:

Birch, which is characterized by financial accessibility and high performance characteristics. In addition, it is able to withstand shock loads and does not create difficulties during processing.
Oak, which has an increased degree of strength, sufficient hardness, beautiful dark color and pattern. The material perfectly withstands excessive levels of humidity and does not cause difficulties during processing.

Comment! Individual parts for pallets are made from juniper and yew, which are resistant to temperature changes, moisture, and very strong. Pallets are an affordable material that allows you to quickly and permanently build an original pool on your backyard plot

Construction rules and requirements for a pool podium

Before you get to work, you need to think through the design and try to make it as safe as possible for all swimmers in the pond, regardless of their age, height and weight. Building a platform for a swimming pool at your dacha with your own hands will require the fulfillment of at least four basic conditions:

The podium is assembled and mounted as an independent structure on its own support system, without the use of pool frame elements. Only a flexible connection of the frame systems of the podium and the reservoir is allowed, and only at the lower level;
The podium frame, horizontal surfaces and steps must be treated with protective materials to prevent swelling and deformation of the structure;
The materials used to line the paths must be sanded to prevent the appearance of splinters or sharp chips. It is best to build a podium for a country pool from a terrace board; it has excellent decorative and tactile qualities and is highly resistant to moisture;
For manufacturing, only metal and wooden supports are used, no plastic, brick or concrete.

The main requirement in making a frame pool on a podium in a country house, photo, is that the structure should not create additional loads on the frame of the reservoir itself.

For the deck frame you will need to make your own system of beams and posts, without contact with the elements of the reservoir

If you tie together the steps of the podium and the frame of the pool, the bowl on the side of the steps will slowly deform and sag over time, and the polyvinyl chloride membrane can be stretched and even torn at the points of attachment to the racks.

What materials and tools will be required

To build a pool from pallets, you must first draw up a project that will significantly simplify the calculation of consumables and reduce the time for assembling the structure. In most cases, the structure has a rectangular or square shape. As an option, a pool in the form of a polygon, oval or circle is also quite possible, but this will require more serious fasteners. If you use ordinary ones, the structure will be short-lived and may simply fall apart.

If you are planning a medium-sized pool, then you will need about 10 pallets. To erect the vertical walls of a rectangular structure, 4 pallets are used, and for short sides - 3 pieces. Ultimately, a structure with dimensions of 3.2 × 2.4 m should be produced.

For 4 sides of a rectangular font you need to prepare 14 pallets, for laying out the bottom - 6-8 pieces. You will also need a film, but not a greenhouse film; it is not able to withstand significant loads. The best option is the use of black rubber material intended for the construction of artificial reservoirs and swimming pools. This film has increased strength characteristics, sufficient resistance to direct sunlight, and can withstand heavy loads. Its black color attracts heat from the sun better, and the water in the pool will warm up faster.

Another good option would be to use a blue film that has a polymer coating. But it has one drawback - it is expensive.

Advice! To build a pool from rectangular or any other shaped pallets, you can use used PVC film - a suspended ceiling.

When calculating the film, add 20 cm on each side. You should use only solid material; when gluing several pieces, the tightness is not always one hundred percent.

To make an artificial pond at your dacha from pallets you will need the following materials:

pallets;
waterproofing material;
a piece of tarpaulin/linoleum (for upholstering the inside of the pool);
bottom substrate;
used blankets, carpets (for insulating the structure);
self-tapping screws;
mounting angles;
staples;
tape for attaching the film;
moisture protective agent for impregnation of pallets;
hammer;
saw;
screwdriver;
construction tape;
spirit level for monitoring vertical/horizontal walls;
scissors.

Drafting

The project is compiled either based on the availability of pallets, or, having enough consumables, on the desired volume of the bowl and the height of the sides. Wooden pallets, the standard dimensions of which are 80x120 cm, are installed vertically (side height 120 cm) or horizontally (side height 80 cm).

Round, oval, rectangular or square - these are all possible shapes for tanks. Elongated ponds allow you to swim, while compact ones allow you to passively enjoy the water and the sun. Having settled on the specific shape and volume of the structure, they make a diagram to calculate the amount of materials required for the work.

How to make a pool from pallets with your own hands

To assemble a pool from pallets with your own hands at the dacha, you need to decide on its location, prepare materials and tools. It is important to follow the algorithm of actions.

Preparing the site and arranging the bottom

First of all, it is necessary to mark and achieve a level surface in the area allocated for the installation of the pool.

The optimal depth for a pit for a pool made of pallets is 60 cm

If an artificial reservoir is planned to be of a ruined type, then it is necessary to dig a pit according to parameters exceeding the dimensions of the bottom of the structure made of pallets. It should be 60 cm deep, where 20-30 cm is the “landing” of the structure, 5-10 cm is the thickness of the “cushion”. The laid sand and gravel must be well compacted. Alternatively, the bottom can be made of sheets of foam plastic, penoplex, placing them close to each other.

