Pool Build in Costa Blanca - or what I did last summer...
Discussion
Been meaning to post for a while as some of the PH brethren may be interested and I finally have sometime on my hands.
The villa has been owned as a second/holiday home for about ten years. However we spent far less time than we wanted to due to work and other demands. Therefore we have always held back on putting in a pool due to capital cost and the expense of running it while hardly ever being there. Anyway in February 2016 we sold up in the UK and moved over to the villa. Given my job in oil and gas followed by the Brexit vote this probably wasn't the best decision ever made, but hey we have to make the best of things so we went ahead with the project.
The site is difficult, steeply sloped with poor access from above for vehicles/machinery.
Here’s how it was in 2007.... So the first job was to terrace the land so it was manageable
It’s about 50m to the road at the bottom. The builders built a ramp for the machinery to get up the hill from the road. The same had to be done a second time for the pool machinery to access the 2nd from top terrace where the pool will go. Expensive – should have foreseen this issue when we had the terracing built as the plan was always to have a pool. Hey ho..
While we were not full time in Spain in lieu of a pool we installed a spa at the front of the villa – the best €6500 I ever spent! This has sufficed for 8 years now, used twice a day whenever I am there summer or winter. The location is on the access road side of the villa but completely private and not overlooked. Perfect.
The pool site.
Our intention was to use the second level of terracing as the base for the pool. We strongly considered an infinity design as the views might have supported this type of design.
Long consideration led to the conclusion the site really didn’t justify it. We have a sea view but its limited and infinities work best with open vistas and seascapes (IMHO). The other factors were cost, evaporation and heat loss. Water is a relatively expensive resource in Spain, which combined with the fact that I want to solar heat the pool and use it for extended seasons ruled out this idea.
So the pool design is rectangular, 9m x 4m, gunite and block construction, Vidrepur tiling mosaics, Salt water system, solar cover, solar heating ready (plumbed in ready for collectors to be added), 2 speed pump. All machinery will be European, AUS or US sourced.
A 25m2 patio area to be built beside the pool the underside of which will provide the machinery room and storage for sun beds etc. Paving will match the existing patio area. The area will be fenced by traditional Spanish balustrades. We will also have a structure for shade – decision on what exactly yet to be made.
I have some plans to share
Planning permission is a lengthy process in Spain application was made (a 91 page document) for the relevant permits and approvals.
We were expecting 90 days for approval,the reality was 10 months with frequent trips to the town hall to lobby for approval! In the end we decided to start before permission was granted as is the custom here. Luckily approval was received 2 days before work started!
The villa has been owned as a second/holiday home for about ten years. However we spent far less time than we wanted to due to work and other demands. Therefore we have always held back on putting in a pool due to capital cost and the expense of running it while hardly ever being there. Anyway in February 2016 we sold up in the UK and moved over to the villa. Given my job in oil and gas followed by the Brexit vote this probably wasn't the best decision ever made, but hey we have to make the best of things so we went ahead with the project.
The site is difficult, steeply sloped with poor access from above for vehicles/machinery.
Here’s how it was in 2007.... So the first job was to terrace the land so it was manageable
It’s about 50m to the road at the bottom. The builders built a ramp for the machinery to get up the hill from the road. The same had to be done a second time for the pool machinery to access the 2nd from top terrace where the pool will go. Expensive – should have foreseen this issue when we had the terracing built as the plan was always to have a pool. Hey ho..
While we were not full time in Spain in lieu of a pool we installed a spa at the front of the villa – the best €6500 I ever spent! This has sufficed for 8 years now, used twice a day whenever I am there summer or winter. The location is on the access road side of the villa but completely private and not overlooked. Perfect.
The pool site.
Our intention was to use the second level of terracing as the base for the pool. We strongly considered an infinity design as the views might have supported this type of design.
Long consideration led to the conclusion the site really didn’t justify it. We have a sea view but its limited and infinities work best with open vistas and seascapes (IMHO). The other factors were cost, evaporation and heat loss. Water is a relatively expensive resource in Spain, which combined with the fact that I want to solar heat the pool and use it for extended seasons ruled out this idea.
So the pool design is rectangular, 9m x 4m, gunite and block construction, Vidrepur tiling mosaics, Salt water system, solar cover, solar heating ready (plumbed in ready for collectors to be added), 2 speed pump. All machinery will be European, AUS or US sourced.
A 25m2 patio area to be built beside the pool the underside of which will provide the machinery room and storage for sun beds etc. Paving will match the existing patio area. The area will be fenced by traditional Spanish balustrades. We will also have a structure for shade – decision on what exactly yet to be made.
