DIY Home Renovation: Considerations when removing a swimming pool

With land in established suburbs of Melbourne becoming harder to obtain, many home owners are looking to make the maximum use of their available property any way possible. Renovations which require more land can lead to luxuries like swimming pools being no longer required, and hence their clearing and filling is required to obtain the space required for a major renovation.

Many people may find this daunting but it is actually much easier than many think, with a bit of DIY knowledge in concreting and landscaping it’s a somewhat straight forward process in removing an old swimming pool in order to have the section filled with compacted soil and builders to start on the new renovation.

The removal of an old swimming pool requires the pool to be fully drained first before beginning, once this has been done, the above ground filters should be removed along with any surface plumbing, it’s important to understand before starting where your main water lines, sewage and power is running along the property, along with any possible easement restrictions that may require you to abandon the project and hire professionals to come in and complete the job instead.

In a block where none of these problems are a factor, the removal of the swimming pool can be completed with a couple of helpers and a mini excavator rental.

Hiring a mini excavator makes the job a lot easier, as the main things you will need to do to remove the swimming pool revolve around digging up the old plumbing, demolishing the concrete structure of the pool, removing demolished concrete and filling the ground with remaining soil. Excavators have attachments available for the demolition process, which are known as hammers or breakers, these are essentially a jackhammer which attaches to the hydraulics at the front of the excavator in place of the scoop / bucket. They make demolition a simple and easy process with very little manpower required.

Another essential additional piece of equipment you will want is a mini dumper hire. Mini dumpers are large bucket trolleys on track wheels and able to be extended high into the air, then tipped to drop the contents of the bucket into the back of a skip, truck or trailer. This will save you moving any large rocks or concrete manually and ensure the job is very simple and easy.

The great thing about a mini-excavator is that you can use this to dig up the old plumbing, but also dig a ramp in the existing soil to get the excavator to the bottom of the pool, the hammer / breaker attachment can take down the pool wall in this section, then enter the pool to scoop up the broken concrete, which is then placed into the mini-dumper and loaded into the back of a skip or truck/trailer. The excavator can then enter the pool area and begin demolishing the top sections of the pool wall, while also being able to remove any top soil that needs to be cleared for stability.

While this article is not meant to be a how-to guide, it does provide some suggestions as to methods to consider when you require a swimming pool removal, hiring a professional may be best, but for those confident and with some trade experience, renting some equipment to take care of the job may be the best solution.