After this, it is necessary to lay linoleum, roofing felt, and tarpaulin at the bottom of the pit. And then they begin to assemble the sides of the homemade font.

Wall installation and waterproofing

The sides are made of pallets deployed with board panels inside the structure. They need to be fixed at several levels using self-tapping screws, clamps, tightening them with slings along the perimeter 10-15 cm from the ground surface, in the center and 10-15 cm from the top edge of the wall. After this, you need to cover the bowl with unnecessary blankets and floor covering to ensure comfortable conditions while swimming in the pool. These measures will also prevent accidental damage to the film on the board.

It is best to use black rubber film for ponds or blue material with increased strength for arranging a pool

After laying the film and straightening it in all internal corners, proceed to fixing. It is necessary to ensure that there are no voids, the material lies freely, without tension. Using tape, secure the film to the sides from the outside. You can verify the tightness of the pallet structure by filling it with water.

Pump installation and pool inspection

For servicing a homemade hot tub at the dacha, the simplest version of a bottom pump is quite suitable. There are models that not only pump water, but also help filter it.

Decoration

You can give a pool made of pallets a more presentable look as follows:

Using boards and bars, join adjacent pallets along the top edge. At this stage, you need to fix the film material on the sides.
Sheathe the outside of the structure with finishing materials such as plywood, boards, and cover it with stain.
Install a ladder, stairs, handrails. Then fill the tank with water.

Design Features

There are many constructive solutions for independent arrangement of artificial reservoirs. A tank in a pit or an above-ground bowl made of blocks and concrete are capital structures erected once and for many years. Frame pools are a PVC container with a sheathing, a collapsible version. Such pools of different shapes and sizes are sold ready-made, but if you wish, you can make a small swimming pool on a frame with your own hands.

DIY pool

A pool made of pallets is a home-made economy class frame structure. From used materials available at hand, you can quickly and inexpensively set up a comfortable place to relax. The number of pallets available determines whether it will be a small tank for relaxation or a full-fledged pool in which you can swim.

If desired, a pool assembled with your own hands from pallets can be finished so that it lasts for several years. To do this, the platform under the bottom is prepared separately: leveled, covered with pebbles, sand or lined with foam plastic. The slightly recessed (20-30 cm) structure of the pallets will ensure additional stability of the sides under water pressure throughout the entire service life. All wooden elements of the structure are treated with water-repellent impregnation. If a bathhouse made from pallets, assembled for two to three weeks, is often not decorated in any way, then a pool designed for at least 2-3 seasons fits harmoniously into the landscape design of the site.

Mini-pool made from pallets

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the positive aspects of using pallets for making a pool on a personal plot it is worth noting:

affordable cost of consumables;
the ability to assemble the structure with your own hands;
original performance;
presentable appearance of the finished font;
practicality;
the ability to quickly dismantle and move to another location;
no difficulties when working with pallets;
long service life with high-quality processing of the frame.

Despite a whole list of advantages, a homemade pond made from pallets also has its disadvantages:

hydrophobicity of the material used;
the need to treat wood with special protective impregnations.

What materials and tools will be required

Another good option would be to use a blue film that has a polymer coating. But it has one drawback - it is expensive.

Advice! To build a pool from rectangular or any other shaped pallets, you can use used PVC film - a suspended ceiling.

When calculating the film, add 20 cm on each side. You should use only solid material; when gluing several pieces, the tightness is not always one hundred percent.

To make an artificial pond at your dacha from pallets you will need the following materials:

pallets;
waterproofing material;
a piece of tarpaulin/linoleum (for upholstering the inside of the pool);
bottom substrate;
used blankets, carpets (for insulating the structure);
self-tapping screws;
mounting angles;
staples;
tape for attaching the film;
moisture protective agent for impregnation of pallets;
hammer;
saw;
screwdriver;
construction tape;
spirit level for monitoring vertical/horizontal walls;
scissors.

Photo gallery

In this photo gallery we have collected for you more than 15 photos of various photographs, which illustrate step-by-step with photo instructions the processes of building various inexpensive swimming pools.

To enlarge the photo, just click on it

As you can see in this example, it doesn’t really matter what the pool frame is made of, the main thing is to use a good and strong film. And in this case, any bed will turn into a heavenly pond for swimming.

and here it is from beer boxes

How it really happened

To convince the skeptics, Kayla decided to tell how things really are with the pool assembled from pallets in their yard. According to the woman, they swim in this pool every day. At the same time, they were already having parties with friends next to him. Friends, of course, also swam in the pool.

According to Kayla, after using the pool for a month, nothing has happened to it yet. Swimming in it, since it is large in size, is very comfortable and pleasant. The blue tarpaulin copes well with the load.

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