Installation: Fiberglass & Vinyl Liner Pool Kits

Included below are all the steps you need to consider and understand as part of your Pool Building Process. The pool kit installation procedure is one of the most critical phases of the Pool Building Process whether you get a fiberglass or vinyl liner swimming pool kit . This is precisely why you should understand each specific part of the Pool Building Process including the installation steps of your fiberglass or vinyl liner swimming pool kit. VIDEO: Fiberglass Install VIDEO: Vinyl Liner Install

Items you will need to become more comfortable with:

1) Make sure you bring your dream to something reasonable.

2) Start with bare essentials. If needed, make provisions to add certain items later.

3) Understand the entire "Pool Building Process".

4) Be involved as an Owner Builder.

5) Eliminate traditional pool builder and hire your installers and other trades.

6) Stick to standard sizes and shapes.

7) Use SeaGlass Pools for consulting and/or pool kit installers.

1. Decide Where To Put Your Pool

A. Find a flat area in your yard that is large enough to have a pool and its surrounding deck. Typically, the edge of your pool needs to be a minimum of 5-7 feet away from any structure such as a house, a shed or a fence. If your yard is not predominately flat then you first need to make preparations to have your yard leveled to grade before you can have a pool.
B. Take good measurements of your yard including length and width of the determined area.
C. Try and visualize how your pool area will look with your desired pool, decking, landscaping, etc.
D. Sketch out a drawing to depict how you want your pool area to look. Sample Hand Drawn Pool Plan

2. Decide On A Size For Your Pool

A. Vinyl Liner Pools: the standard sizes are 10'x 20', 12'x 24', 14'x 28', 16'x 32', 18'x 36' and 20'x 40'. There are many other options as well.
B. Fiberglass Pools: find a model that has the approximate size you want to fit in your area.

3. Decide On Pool Depth And Stair Location

A. Vinyl Liner Pools: the standard depths are 42", 42" to 6'0" and 42" to 8'0".
B. Fiberglass Pools: from the model you found that will fit in your pool area make sure it is the best option for stair location and depths.

4. Decide Where To Put Your Pool Equipment

A. Find an area not too far from your pool.
B. You will need a pool pump and filter but you may want to add some additional equipment such as a heater, a salt chlorination generator, an auto-vac pool sweeper or even safety pool cover.
C. Update your hand drawn pool plan by marking the location of your pool equipment.

5. Find Or Put Together A Set Of Property Plans

A. You will need to give your pool designer an accurate set of plans to work from to design your pool and placement thereof.
B. The plans will need to have measurements of property lines, structures, obstructions and certain obstacles. Also needed are measurements that display dimensions between property lines/fence lines and structures/house.
C. Most important, make sure that good accurate measurements are taken and displayed on your proposed pool area plan. There is no such thing as too many measurements.
D. Take pictures of your pool area for reference.
E. A hand drawn proposed pool plan works fine as long as it is legible.

6. A SeaGlass Pool Designer Designs Your Pool Plan

A. First decide if all you want is the bare essentials or if you would like to have more done, such as: renderings, details, landscape, etc.
B. Remember that plan design is a necessary step and should not be skipped. You will need them for proper construction and permitting.
C. The bare essential plans you will need are 1) pool plan and specifications, 2) dig plan and 3) pool placement plan. In many places you will also be required to have engineering plans.
D. With the bare essential plans you will be able to get a pool construction permit and start your pool. After you have already gotten your permit and find that you need to make a change, no worries, you need only submit the changes to the building department. Keep in mind, your building department has certain guidelines that will be issued to you and as long as you stay within those guidelines you should have nothing to worry about.

7. Set A Date, Get Scheduled, Get Permit(if required)

8. Excavation

Fiberglass Pools Kit Install 01

A. Layout and mark the exact and final resting location for your pool.
B. Pool site is cleared and pool hole is dug.
C. Trenches are dug for plumbing lines, for electrical lines and for other items that will be submerged underground.
D. Pool hole bottom is leveled, graded, and lined with sand for a sand bed.

9. Pool Placement

Fiberglass Pools Kit Install 02

A. Pool is carefully set into place (typically using a crane for a fiberglass pool shell) (set by hand for a vinyl liner pool kit).
B. Elevations are shot during the backfill process to ensure pool is level.
C. Trenches are dug for plumbing lines, for electrical lines and for other items that will be submerged underground.
D. Pool is carefully set. Elevations are shot during the backfill process to ensure pool is level.

10. Installation Of Pool Kit

Fiberglass Pools Kit Install 03

A. For Fiberglass : while pool shell is being filled with water, the hole around the pool shell is being backfilled with sand or pea gravel. Sand is typically washed in and the backfill level should always be about the same as the level of water in the pool. This process repeats until water level is full and the sides around the pool are completely full.
B. For Vinyl Liner : install braces and then pour about 12 inches of concrete around the exterior of the pool walls.

11. Plumbing Of Pool Kit

Fiberglass Pools Kit Install 04

A. Set pool equipment on equipment pad.
B. Plumb from the pool shell to the equipment.
C. Test plumbing bonds by holding a consistent amount of pressure for at least ten minutes.

12. Electrical/Gas Hookup

A. If you do not have an electrician you will need to get one.
B. Electrical supply needs to be run to the equipment pad area prior to installation of your pool kit.
C. If you are getting a gas heater you will need to get a gas plumber to run the gas lines.
D. You might need to upsize your gas meter.

13. Backfill & Grade Work

A. Once your backfill is done around your pool you will need to have the rest of your yard graded to the levels you want.
B. If you need dirt hauled off then you will need to get someone with a dumb truck and a loader.
C. If you need to get landscaping done then you will need to get a landscaper.

14. Concrete Decking

Fiberglass Pools Kit Install 05

A. If you do not have a good concrete mason familiar with pool decking you will need to get one.
B. Finish grading and compacting for proper ratios.
C. Install bonding steel.
D. Set forms for pool coping and pad/deck edge.
E. Pour concrete : broom, salt, stamped, colored, or however you would like it.

More:
Here we offer a good look at how swimming pools are installed in your yard. We also have (OIC) On-site Installation Consultants and Installers for above ground swimming pools & inground swimming pools for the owner builders, contractors and dealers. Our swimming pools and spas are among the best in pool design and structure. Not only do we provide information about pools in your area, we also provide just about any type of product you would want for your backyard, swimming pool, landscaping and more. To find out more about the swimming pool installation process just click here.

We supply to owner builders, DIY Do-It-Yourselfers swimming pool builders, contractors and dealers for your area. Most importantly our pool pro specialist and OICs can help you find your perfect swimming pool kit. If you would like to purchase an above ground swimming pool kit, an inground swimming pool kit or any other type of swimming pool kit, please contact us. Now remember we have all types of above ground swimming pool kits and inground swimming pool kits including: above ground swimming pool kits, fiberglass swimming pool kits and vinyl liner swimming pool kits.