I have some plans to share
Planning permission is a lengthy process in Spain application was made (a 91 page document) for the relevant permits and approvals.
We were expecting 90 days for approval,the reality was 10 months with frequent trips to the town hall to lobby for approval! In the end we decided to start before permission was granted as is the custom here. Luckily approval was received 2 days before work started!
Edited by Mykap on Tuesday 11th July 19:56
Edited by Mykap on Tuesday 11th July 20:02
Planning permission took far longer than anticipated – the application was lodged in early January and final approval was received on September 2nd.......we were No 18 in the queue for 2016 and it took ten months to process.
Planned start date was September 5th but to add to our delays Javea suffered numerous wildfires on Sunday 4th and the authorities evacuated our urbanisation.
http://alicantetoday.com/images/articles/22221_ali...
So after a night sleeping under the stars on the Arenal beach we finally got back to the undamaged villa and started on the 6th.
The pool will be built on our terracing.
Day 1 The first job is to get the mini digger up the hill....
]
Excavation started at the end of the first day.
The first bucket load...
Day 2
Excavation continues in earnest. I’m happy with the robust terracing I had built in 2008 it was designed with future pool construction in mind.
So at the end of day 2 I have a fairly large hole in my terracing.
Estimated build time was 8 weeks.
Planned start date was September 5th but to add to our delays Javea suffered numerous wildfires on Sunday 4th and the authorities evacuated our urbanisation.
http://alicantetoday.com/images/articles/22221_ali...
So after a night sleeping under the stars on the Arenal beach we finally got back to the undamaged villa and started on the 6th.
The pool will be built on our terracing.
Day 1 The first job is to get the mini digger up the hill....
]
Excavation started at the end of the first day.
The first bucket load...
Day 2
Excavation continues in earnest. I’m happy with the robust terracing I had built in 2008 it was designed with future pool construction in mind.
So at the end of day 2 I have a fairly large hole in my terracing.
Estimated build time was 8 weeks.
Edited by Mykap on Tuesday 11th July 19:59
Edited by Mykap on Tuesday 11th July 20:14
Bottom level excavation completed
Leeloo couldn’t resist testing the concrete ... note to self lock gate to lower terraces when concrete is wet.
Rebar arrives
Spanish plans...
Bottom pad rebar being put in place and shuttering for equipment room/store foundations.
The concrete pump arrives for the foundation works
Its quite a stretch.
First truck arrives it had to reverse up the hill..
And pouring starts
2 hrs later foundations are in and in the Spanish sun the base is set enough for building materials 3 hrs after pouring...
and meanwhile
It wasn't me!
Leeloo couldn’t resist testing the concrete ... note to self lock gate to lower terraces when concrete is wet.
Rebar arrives
Spanish plans...
Bottom pad rebar being put in place and shuttering for equipment room/store foundations.
The concrete pump arrives for the foundation works
Its quite a stretch.
First truck arrives it had to reverse up the hill..
And pouring starts
2 hrs later foundations are in and in the Spanish sun the base is set enough for building materials 3 hrs after pouring...
and meanwhile
It wasn't me!
Edited by Mykap on Tuesday 11th July 20:48
Edited by Mykap on Tuesday 11th July 20:50
Week two and the walls are going up. Our four legged inspector (Leeloo) approves so far..
Piping starts to arrive
Starting to take shape.
The equipment room and pool are now clearly defined.
All the piping is laid in place, including the heating returns , pre gunite.
Very happy with the contractor – all this was achieved in 13 working days!
Piping starts to arrive
Starting to take shape.
The equipment room and pool are now clearly defined.
All the piping is laid in place, including the heating returns , pre gunite.
Very happy with the contractor – all this was achieved in 13 working days!
Edited by Mykap on Tuesday 11th July 21:11
Thanks for the comments guys, the inclination was always the issue on this site. The terracing was completed in 2008 and made a huge difference, the plan was always to build a pool and the foundations for the top terraces was over specified for this reason. That worked out well as the pool contractor didn’t to do as much preparation work as he thought.
That being so I should have foreseen the access issues for the pool build and made some kind of arrangement for machinery to get up the hill for the pool construction at a later date. Getting the mini diggers up the hill was to be seen to be believed, basically the driver used the shovel as an arm to pull up the digger as he drove it. Where it got too steep he turned the cab around and used the shovel arm to lever/push the machine up. Once in place they decided the only option for moving material up the hill was to make a ‘road’ where my steps were, they assured me they would rebuild the steps and my fake ‘dry river bed’ at the side. No HSE restrictions here, I am sure they had no concept of risk assessment…..
For the pool foundation 4 trucks of concrete were required, in the end we had to use a concrete pump over the villa and as can been seen in the pictures it only just made it! It got far too close to my chimney for comfort several times.
