Building a beach pool with sand around it

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R

Ritz

0
Feb 14, 2015
4
Curacao
Hi,
I have already build a normal in ground concrete pool.

Now I want to build a second one 17meters by 7meters. 1.60m deep.
Since I own a hotel not at the beach I though it would be nice to create a beach like environment.

So here is my plan and I am looking for advise from people who have done it before or had trouble with it.
Let me know.

1. The pool will be concrete in ground
2. I am planning to use large grain sand. As large as rice grains so the grains are sort of heavy and will not stick massively to feet and legs.
3. I will create a foot wash walk through basin before you can enter the pool
4. I tested the grain and they sink immediately to the bottom. So any grains entering the pool will find its way to the bottom quickly and will not make the water murky
5. The sand-grain will be washed so that any dust if gone before use.
Now comes the operational part
1. I assume that I will vacuum the grains on the bottom with the pool vacuum
2. I will need to install a pre-filter BEFORE the pump so that the sand will be 'deposited' in that filter before going to pump or main filter.

Questions
1. Will this work?
2. Is there maybe a special pump that can handle sand in the water?
3.. Does anyone have experience with this plan?

All comments are welcome
Thanks
Hans
 
sand around pools are really great...for at least a few weeks. they tend to get ugly after a while, at least at the few houses I have been. if you want to do it right, you really need to have underdrains under the sand so that it can completely dry. damp sand is gross and grows stuff. it clumps after a while and needs to be rake/turned over a lot.

then you have to deal with the inevitable sand that gets in the pool as well, but that is easier to handle.

I have a couple of friends that have large sand areas near their pools, and just didn't like they way they looked after a few months.

will the sand be open to the air? as in, animals can get in there such as cats, insects, etc?
 
Will this work --- maybe.

There is a reason you really don't see this. For while it can work -- its a headache.

Sand in a pool is not a good idea unless you have a natural filtering system. Using the filtering and disinfectant systems in use on most pools today causes problems. Small grains of sand get picked up by the system and filtered out. Large grains -- some will get through and cause damage to the pump long term and shorten filter life. Plus you have to keep emptying your container that is protecting the pump.

Most "beach sand" pools use a pebble finish that resembles sand in look and feel but isn't sand.
 
Zand.jpg

Some answers to your replies.
1. No cats around
2. This is the large grain sand I want to use
3. The sand will be about 20cm thick and lie on a concrete floor. Underneath is a parking garage.
I have drawn drain pipes in the concrete to get rid of the water.
Oh and we are located in the Caribbean. Yes it can rain heavily, but the sun is always shining and sand will dry quickly

Does anyone know who has done it before?
 
well I wouldn't call that sand. its more like fine pebbles. I wouldn't want those going thru my pump, and there is just no way to keep it out of your pool. its going to get in there. do they make a pre-filter for the bottom drains?

you are going to want to make sure that stuff doesn't get to your pump.
 
You are correct in thinking you need a pre-filter.
With the sand you propose there is an easy method of removal.
In wood shops a 'cyclone' is often placed in front of filter to get the heavier wood chips to drop out of air stream before getting to the filter.

Essentially you need the water velocity to slow enough to let the sand drop out of stream.
A large cartridge filter (without the cartridges in it) could be plumbed in front of pump with some minor modifications inside to let the water returning from pool to slow enough for the sand to settle.
The drain plug would need to be opened on a regular basis to flush out the collected sand, maybe to be returned to 'beach'.

The only time sand would enter the system is when floor drain is open, or you are vacuuming the pool.
So after vacuuming the pool would be a good time to flushing pre-filter by opening drain plug.


Not sure how much extra sanitizer load 'washing' the sand will put on the system. My guess would be that it would not be particularly noticeable considering the heavy load a hotel pool already has; many swimmers and much sunscreen.

BTW, love your part of the world, the Dutch Antilles was where I honeymooned.
 
As a guest, I would not like to walk on sand that size. Maybe it wouldn't bother most people, but it would hurt my feet.

To me, when I want a sandy beach, I want the other things that go with it - the whole experience. The view of water to the horizon, the look and sound of waves, jumping into the waves, the feel of the salt water ocean, watching the sports played on an open body of water and a large beach area.

And when I want a 'swimming pool' experience, that's what I want. As much as I love a beach, sand annoys me after a while. When I'm tired of it, I spend a lot of time trying to get it off of me and my feet. That's when I know it's time to leave. And that's when I love to go to a chlorinated, clean, perfectly clear, solid bottomed pool with a lovely swim-up bar. In fact, on trips to Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Georgia coast, and South Padre, that's one of my favorite things to do. Have fun at the beach, and then at the end of the day, relax in the hotel swimming pool. When we went to Old Silver on Cape Cod, I missed having a swimming pool to relax in after the beach. For me, I would not stay at a hotel near a beach if it didn't have a regular swimming pool. I may be in the minority on this. You probably wouldn't have come up with this idea if guests hadn't expressed an interest in a sandy beach swimming pool.

Would it be too costly to try out your idea and then revert back to a non-sandy beach pool? You could then get a true test of the guests' responses. It is a novel idea! If you want to simulate some parts of the beach, what about spending the money toward a truly nice and large beach entry with the sandy-colored pebble finish going down into the beautiful aquamarine water? Would the pool be large enough to have wave action like they have at the water parks? Maybe there are other features that would attract guests and make them want to hang out there.

Can you post pictures?

I hope you will keep us posted! It is a very interesting idea, and I'd love to know what you do! And pictures! Did I say that already??? We love pictures on TFP!

Glad you're here!
Suz.

- - - Updated - - -

OzDiver: You and everyone else on TFP continue to amaze me with your knowledge, experience, and intelligence! I AM humbled! :bowdown:
Suz.
 

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