Waterproofing a swimming pool with your own hands - how to make waterproofing

For a comfortable and enjoyable holiday, vacationers and homeowners arrange pools on their site, which in our time have become a fashionable trend. Especially often these tanks do on their own to reduce costs. At a certain stage of work, to which it is worthwhile to approach responsibly, since both the lifetime of the reservoir and its reliability depend on it. Waterproofing the pool with your own hands must be performed correctly and efficiently. But how to do that? What materials to use and what is the essence of the work? You can find out more about this below.

Waterproofing - why does it?

Why do we need waterproofing

Agree that not all are experts in this field. It is often said about the importance of waterproofing, and its proper device. But why is she? What will its use give?

As you know, waterproofing is a protective layer for any building structure (in this case, a basin), protecting it from water penetration and negative effects. Since the pool is directly connected to this fluid, it is important that it does not penetrate the material. Why? When moisture seeps into the concrete, it will lead to its destruction, as a result, your pool will not last long, and then it will have to be repaired or completely refitted. This is one of the most important stages of work. It is important to note two types of pool waterproofing:

1. Internal waterproofing.
2. Exterior waterproofing.

Internal waterproofing

It is the internal waterproofing that is carried out in the pool basin itself to protect the material from water penetration. There are many different ways to do this, which we will discuss next.

External waterproofing

The essence of external or external waterproofing is to protect the concrete from moisture penetration from soil by adding plasticizing and mineral additives to its composition. This contributes to improving the water permeability and mechanical strength of the structure. Another option is to install special profiles of expanding rubber. It is worth noting penetrating compounds that are applied to the concrete for external waterproofing. These are special mastics that are easy to apply yourself.

Materials for waterproofing works

I am glad that the range of materials for such works is wide enough and you will have something to work with. The choice of such materials depends on many factors, including your desire, price of the product, etc., however, it is important to consider the terrain and climate in your area, as well as the type of the finished pool.

PVC film for pools

The main and most common materials for waterproofing are:

• PVC film;
• penetrating waterproofing;
• liquid glass;
• coating waterproofing;
• liquid rubber;
• various materials on a bitumen basis (the variant was effective earlier, when the above materials were not yet available, but now it is used extremely rarely).

Waterproofing technology of the pool from inside

Scheme of applying waterproofing

Consider all work in stages. With this instruction, you can independently perform waterproofing from the inside.

Plaster the bowl

So you should:

1. Clean concrete base from all sorts of garbage and dust.
2. Embroider all cracks and seams and treat them with special means for sealing the seams. All joints must be glued with sealing tapes.
3. Level the entire surface by plastering the bowl. In this case, process the walls with special compositions for swimming pools that are resistant to moisture, and at the bottom of the bowl make a coupler from a self-leveling cement mixture.
4. Primer Prime the dried surface with a primer. It can be applied with a brush or roller. After 3-4 hours the surface will be ready, and you can apply the following layers.
5. Now dissolve the dry mix of penetrating waterproofing with water to get a thin texture, like sour cream. It is better to use the instructions. That ratio, which is indicated by manufacturers, is optimal.
6. Using a wide brush, apply the solution on a substrate that you have already prepared. Especially carefully handle the places of entry of communications, the seams between the walls and the bottom of the pool, as well as the seams formed during concreting, and the places where there were cracks.
7. It is worth noting that when treating a pool with waterproofing compounds, you need to apply them in a complex way: first of all, a penetrating solution, after it a coating one. As soon as you apply a penetrating solution, the entire surface should be treated with hydrochloric acid 4-5%, then rinse with water. After half an hour has passed, process the surface again with a solution of 4-5% soda ash.And only after all the procedures you can apply a coating mastic.
8. As soon as the entire surface of the pool has been treated with waterproofing material, warn everyone not to step on it. You cannot walk on them, moreover, for 3 days the temperature should not fall below 0 ° C. That is why such work should be carried out in the summer.
9. To avoid cracking and peeling of the material, the entire surface needs to be moistened for 3 days. Those places that will be under the pressure of water, you need to moisten at least 10 days. A water sprayer is well suited for moistening, and the concrete surface of the pool itself at this time must be covered with plastic wrap.
10. Finally, after all the work is completed, the pool bowl should be checked for leakage. In the pool water is drawn and aged there for 10 days. If the leak is not detected, all the water is drained, the bottom is cleaned of debris and allowed to dry.
11. In the end, facing works are carried out. The pool bowl is tiled or tiled.

