How To Convert Prefab Shipping Containers Into Swimming Pools
Every year the heat rises. Every year homes become smaller. Lack of space and the increasing temperatures, make summers a special kind of suffering. Finding a pool filled with fresh, blue water is the only respite to the beating sun. But building a permanent structure in the backyard is a commitment that requires patience, investment, and square footage. Few homes, if any, have all three. A simple solution to this conundrum of heat or pocket is swimming pools made out of shipping containers.
A container is light, secure, durable and costs a fraction of a conventional pool’s price tag. Thus, they make for an excellent way to bond with family and friends during peak heat, while avoiding a dent on your bank account. So, how does one transform a structure that is meant to transport material across oceans into a summer oasis? The answer comes in the form of 5 easy steps.
Planning Permission
The first step to modifying a container into a swimming pool is to get the required consent from local authorities. Do due diligence on all guidelines and regulations that may halt construction such as fence building and depth limits. Always get this step out of the way before ordering a shipping container, else you might get stuck with a forty feet structure in your backyard without any water in it.
Structural Engineers
Water is fickle. It can be as light as air and as heavy as a rock. Digging a pit, of the exact dimensions of the container, in the ground and fitting in the pool is not enough. It has to be strengthened to ensure that it can bear the force of water. Plus, shipping containers are created to withstand pressure only on the floor and corners. Hence, the second phase of installing a container pool is hiring a firm or individual who has a structural engineering background. They will guarantee that the pool and ground are reinforced.
Structural Modification
A shipping container is 2.4 meters deep, and not everyone is comfortable with the same depth for a swimming pool. The third stage of building a container pool is to customise the structure. Decide how deep the pool should be and cut the container to that depth. Furthermore, the edge of the tank should be blunted and a lip attached to them to prevent accidents from sharp ends.
Water Tighten
Prefabricated shipping containers are designed in order to avoid water seepage in them, but they are not watertight. In other words, water cannot enter them from the outside, but they can’t hold water inside. In most cases, a container will have a layer of plywood in the inner side. Wood is not conducive to carrying water. Thus, the next phase of converting a shipping container into a pool is to add another layer. An extra layer of steel is welded on the inside to make it watertight. It is then treated for rust and painted on all sides.
Installation
The last step is to install the container into the home along with all the accruements. Pump, intake pipes and filters need to be put in which are best done by a swimming pool company. They will advise you on drainage, power and water supply.
For many years, people have been creating a container house when there is a quick need of shelter. Container pools are the next go-to options. They are ideal bases that remain unbeatable in the face of harsh weather conditions and installation issues. Now that the guide to installing a shipping container swimming pool is done let’s take a look at the advantages of it.
Leverages Of Container Pools
Simple Installation: The steps above would have made it clear that building a container swimming pool in any residence is child’s play. Some companies make it even more uncomplicated by selling fully functional units. These swimming pool come with pre-installed systems such as heating and plumbing. All one needs to do is order it, get it delivered and fill it up.
Economical: The most obvious and impactful advantage of shipping container pools is their affordability. Compared to concrete swimming pools, they are dirt cheap because hundreds of containers are put on the second-hand market per day. The high supply of them has reduced their cost drastically. It is not just the initial price that is low; one also saves on structural costs with container pools.
Customisable: For those who want something unique in their backyards, container swimming pools are a godsend. They can be tailored in all shaped and design to create functional and aesthetical pools. Starting from windows installed on the sides for keeping an eye on the kiddies and ending with dividers that turn part of the pool into a hot tub, containers are completely alterable.
Flexibility: A container pool can be movable. Once installed it doesn’t become permanent to that particular spot, necessarily. When switching homes, it becomes easy to take the pool along with you.
Sturdy: A container turned into a swimming pool is welded with prefabricated steel which makes it extremely robust. These shipping vessel pools can even be utilised in cities that see frequent disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10060754
