Sun ledge/baja shelf build

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I

izthu

New member
Apr 30, 2025
1
Southern California
We're doing a pool remodel and would like to add a baja shelf/sun ledge. I didn't realize there were so many different methods to build the ledge. Our pool is 20x40 and we wanted our ledge to be 9x8 in the shallow end. It would be approximately 3 ft tall. Our contractor said there are 3 options:
1. Use cinder blocks to build the wall (with rebar). Fill the ledge with our old concrete coping (smashed up). Cover with 6 inches of concrete on top.
2. Build wall using concrete mold (with rebar). Fill the ledge with gravel or our old concrete coping. Cover with concrete on top.
3. Build rebar cage. Fill with concrete.

Can you share your thoughts on these options? Thank you!
 
Hi and welcome to TFP! What a scary time in your life as they work on building just what you want!

The one thing I want to ask about is the WATER depth of the shelf. Sit on the floor and think about where you want the water to hit you when you sit on the shelf. Not over your legs? Just over your legs? Over your hips? Up to your belly button? etc. No answer is wrong as it is what YOU and your family wants. Me? I love the water to be just over my belly button.
 
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not to hijack the thread, but we are also under construction, and I failed to figure out ahead of time what water depth our shelf would be (we are wherever the architect and pool builder defaulted to). The shelf is formed with rebar on the outside, with some untouched soil they excavated around inside, and we are already rebar-ed, so it is what it is. Concrete will be shot this coming Wednesday. It is built per plans which call for the top of the shelf to be "9 inches below beam". What exactly is "beam"? I read it is the top part of the concrete wall, where the coping will sit, where the waterline tile goes. If this is correct, this would mean that the shelf would be roughly 9 inches deep (from water line). Do I understand this correctly?
 
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The “bond beam” is the top of the pool structure, it can be raised (in 6” IMG_0721.jpegincrements) or it can be at 0”.
Typically a reef step/shelf is excavated at 21” below the top of bond beam with 9” of shotcrete, 1” of plaster and 3” below top of tile, this should leave around 8” of water depth when finished.
Your calculations will leave 6’ of water (3” of exposed tile subtracted from the 9”) if it’s being measured from the top of the “bond beam”.
If it’s being said that there’s going to be 9” to finished water line then the measurement should be 13” from top of beam to top of shotcrete.
 
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