Summer is upon us, which means it’s time to start thinking about ways to have fun outside! If you live in the UK like me, you might be looking to create an outdoor pool area in your garden. Having a pool area in the garden means you get to enjoy the summer poolside no matter what the weather is like. There are many ways to do this, but one of the simplest and most fun DIY ideas is to create a homemade swimming pool with a tarp! I’m sure many of you have seen professional pool owners use large tarps to cover their pools during the day. With the right materials and a few hours of your time, you can create your own at-home version that is just as effective.
In this blog post, we will show you how to make a homemade swimming pool with a tarp so you can start having fun outdoors even in the winter.
Table of Contents
The Materials You’ll Need
You’ll need access to a yard or a place with enough space for you to set up the pool area easily. This could be a large open area in your garden or somewhere smaller like an outside cloister or terrace. You’ll also need a hosepipe or a watering can to fill the pool with water. Hoses are great for this as they reach higher than most other types of watering cans. You can also use the hose to create a waterfall feature in your pool area!
You’ll also need some wooden planks for the pool deck and plenty of either gravel or cobblestones for the pool bottom. You can get these from your local home improvement store or online market place. If you decide to go for a natural look, gravel is a great material because it blends in with the garden and it doesn’t wash away as easily as concrete or wooden planks do when it rains. Once you have your pool area set up, you’ll need to buy a saltwater tank to store water in. These are available to buy online or at your local home improvement shop. Avoid buying any kind of pre-packaged saltwater tanks as these often contain chemicals that deteriorate over time and affect the environment. If possible, get a water tank that can be refilled with fresh water from your garden hose.
In addition to these materials, you’ll need a toolbox with a lid, duct tape, gloves, and a hard hat. Don’t forget about sunscreen too, even though you won’t be in the water, but the pool area is still in the sun so be sure to protect your skin from overheating!
Step By Step Instructions
When you get all the materials collected, it’s time to start constructing the pool. Begin by placing one of the wooden planks on the ground, either in your garden or on a cement surface. Next, tape one of the short ends of the plank to the ground and then use the other end to hammer a wooden stake into the soil or concrete. This will be the base of your pool and allows you to install the sides at a later date. You can either leave the plank directly on top of the soil or concrete or lay a few inches of sand or gravel on top to make it easier for children or pets to clean it later.
Once you have a base established, take the time to mark out the dimensions of your pool. You’ll need space for a depth of at least 1.5 meters (5 feet) on each side and a small walkway on the back for easy access. Remember to leave room for the tarp to roll up! You can use surveyor’s tape to get an accurate measurement or use string and a tape measure. If you’re using the string method, tie one end to a tree or a fixed point and crawl under the other end to take your measurement. You can also use a hard hat with a built-in tape measure if you wear one regularly for work. This method is particularly useful if you’re working on construction sites or if you have a messy backyard!
Once you have your pool area marked out, it’s time to start installing the sides. Begin by hammering a wooden stake into the ground at each corner of the pool area to form a square. Next, put one of the wooden planks onto the ground and use the duct tape secured to the ground to create a smooth, even surface for you to sit on while enjoying your poolside. You should also do this along the back edge to create a walk way for easy access to the water. Make sure you secure the planks at each corner with wooden stakes and gravel or sand placed on top to act as ballast. You can also use bricks or stones to give the area a finished look.
The final step before you enjoy your poolside is to cover it with a tarp. You can use many materials for this including: old clothes, plastic sheeting, or even a bath sheet. Just make sure the material you use is waterproof and UV protective. Additionally, duct tape is great for repairing ripped seams and securing materials together. In this case, you can use it to tape the edges of the tarp to the wooden planks, the ground, or a structure nearby for extra support. You can also use duct tape to secure a beach towel to the ground nearby as a quick and easy way to dry off after cooling off in the water.
With all these materials purchased, it’s time to build your pool. Begin by laying the tarp flat on the ground in the shape of a rectangle. Make sure the long edges of the tarp meet at the center so there are no slits or tears along the edge when you roll it up. Next, put one of the short ends into a hole and secure with a screw or nail. While you’re at it, you can use nails or screws to secure the corner edges of the tarp to wooden stakes or concrete blocks for extra support. If you have any holes or tears in the fabric, you can use repair tape to secure it temporarily until you can patch it up professionally later.
Once your pool area is complete, take the time to enjoy the space that you have created. You can purchase a lounger or sit on one of the wooden planks and place your feet in the water. If you’d like, you can light some candles and put on some smooth jazz or classical music to help you relax and unwind after a long day. You can also purchase a small giggle water fountain near the corner to make it a completely kid-friendly area.
Additional Considerations
If you’re going for a natural look, then wooden planks are a great choice because they blend into the environment, but they still offer some grip when wet. If you’re going for a more manufactured look, then metal planks are preferred as they’re more durable.
Also, make sure the area where you’re going to sit or lie is firm and stable. This means either purchase a plastic or metal lounge chair or invest in some comfortable garden furniture. If you have a concrete area or a dirt floor, then you can purchase a lounger for less than £20 that will last you a lifetime.
As for the temperature of the water, cool, fresh water is best. This means you can use either ice cubes or a bucket of ice in your pool. If you decide to use ice cubes, then you’ll need to purchase a container that is specifically made for storing ice and then remove the cubes as needed. Never use frozen water from your freezer as this will put unnecessary strain on your pool’s water heater. If the weather is particularly hot or you want to create a more relaxing atmosphere then you can use either salt water or cold, fresh water for the pool area!
Another option is to use salt water from your fish tank. Due to the environment, however, this option requires more research to determine if it’s safe to do so. If you do decide to use this option, then be sure to keep an eye out for harmful algae and bacteria that could potentially make you sick if consumed!
How To Prevent Pools From Burying Themselves
If you live in an area with heavy rain or snowfall, then you’ll need to take steps to prevent your pool area from getting buried under the white stuff. For this, you can use sandbags to raise the pool’s water level above the surrounding area. This prevents the water from getting contaminated by the mud and silt that would otherwise settle at the bottom of the pool. This area could also benefit from some floating plants to increase the aesthetic appeal of the space. Finally, you can use a rain cover to keep the pool area dry when it rains.
An easy way to remember the materials you’ll need for this project is to recall the acronym F-I-R-. First, you’ll need to have a yard or an outdoor space. Next, you’ll need a pool. Lastly, you’ll need some duct tape, gloves, and a hard hat.