How to set up a wooden terrace with a mini pool area for less than 2000 €?
(More photos and videos on my instagram account @roxanepom)
We dreamed of a swimming pool but we had several constraints:
- the house is built on the rock so the budget for digging was huge, not to mention that you had to break the wall to pass a machine
- we have a micro space (see photos): a little over 3m wide by 18m long (you also have a photo of the space before the works)
- we had a micro budget
- we wanted a swimming pool without declaration and without increase in property taxes
We therefore decided to buy a wooden Ubbink above ground pool and raise the surrounding terrace by 80 cm with steps to give the impression of an in-ground pool
The pool measures 3m50x2mx0.75 deep
We thought about going deeper but given the size we can't do lengths 😬
So the goal is just to refresh, to settle down with a good book or to have an aperitif.
The problem was, deeper you couldn't sit or have your head anywhere other than underwater.
We never thought we would enjoy it so much.
Then if we want bigger we have the sea at 700m
Later (since we noticed that the rock was friable) we will keep the structure, we will dig a little and we will pour concrete. No continuation 🤣)
Total budget - from 2000 €:
- Ubbink above-ground swimming pool € 899 with the 10% of the @leroymerlin card
- Koti deck wood @leroymerlin 600 €
- cement, fixing screws, joists (unearthed on the right corner at 2 € / piece): 200 €
- sand pump for a good filtration system: 180 €
We did everything ourselves (the DIY is a permanent story on my Instagram account with all the steps detailed in video)
I changed the base liner to a custom liner at distripool because I hated the blue handybag delivered as standard (€ 200 but it's still optional)
We created the technical room under the swimming pool (last photo)
We are going to create a removable wooden cover to easily close it and recover the terrace in winter.
Here I hope I have been around this time 😅
- garland @leroymerlin
- DIY sun bed (permanent story)
- banana tree @jardineriestruffaut
Step 1: Make room
The location chosen was originally a composite deck. The first thing to do before starting work was to remove the blades and clean everything. With the old coating removed and the concrete slab clean, work could really begin.
Step 2: Install the pool
We therefore opted for a small above-ground pool. The idea being to have a space to cool off rather than a swimming pool for laps, the chosen pool measures 3.5x2m and 75cm deep. Thus, no declaration at the town hall was necessary, and property taxes have not increased despite the presence of the swimming pool (consult the PLU of your town hall)
The installation of the swimming pool was carried out in two stages. First, the assembly of the wooden outline, then the installation of the liner.
The wooden outline was directly laid and fixed on the concrete slab.
Tip: To prevent something from slipping between the contour and the floor, we created a “joint” with expanding foam. Since the contour will be embedded in the terrace, the moss will be invisible.
Once the contour was completed, the liner was installed. To protect it, we first spread a thin layer of sand on the slab so that the surface is perfectly smooth. Two layers of geotextile and a layer of felt were also placed on the walls and the base of the basin. Thus, the risk of the liner piercing is reduced.
Tip: for an even more homogeneous result, we did not put the coping of the swimming pool, we preferred to make them with the same wood as that of the terrace
Step 3: prepare the structure of the terrace
The next step is to lay the joists and the feet on which the deck boards will be fixed. We were lucky to find used joists in good condition at € 2 / piece.
At this level, the installation principle is the same as for a normal terrace. The joists were fixed in the walls and the wooden outline of the swimming pool. The posts were cut and then fixed to the ground with concrete. Thus, no instability problem to be expected!
Step 4: lay the wooden boards
The project ends with the installation of wooden slats on the structure. This step is much less complex than the previous one if the structure has been installed correctly. All you have to do is follow the installation instructions for the chosen planks.
We have also created a space with 2 steps to access the pool.
Step 5: the technical room
As indoors, outdoor storage is a real problem. When there is little space like here, the raised terrace is an interesting solution. Indeed, the space between the ground and the floor is sufficient to accommodate the technical room. The pump and pipes are thus invisible but remain easily accessible, thanks to a trap system.
