Content
- Paradise visions - a swimming pond in the garden
- Creative basic idea of the natural pool
- Important questions for self-construction in advance
- The cost issue in swimming pond construction?
- Self-built swimming pond: an ambitious project!
- Of building permits and other legal regulations
- Observe quality guidelines for swimming pool construction
- Realistic planning for the swimming pond construction
- Which questions are still on the agenda?
- Safety at the swimming pond
- The perfect place to put the swimming pond
- What to do on hilly terrain?
- Water is far from being water
- Biological balance at the swimming pond
- Tips
If you do a lot yourself, you save money
Paradise visions - a swimming pond in the garden
Unfortunately, we can not offer you a construction manual for the swimming pond. The structural requirements are different on each plot, the individual wishes of future natural pool owners as well. Nevertheless, we have many practical tips for you to help with the planning.
The idea of building a swimming pond in your own garden existed many generations ago, but in Europe it was first practiced in 1954 in an Austrian aquatic center. Until then, although there were plenty of swimming pools around the world, which were virtually poured into concrete and stone, but this has little to do with a natural spa biotope with its different regeneration zones from aquatic plants.
Creative basic idea of the natural pool
The construction principle, after house and swimming pond form a natural unit, can be traced back to a drawing published in 1980, even in today's customary and self-created natural swimming ponds. Thereafter, swimming and vegetation zones of the bathing biotope were spatially separated from each other by walls and connected only in the upper third of the water level.
Important questions for self-construction in advance
Before you can start excavating the pit, it is important to clarify some crucial issues in swimming pond construction. If at the end it should become a functioning natural pool, which does not require excessively complex filter technology, the minimum size of the water surface is at least 60 m2. However, when creating swimming ponds, sizes are between 70 and 150 m2. So: self-construction of the swimming pond from the beginning to plan as big as possible? Probably yes, bearing in mind that with increasing size and DEPTH, the amount of masses of earth to be handled increases proportionally significantly, which must be removed from the property. Other important approaches that already play an important role in the rough planning of a swimming pond:
The cost issue in swimming pond construction?
As we have already worked out in the construction costs for the garden pond, apples and pears are difficult to compare, because the price is also dependent on the local situation and the personal needs of your own lake. Unlike the ornamental pond, however, it is the expected follow-up costs that are to be expected for a smooth operation of a swimming pond. Just a few examples that should be considered:
Self-built swimming pond: an ambitious project!
Considering all possible risks as well as the expected construction costs for the creation of a natural swimming pond, an amateurish execution can lead not only to disruptions in the operation, but also to significant additional costs. The swimming pond construction is a very complex investment, so that only an experienced professional can guarantee the flawless functionality of the wellness oasis. Modern and correspondingly high-quality technology play an equally important role alongside the controlled interaction of flows, inflows and outflows, as well as the maintenance of optimum water quality.
Of building permits and other legal regulations
As with many other buildings, the planned construction of a swimming pond on its own property may require approval. The legal regulations often differ significantly between the federal states and according to our research it is not uncommon for a rejection of proposed building applications. A visit to the local building authority is therefore advisable to avoid later consequences, including neighborly disputes may count in advance.
Observe quality guidelines for swimming pool construction
There are standards in the German-speaking countries as well as recommendations to which property owners who want to invest a natural pool must adhere to. In Germany it is the "Guideline for planning, construction and maintenance of private swimming and bathing ponds", which was commissioned by the research company Landschaftsentwicklung Landschaftsbau e. V. was last updated in 2019. On 88 pages it goes u. a. around:
Already with these, only a few examples it becomes clear that the latitude in the construction design and execution of a swimming pond by the property owners is very limited and therefore a practical support by a specialist company would be advisable.
Realistic planning for the swimming pond construction
Ostensibly, the planned use of the new bathing biotope should be thoroughly considered in order to derive concrete conclusions about the position of the swimming pond within the property as well as its size and shape. In addition, your time constraints associated with construction and the financial budget are likely to play a significant role. Before you start with the detailed design plans for your natural pool and go to the drawing board, it's best to take a look at some examples of successful pond construction in your neighborhood. Visiting a pond that has been in operation for one or two years will not only inspire new inspiration for your own blueprint, but will also avoid building mistakes that other pond owners may have to make.
Which questions are still on the agenda?
Many subtleties that were not taken into account during the project planning can still be corrected after completion, but the effort involved is quite high and not always inexpensive. Important and worth considering are u. a. the following aspects:
Safety at the swimming pond
Artificially created bodies of water, regardless of their design, are always a source of danger from the rain barrel to the garden pond, which must already be given special consideration during planning. Structural safety devices in the form of railings, fences or covers that both children and visitors or persons who enter the property without authorization help to effectively prevent accidents in the pond area.
The perfect place to put the swimming pond
Bathers and aquatic plants feel best in a well-tempered, light-filled pool, although it must be remembered that too much sun promotes algae growth and in extreme heat can contribute to a "tip over" of the swimming pond. Therefore, a place shaded by larger trees from late morning until late in the afternoon is cheaper. In addition, the size of the water surface and the depth have a significant influence on the water temperature. It is also important that the garden pond and its surroundings harmoniously and seamlessly fit into the rest of the garden grounds.
What to do on hilly terrain?
If large earth masses are moved, especially near houses, static problems can quickly occur even on slight slopes, if the pond sometimes contains dew liters of water. Therefore, a swimming pond may never be built using a supporting earth wall. If it is built into the ground, the surrounding area is less prone to slip-off and, if necessary, can be additionally secured with walls. As part of your planning of pool size, pond profile and any embankments to be created, consider additional amounts of water, which can reach considerable levels and cause flooding in continuous rain for several days.
Water is far from being water
Although the water quality in Germany is comparatively high and is subject to continuous food technology monitoring, water hardness, pH value as well as lime and chlorine content are very different depending on the geological nature of the soil, but also regionally. Since the collection of rainwater for initial filling of the landscaped garden pond in a normal-sized roof surface of the residential building is usually out of the question, should take place before the start of construction necessarily a laboratory inspection of drinking water. Also important: Even if you want to pump groundwater yourself via a deep well, depending on the federal state, use as swimming pond water may be restricted or even prohibited by the authorities.
Biological balance at the swimming pond
Standing, originally clean water has the property that it develops after a short time to a very lively habitat for microorganisms. If the pond water is left to itself, algae will form in a few weeks until they can no longer find any food. It therefore needs a complex filter system that maintains the water quality in compliance with the strict statutory provisions, so that future swimming pond owners at the latest at this point can not come without the advice of an experienced professional to the destination.
Tips
Begin as early as possible during planning to create a swimming pond with the targeted collection of rainwater. As so-called "soft" water, it contains no lime and has a balancing effect when mixed with the tap water, which favors the growth of "natural" filters, such as swimming and underwater plants considerably.