The contractors workers were Moroccan with a local Spanish foreman, in conversation with them they said they worked almost exclusively for my contractor. The project manager was on site every morning and the teams punctuality was superb. Typically 0730 arrival, work till 1000 then a 30 minute break, they would then go through till 1600 sharp. No slacking at all. At the end of each day they would also secure the site well and close up the fence at the bottom.
That being so I should have foreseen the access issues for the pool build and made some kind of arrangement for machinery to get up the hill for the pool construction at a later date. Getting the mini diggers up the hill was to be seen to be believed, basically the driver used the shovel as an arm to pull up the digger as he drove it. Where it got too steep he turned the cab around and used the shovel arm to lever/push the machine up. Once in place they decided the only option for moving material up the hill was to make a ‘road’ where my steps were, they assured me they would rebuild the steps and my fake ‘dry river bed’ at the side. No HSE restrictions here, I am sure they had no concept of risk assessment…..
For the pool foundation 4 trucks of concrete were required, in the end we had to use a concrete pump over the villa and as can been seen in the pictures it only just made it! It got far too close to my chimney for comfort several times.
The contractors workers were Moroccan with a local Spanish foreman, in conversation with them they said they worked almost exclusively for my contractor. The project manager was on site every morning and the teams punctuality was superb. Typically 0730 arrival, work till 1000 then a 30 minute break, they would then go through till 1600 sharp. No slacking at all. At the end of each day they would also secure the site well and close up the fence at the bottom.
Mykap said:
The contractors workers were Moroccan with a local Spanish foreman, in conversation with them they said they worked almost exclusively for my contractor. The project manager was on site every morning and the teams punctuality was superb. Typically 0730 arrival, work till 1000 then a 30 minute break, they would then go through till 1600 sharp. No slacking at all. At the end of each day they would also secure the site well and close up the fence at the bottom.
Good grief, that's put the usual British ''Builder'' to shame! Anything outside 9 - 3.30pm is seen as cruel & unusual punishment...Keep the pics coming, very interesting!
The builders really were impressive, however once we got on to the skilled labour the situation did change a bit.
The electricians were the exact opposite of these guys. They didn’t turn up when expected and when they did it was a quick look and moan followed messy work. They didn’t clean up after themselves and never brought the right gear. As examples the timing switches for the underwater lighting were not fitted till after the pool was filled for 2 weeks, black underground conduit was left with the ends exposed the terracing open to the air with an open end for rain to enter. This was typical of their work. The pump installation guy wasn’t much better but the quality of the pump and associated gear makes up for his shortfalls.
On the other hand the tilers were superb as you will see when I post pics later.
The electricians were the exact opposite of these guys. They didn’t turn up when expected and when they did it was a quick look and moan followed messy work. They didn’t clean up after themselves and never brought the right gear. As examples the timing switches for the underwater lighting were not fitted till after the pool was filled for 2 weeks, black underground conduit was left with the ends exposed the terracing open to the air with an open end for rain to enter. This was typical of their work. The pump installation guy wasn’t much better but the quality of the pump and associated gear makes up for his shortfalls.
On the other hand the tilers were superb as you will see when I post pics later.
Mykap said:
The builders really were impressive, however once we got on to the skilled labour the situation did change a bit.
The electricians were the exact opposite of these guys. They didn’t turn up when expected and when they did it was a quick look and moan followed messy work. They didn’t clean up after themselves and never brought the right gear. As examples the timing switches for the underwater lighting were not fitted till after the pool was filled for 2 weeks, black underground conduit was left with the ends exposed the terracing open to the air with an open end for rain to enter. This was typical of their work. The pump installation guy wasn’t much better but the quality of the pump and associated gear makes up for his shortfalls.
On the other hand the tilers were superb as you will see when I post pics later.
I think you have described most electricians....The electricians were the exact opposite of these guys. They didn’t turn up when expected and when they did it was a quick look and moan followed messy work. They didn’t clean up after themselves and never brought the right gear. As examples the timing switches for the underwater lighting were not fitted till after the pool was filled for 2 weeks, black underground conduit was left with the ends exposed the terracing open to the air with an open end for rain to enter. This was typical of their work. The pump installation guy wasn’t much better but the quality of the pump and associated gear makes up for his shortfalls.
On the other hand the tilers were superb as you will see when I post pics later.
Ah my neighbours building skills have caught your eye. He was very proud of that and even boasted that he had never done any building before and was surprised how easy it was. I did ask him to at least render it which causes an almost permanent rift between us, anyway I pray it will fall down of its own accord. We will come up with some way of concealing it from view eventually.
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