The best way to spend your summer days is in your own in-ground pool. Whether you are splashing around with your family, or relaxing alone in a floating lounge chair, a pool is the best way to unwind and beat the heat. Installing in-ground pools has become quite popular, and the process has become almost streamlined over the years, but there is still a lot for contractors to consider when planning and installing a pool, especially one with customizations. Here are 5 things excavating contractors keep in mind when building pools in MiIford and Bedford, NH, backyards.
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The most efficient way to create space for a new pool is with an excavator. An excavator’s job entails much more than just moving dirt. A skilled professional will be able to take many factors, such as utility lines, new drainage patterns and more, into consideration when digging out the foundation for your pool.
Where is your pool situated in relation to your home?
Not only does your pool need to be a certain distance away from your home for safety precautions, there also needs to be room for a pool deck to surround the pool, and for a fence to surround the deck (fences are a requirement for in-ground pools in every state.) In addition to the required safety measures for distance, your contractor will also be able to advise you on how to situate your pool so that it is easily accessible from your home, and so that the orientation of the pool makes sense with your other landscaping features.
What shape will your pool be in?
Your excavating contractor will also need to be familiar with the overall layout of your pool so that they can plan out and accurately dig the correct design. The most straightforward dig would be a rectangular pool, but these days, especially in smaller spaces, many pools are built in elegantly curved shapes or custom designs. The shape of your pool may influence the type of equipment the excavator needs to use to be as accurate as possible, and may also influence the timeline necessary to complete the project to the highest quality standard.
What features will your pool have?
In addition to knowing the overall shape of your pool, the excavating contractor will need to understand the details of the features your pool will have so that they can accurately dig out areas for steps, a gradual beach entry, a deep end, or an adjacent hot tub area. The details of these plans should be mutually understood and agreed upon, as it is extremely time-consuming and expensive to change them part way through the excavation process.
How will the excess dirt be removed or reused?
When the contractor stakes out the dig site, they will plan to dig a little extra space on each side, to create enough room for the concrete foundation to be installed. This leaves a truckload of dirt (literally!) to be either removed from your yard, or reused in another landscaping feature. Discuss with your contractor any possibilities for reusing the dirt in your yard, or what the process entails for removing excess dirt.
What mitigation procedures need to be handled?
Anytime a large landscaping project is completed, it has the potential to rearrange the topography of your land, affecting things like drainage patterns and utility lines. Your excavating contractor should be proactive in ensuring that the project will not hit any utility lines or pipes, or can evaluate the possibility of rerouting those structures. They will also be able to assess the new pattern of water drainage, and use grading and leveling techniques if necessary, to avoid a buildup of standing water that can be harmful to your property and even your home’s foundation.
Overall, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered before the digging process for your new pool can start, but a trained professional will know what questions to ask and how to guide the project once they know the answers.
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