Can you shoot gunite into a concrete block pool?

[jenniferm]

Ok so last year after reading several posts here I decided to built a concrete block/liner pool. I thought it sounded easier than it really was. At the end of the summer we had the walls up, sand in the bottom and smoothed and before ordering the liner it started getting cool. We decided to wait till spring to do the liner so we would not have to take care of the water through the winter. That was a big mistake. We had an abnormally wet spring here in Texas. We were flooded a few times and the pool filled up 3 feet with water. The sand in the bottom is now a mess and needs to be dug out more. We did not have time to work on it at all since it was raining most weekends. Now it is crazy hot.

I called the only pool company in DFW that rehabs in ground liner pools. He said he didnt even want to take on the job because so much needed to be done. Really it is just rescraping the bottom, attaching a liner, and plumbing it. Then coping and decking. Thats all right? lol I know it is a lot of work. Well he never got back to me with a quote so I am guessing we are just on our own. He did say it might even be cheaper to just shoot gunite inside the walls and floor. Is this possible? Would the floor be able to be seamed with the walls since the walls are already there? I thought the floor needed to go in first then the walls for that to happen. Can you attach a gunite shell to concrete block walls?

At this point I just want to be able to find someone who can go this. We got in over our heads. I might be able to find a concrete company to shoot in a shell if this is even possible. I cannot find anyone to finish it as a liner pool though.

 

[jblizzle]

I think you would have to have rebar put inside the pool (floor and walls just like a normal gunite pool) and then the gunite shot ... Basically it would be a gunite pool inside the un-needed walls.

Duraleigh has a thread where they built a pool out of cinder blocks.

 

[dw9000]

I cannot answer your question about the gunite,,, but I can make a few comments. I started late last summer on a concrete block pool, got the walls up about half way, I am doing 20x35 (similar to yours) and constant 5' deep. Some of the walls caved in (the dirt on the outside of the block wall), the floor was a total mess, clay and lots of water.
I continued the block work this spring, got it all up, and filled the cores. The dirt that was dug from the hole was still there, my excavator was himming and hawwing,, finally I got the guy out. He moved all my dirt and with his excavator cleaned up the bottom, removed all the fill/clay went down another 6"

I then had a local rock quarry bring out 20 tons #6 stone, on a stone slinger, moving conveyor belt that pretty much levels out the hole. That made the hole workable. I am working on the plumbing today, I did treated 2x6s on the top to make the CP2 coping go up smoother.
Last big step for me is the flooring and I am doing vermiculite, that is scheduled for next week but we keep getting rain.
Once the verm is in, I have a local pool company that gave me a quote, but wants one more measurement once floor is in.
Prior to liner, I need to install the coping (which should be easy) and wall foam.

After liner, its concrete deck and perimeter walk way.

So long story, if you can get that whole cleaned out and some stone thrown in there to make it workable, you might be able to find a pool company to either do sand or verm for the floor, if you have the walls up you can get the CP2 coping from any pool supply, if your walls are level the install of that shouldnt take but a day. Plumbing is a bigger job, but could be done in a weekend.

Either way, its quite a commitment and as you've mentioned, most pool companies aren't interested in something half done, although later in the season you might find one interested,, right now its their money time.

 

[jenniferm]

Yes, I read Duraleigh's post many many times It was one of the inspirations for my pool. It just ended up being more work that I thought. He made it look so easy!

So you cannot just apply gunite or plaster to the blocks without rebar? I wonder if I can find a company to do a vermiculite floor. The bottom is the hardest part for us since it needs to be reshaped. I feel and dislocated my knee 3 weeks ago and just got off crutches and will be in a brace for at least another month. I tore a lot of ligaments I am not much help now with the pool and we already cemented in the blocks so we really cannot get a bobcat back inside.

 

[jenniferm]

I cannot answer your question about the gunite,,, but I can make a few comments. I started late last summer on a concrete block pool, got the walls up about half way, I am doing 20x35 (similar to yours) and constant 5' deep. Some of the walls caved in (the dirt on the outside of the block wall), the floor was a total mess, clay and lots of water.
I continued the block work this spring, got it all up, and filled the cores. The dirt that was dug from the hole was still there, my excavator was himming and hawwing,, finally I got the guy out. He moved all my dirt and with his excavator cleaned up the bottom, removed all the fill/clay went down another 6"

I then had a local rock quarry bring out 20 tons #6 stone, on a stone slinger, moving conveyor belt that pretty much levels out the hole. That made the hole workable. I am working on the plumbing today, I did treated 2x6s on the top to make the CP2 coping go up smoother.
Last big step for me is the flooring and I am doing vermiculite, that is scheduled for next week but we keep getting rain.
Once the verm is in, I have a local pool company that gave me a quote, but wants one more measurement once floor is in.
Prior to liner, I need to install the coping (which should be easy) and wall foam.

After liner, its concrete deck and perimeter walk way.

So long story, if you can get that whole cleaned out and some stone thrown in there to make it workable, you might be able to find a pool company to either do sand or verm for the floor, if you have the walls up you can get the CP2 coping from any pool supply, if your walls are level the install of that shouldnt take but a day. Plumbing is a bigger job, but could be done in a weekend.

Either way, its quite a commitment and as you've mentioned, most pool companies aren't interested in something half done, although later in the season you might find one interested,, right now its their money time.

Thank you, this helps a lot. I had promised my kids a pool this summer and it breaks my heart that I couldnt pull it though. Ours drains pretty fast, but it just kept raining and raining every weekend. This is Texas and it never rains that much! They said this is the first time in like 30 years that the lakes have been full. Crazy! Kinda like is you wash your car it will rain, well if I try and build a pool myself it rains more in Texas than it has in 30 years. Figures. It is dry now, but so hot we do not want to get out there. If I can find someone to do the vermiculite I think it will be much easier. I just wish there were companies that installed in ground liner pools here. There are none At this point I would happily pay someone to finish it!!

 

[dw9000]

Well best of luck to you, my opinion would be spend a little time and get the floor clean mud free (either using lots of sand or stone) - then try and find a pool company to finish it for you, early July (at least that would be the best time here in Ohio, after they've got everyone else up and running and maybe have some more time)