Restoring a swimming pool
Discussion
My folks have just bought a new place that's had an old swimming pool filled in with 80 tonnes of what looks like chalk - the intention being to lawn over the top (it's in the middle of a patio, so I think it would look gasharoo!).
Is it a viable idea to rent a mini-JCB and dig it out again, repair the tiling and fill it back up with water?
Or should they just lawn it and whack in a hot-tub?
Is it a viable idea to rent a mini-JCB and dig it out again, repair the tiling and fill it back up with water?
Or should they just lawn it and whack in a hot-tub?
I guess it would depend on the original reason for infilling. Perhaps it had structural problems?
My guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
My guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
B17NNS said:
I guess it would depend on the original reason for infilling. Perhaps it had structural problems?
My guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
Yeah it's a four bed detached farmhouse in about 2 acresMy guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
KingRichard said:
B17NNS said:
I guess it would depend on the original reason for infilling. Perhaps it had structural problems?
My guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
Yeah it's a four bed detached farmhouse in about 2 acresMy guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
Who put it in originally.... Farmers have access to nice bits of digging equipment and have on occasion turned their hand (often badly) to a bit of pool digging. Such a pool was built for a local school. It cost them a fortune to put it right. Chances are the pool cracked/shifted and it was cheaper to fill than repair properly.
Munter said:
KingRichard said:
B17NNS said:
I guess it would depend on the original reason for infilling. Perhaps it had structural problems?
My guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
Yeah it's a four bed detached farmhouse in about 2 acresMy guess is restoration costs would not be that distant from a complete new install.
Plus would they 'really' get sufficient use out of it to cover the exorbitant costs involved.
The cost of an outdoor UK swimming pools buys an awful lot of 5* foreign holidays.
Is the pool in keeping with the property (ie is it a house of sufficient size/quality that one might reasonably expect such a feature?)
Who put it in originally.... Farmers have access to nice bits of digging equipment and have on occasion turned their hand (often badly) to a bit of pool digging. Such a pool was built for a local school. It cost them a fortune to put it right. Chances are the pool cracked/shifted and it was cheaper to fill than repair properly.
KingRichard said:
steve_amv8 said:
Whatever happens, ask your local MP to help out with the costs ....
What relevance does that have?
However, I'd consider the following:
- if you are in a conservation area, it would probably have required planning permission but may not have had it
- you have to notify the local water supplier and water rates go up if you have a swimming pool (so maybe the original owner didn't account for that!) - being in Kent, one of the worst counties for water shortages, I suspect that increase isn't exactly small!
A pool that is outdoors isn't exactly practical in the UK - you're in Kent not St. Tropez after all - and can prove to be costly to run and time consuming to maintain. I'd ask yourself how much you will really use it and estimate (realistically) how much it might have been used over the past 12 months if you had been able to use it.
Personally I'd landscape the area to make it look nice and plonk a hottub on it
Edited by steve_amv8 on Thursday 14th May 23:35
steve_amv8 said:
KingRichard said:
steve_amv8 said:
Whatever happens, ask your local MP to help out with the costs ....
What relevance does that have?However, I'd consider the following:
- if you are in a conservation area, it would probably have required planning permission but may not have had it
- you have to notify the local water supplier and water rates go up if you have a swimming pool (so maybe the original owner didn't account for that!) - being in Kent, one of the worst counties for water shortages, I suspect that increase isn't exactly small!
A pool that is outdoors isn't exactly practical in the UK - you're in Kent not St. Tropez after all - and can prove to be costly to run and time consuming to maintain. I'd ask yourself how much you will really use it and estimate (realistically) how much it might have been used over the past 12 months if you had been able to use it.
Personally I'd landscape the area to make it look nice and plonk a hottub on it
Edited by steve_amv8 on Thursday 14th May 23:35
I think the hot tub is now the new plan... In a different location. Pool is to become a sunken garden in the middle of the patio.
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