Many people love the idea of adding concrete swimming pools in their Perth yards. But there is much confusion about what materials are best for a swimming pool. Concrete is a good material for swimming pools, and the type best for swimming pool construction in Perth depends on the swimming pool design. In general concrete is great because when properly designed and constructed, concrete pools will last many decades with very little upkeep expense related to the structure.
There are some pros to each type of concrete swimming pool construction in Perth. Concrete is manmade rock created from small pieces of natural rock called ‘aggregate’. To make concrete, aggregate is mixed with a bonding material that holds the small rocks together and solidifies them into a usable structure. The bonding material determines the overall strength. Cast-in-place concrete, shotcrete, and gunite are essentially the same product with variations in strength, inherent water-tightness, and methods of construction.
You install cast-in-place concrete by building a form and pouring the wet and runny concrete mixture into it. The concrete dries and hardens into the structure. The pros are:
- It’s the most common type, so contractors are experienced with it.
- If designed properly, it results in a strong and waterproof structure.
- It results in relatively smooth surface that can readily accept epoxy-based pool painting systems.
- When used for pool floors, it provides a uniform surface
Both shotcrete and gunite are ‘free form’ applications of concrete, which allows for very strong and watertight structures following any type of geometry — the concrete can be applied horizontally or vertically and can even be shot upward to adhere and form to the underside of a ceiling.
Shotcrete is applied pneumatically through the use of a pump, hose, and a specially designed application nozzle. It’s often referred to as “wet gun” concrete. Like shotcrete, gunite is a form of concrete that is applied to a surface pneumatically. The formula uses even less water than the other two methods, and results in a concrete mix that is dry enough to be applied to vertical surfaces such as pool walls. The pros of both are:
- Shotcrete will result in the strongest and most watertight concrete pools possible.
- There are fewer joints in the pool due to the lower volume of water needed for it.
- It has higher compressive strengths than cast-in-place concrete.
- The free form application makes it possible to build very strong and watertight structures of any shape.
In addition, with a gunite pool, you get a smooth enough surface to be finished by epoxy-based paints or pool plasters.
You can see these three types of swimming pool construction in Perth are very similar. It’s best to consult with your swimming pool designer to discuss which is right for your pool. For concrete swimming pools in Perth, visit Tropical Pools at http://tropicalpools.com.au.
If you have a pool, what kind do you have?
I did not ever know about Shotcrete. We don’t have a pool and it is one thing I always wanted.
I want an in ground pool something fierce. However, in the same token a pool is a LOT of work and expense too.
High grade cutting tools is sometimes need for concrete cutting and shaping. Some professionals do this.
Must say..pool construction is a systematic process which involves a series of processes with detailed methodology and Concrete as a building material has been around for centuries and is made by combining small pieces of natural rock and a bonding material. I like your post @Crystal!! you have covered great things in your post..I have enjoyed reading all of it..Thanks for share…
I love to have swimming pool in my backyard. Yes, it very true that everyone have confuse about the material which we should use for the best pool.
Seem to be good when having the pool in backyard. I love these types, but want to save some more money to get one.
All these days I was yearning to build a concrete swimming pool but after reading your article I collected my daily pocket money and built an in-ground concrete swimming pool with the help of some professionals for a cheaper price.
You make good points regarding the pros of using cast-in-place concrete. The uniform relatively smooth drying surface is probably key to it being so popular.