If you have a pool in the backyard that has not been used since a long time and neither is it going to be used further on, it’s time you think about getting it demolished. Not only will it give you extra space which can be used for greenery or as an extension to living space but also save you from the extra expenses on water treatment. Left uncared, the pools can turn out to be a breeding place for mosquitoes and other filthy insects. You can also get it turned into a natural pond if you are a marine enthusiast.
If you know you don’t want it, sweating on its management is absolutely not obligatory. Now if you think that getting it removed by contractors can cost you a huge expenditure and searching for a DIY guide, I would advise you not to try doing it yourself as the equipments need to be handled with precautions an is best understood by trained technicians working under the supervision of a contractor.
I had this in-ground pool which I realized was good for nothing and I wanted the space for a more useful purpose. You can consider plantation on them or extending the house or building a deck or a patio on it. Transforming the space into a garden was my idea behind this pool demolition. I had long planned it and now it was time for some action. Here is how the contractor got it done for me.
They used a Bobcat, which they brought with them for the purpose of carrying the drain rocks, gravel and for the utility of breaking the concretes. They are of great help even if you are to carry the gravels and from the front garden to the backyard. You can’t be expecting them to carry the whole damn dirt without the help of these. The role of hauling they serve is a big boon in this task.
They made sure to protect the pavers before using the Bobcat to carry sand and gravel to the backyard. You wouldn’t want to demolish the other features while trying to demolish a pool. Look how they got the pavement covered by wooden planks to facilitate easy and safe movement of Bobcat over them.
A pre-study of the blueprints of the pool to determine if there are utility lines located in the area of the pool was already done by the contractor. They got them all removed cautiously without causing any harm to the equipments like filters and piping. After emptying the pool of all the fixtures, they were ready to begin the main work.
You need to punch in holes in the pool before beginning to fill the pool with dirt and gravel. At the deeper end of the pool mark an area approximately 4*4 ft square. This is how they did it in my pool.
Now similarly mark an area at the shallow end of the pool, but this hole was around 3*3 ft square. If you do not punch in these holes there would be no rainwater drainage and the pool is going to turn into a mud pot or most probably into a cupcake in heavy rain.
This is how the holes should look after drilling. Now fill these holes with gravels (3/4″ size) for a minimum of 8″ deep at the base of the pool. Gravels don’t block the hole and will provide for easy drainage.
The holes were then covered with Geotextile filter fabric. This is done with a view to prevent soils migration. They are eco friendly and allow easy drainage through them. The pool was marked at 3feet and filled with dirt with the use of Bobcat. Evenly spread the dirt was done and ensured that no space was left in between them.
Compressing the dirt with a tamper and by stepping step on it and pressing it down was done as they went ahead to spread them layer by layer. After 3 feet was covered, it was time to demolish the walls.
This is no easy task and need a lot of strength to get them done with. Some people prefer doing the breaking work with the help of a jackhammer. With a Bobcat also the work can be accomplished without much of a difficulty but of course only the skilled technicians working under the contractor could do it well.
With the breaker attachment of the Bobcat the rebar was ct and hauled away. The best part about using a bobcat was that they don’t have to strive additionally for both the works and time taken to do it was way lesser than I had assumed.
This is how it looked after being demoed and hauled away; this place that once used to be a pool shows no trace of its existence. Frankly speaking, after seeing this there was a satisfaction that the greater and harder part of the work is done already and soon I‘ll be getting the space I had long desired.
Here is a look at my new backyard all ready to be used for gardening. Goodbye silly insects and irritating expenses of water treatment! If you are also planning on a pool demolition, act on it. It really is not that difficult as it has been made to look.
Disclaimer: Do not attempt this on your own as the tools need experienced hands which otherwise can prove hazardous. Get a licensed contractor for the job. Fill the contact form at the bottom so that I can send you the contractor’s Information.