Successfully Building a Pool in NJ Requires Planning and Consideration

Building your pool in NJ isn’t just a matter of calling up a contractor like Tranquility Pools Inc. and ushering them straight to your backyard. You’ll have to make quite a few decisions to ensure your pool is exactly how you want it.

As a guide, Joseph Truini wrote a Popular Mechanics article that lead people through the process of building a pool and discussed its several types that can be built. Concrete-type pools were among those he discussed:

“Concrete pools are truly custom-built and can be formed to virtually any size or shape. These types of pools are often called Gunite or Shotcrete pools because concrete is shot from a gun onto steel-reinforced walls. Once the concrete cures, it’s either plastered smooth, painted or finished with a textured aggregate surface or tiled. Alternatively, a smaller percentage of concrete pools are formed and poured in a way similar to a house foundation. This technique, called structural concrete, is often used for pools built into hillsides.”

NJ Concrete pools are just one option. Vinyl and fiberglass pools are also available. Vinyl pools are built by attaching the vinyl liner to a reinforced frame made of steel, aluminum, or non-corrosive polymer. They can be easily constructed, usually within one to three weeks, but are easily damaged by pets, sharp object, and even pool toys.

Fiberglass pools are tougher. Built by simply inserting a factory-molded fiberglass shell into a hole, installation can easily be done within a day. However, because of its pre-molded nature, it only comes in a few shapes and sizes. It also has a higher price tag than the other options.

Picking out what type of pool you’d like is just the beginning. You’ll have to look at local building and zoning regulations to see what you have to meet when building your pool. Usually, you’ll have to apply for a building permit before any excavation begins.

New Jersey swimming pools are covered under the New Jersey State Bathing Code. A lot of the regulations concern ensuring the safety of the bathers and the local water sources. Some important requirements are the need for pool areas to be fenced in so that children don’t fall in accidentally, and the prohibition of any physical connection between the pool’s filtration systems and any source of drinking water.

If you’ve managed to meet legal requirements and get a building permit, you’ll then have to site your pool properly. Position it where the sun can heat the pool naturally. Additionally, avoid windy locations which can increase evaporation and low-lying areas where flooding can contaminate your pool.

(Source: 6 Steps to the Perfect Inground Pool, Popular Mechanics, August 1, 2008)