Liquid rubber

Liquid rubber

Liquid rubber is called bituminous -polymer mastic. It adheres well to the surface and has good waterproofing properties. It should be sprayed onto the surface in several layers. For this work, you need a special compressor or a brush (using a roller or a brush, you will have to work much longer).

The advantage of liquid rubber is that it combines the advantages of liquid waterproofing and PVC membranes. As a result, you get a solid coating that will adhere well to the surface without any seams. This coating is pleasant to the touch, like a PVC membrane, and has excellent density and durability. The material can act as a basis for the subsequent decorative layer, as well as serve as the final coating. To do this, it is enough to buy colored material and do not spend on decorating.

Applying liquid waterproofing

How to make waterproofing with liquid rubber? Immediately before applying the composition, the entire surface of the basin should be leveled and treated with a composition that defats it. After that, a special compressor or a brush (if we are talking about independent work) rubber should be applied to the surface so that the composition evenly covers it.

With the use of liquid glass

Liquid glass

Liquid glass is a solution, consisting of potassium or sodium silicates. This option of waterproofing can be performed during the construction phase of the pool. Liquid glass is added to the concrete itself, in the ratio of 1 liter of glass to 100 liters of ready-mixed concrete. Because of this, it becomes more durable, resistant to mechanical damage and will last longer. And most importantly for you, liquid glass will allow concrete to reduce the ability to absorb moisture.

When your pool is already built, water glass can be applied directly to the concrete. There are special coating products, using which you can achieve good waterproofing, as well as protect the concrete from mold and fungus. In addition, the coating for 5 years will protect the pool from the effects of temperature, corrosion and UV light. It is worth noting that to perform such waterproofing yourself will be easy. The price of glass is not so high, and the material consumption will be small.

Applying liquid glass

The work is simple, all you need is:

1. Prepare the surface by removing all dust, dirt and grease. If the concrete is smooth, it should be cleaned to roughen, then the glass is better to grasp, penetrating deeper.
2. Prepare liquid glass, based on the instructions on the package.
3. Apply the compound evenly to the surface. As the glass dries, proceed to applying the second layer. Use a wide brush or roller.
4. After drying, everything is ready for the subsequent decorative layer.

With the use of PVC films

Waterproofing with PVC film

Not we should also forget about the most popular type of waterproofing - PVC film. This is a reliable and progressive material that is increasingly used in the construction of swimming pools. It is noteworthy that the film performs two roles: waterproofing and decorative layer. This will save you money. There are a lot of different types of films on the market, which are distinguished by their durability, color and pattern (mosaic, marble, etc.). In addition, the film is resistant to mechanical damage and well withstands exposure to ultraviolet rays.

The job of laying PVC film is similar to the other processes. The first thing you need to do is prepare the base, remove the garbage, etc. Then fixing tapes or corners are fixed with which the film will be attached.

It is desirable to lay the film on a special material - geotextiles, which will extend the service life of the film. Thanks to him, the material will not constantly rub against concrete.

Finally, it is necessary to spread PVC film and weld its individual parts with a special tool. This is a simple, fast, reliable and economical way to waterproof your pool.

All these methods are good in their own way, you just have to choose the one that suits you best, study the technology and bring everything to life. Waterproofing the pool - an important part of the work on his device, which should be approached responsibly.

Video

How to make a waterproofing of the pool using Litokol materials, you can watch in the following video. Here is described what each material is for and how to use it:

See also:

• How to make a frame pool
• How to make a pool from concrete