How to make a podium for a frame pool: varieties, step-by-step instructions, photos

Small-sized prefabricated reservoirs are considered the most convenient for recreation in the country.Light weight, foldable design, which can always be removed at the end of the swimming season. But there is one drawback - the ladder for entering the water is extremely inconvenient, so most owners prefer to build a podium for a frame pool. The entire construction will take at most three to four days.

What types of podiums can be used for a swimming pool?

Most often, the design of a platform for a frame pond is presented as an ordinary wooden terrace built around a container of water. You can sunbathe nearby on warm boards; it’s much more comfortable than on a grass lawn. Making a “terrace” with your own hands next to the pool makes sense, if only because it significantly reduces the amount of debris and sand brought into the water on the soles of swimmers.

All this is correct, but the main functions of a podium for a frame pool are a little broader:

• level the base of the site for installing the reservoir;
• close and strengthen the lower part, frame elements, protect the structure from accidental collapse or damage;
• in some cases, fix the upper edge of the side, thereby making swimming in a frame pool safer.

The tasks are different, which is why podium options for home pools are made according to different designs.The only thing they have in common is the presence of a foundation and the use of decking boards to form the platform.

Simple podium platforms

In essence, it is just a plank platform, made of strong boards and installed on a columnar foundation. The main purpose of such a podium is to level the base for a frame pool and reduce the amount of sand and soil introduced into the water.

In addition, the installation of a platform protects the space around the reservoir from water overflowing over the side. Even if some of the water has flowed overboard, there will be no dirt around the reservoir.

Podium extension

The most common option is a platform in the form of an extension to a frame pool. Such podiums are usually built next to large bodies of water. There is not much space left on the site, so a small terrace built flush with the side of the frame pond makes it possible to save on materials and partially free up the area around the pool.

The design of an attached podium always includes:

• staircase with handrails of several steps;
• a platform where you can walk along the pond;
• place to stay nearby.

Most of the frame system holding the reservoir bowl turns out to be a closed podium platform. It is possible to hide a filter, pump, water disinfection and heating system under the platform.

Full harness

Quite often, if there is enough space on the site, podiums are built in the form of a structure that completely encloses a frame pool. That is, all the elements of the frame are hidden under the platform, and the platform itself is made at the same level as the mirror of the reservoir.

There is a type of completely enclosed podium, when the frame pool is sheathed with a fairly narrow path made of wood.You can even use it to walk around the frame pool in a circle. There are separate steps leading to the platform and a ladder along which they descend into the water.

Despite its compact size, this version of the podium is more complex and expensive to build. Therefore, the scheme is used if there is not enough space on the site or the terrain does not allow for full coverage of the frame structure.

How to make a wooden podium for a frame pool

It is clear that the larger and higher the platform, the more expensive its construction is. For example, the cost of materials and craftsman's work for attached options is only slightly less than the cost of the frame pool itself. The scope of work is approximately for a team of 4 people.

If you make a full-fledged podium with a canopy, the cost of construction will at least double. For an ordinary dacha such a platform is not needed, but for a country house it is possible.

But in any case, a good frame pool requires a podium with a ladder. Today, the best option can be considered an attached option. It, unlike others, can be made entirely of wood.

Tools and materials

First, you need a frame pool itself, preferably of good quality, made in Europe or the USA. Secondly, you will need step-by-step instructions for assembling it. There is no point in making an attached platform for a pond from cheap single-layer polyvinyl chloride.

To build a wooden podium you will need:

• timber 100x100 mm - 18 pieces, 3.5 m each;
• timber 70x200 mm - 10 pieces, 3.5 m each;
• for floorboards - inch board 120 x 25, approximately 50 pieces 4 m each;
• forty boards, 4 m long, 25 pieces for joists, 10 for cladding and hemming of cornices;
• a two-inch board 200 mm wide will require approximately 20 m.

In addition, you will need cement, sand, steel angles, and self-tapping screws. Separately, you need to select a paint and varnish material for wood processing. Mastic - for waterproofing pillars. You will also need an edged board for spacers or wedging of the frame structure until the final assembly of the podium.

The tools include a standard carpentry set: table circular saw, screwdriver, hand saw, jigsaw, tape measure, squares.

In addition to the tools for assembling the podium, you will need several high folding supports up to 160 cm high. Before stitching the frame structure, you will need to align all the parts at the horizontal level; this cannot be done without additional supports.

Which tree to choose

The podium frame system can be built from any type of wood, except poplar or birch. Simple platforms for small pools are built from pine or spruce.

For attached podiums, as a rule, parts from several types of wood are used:

• oak, larch or aspen are suitable for vertical racks;
• strapping elements, joists, struts and struts - pine, maple, spruce;
• for the floor, as well as railings - linden, ash.

The staircase parts should be made of oak or larch. For secondary structural elements, any slab or unedged board is used.

You can often find recommendations for making wooden flooring and larch fencing. It is better not to use this material. Larch wood practically does not rot with prolonged contact with water, but it is quite caustic and produces a large number of chips (splinters).

Step-by-step assembly instructions

The first thing you need to do is assemble the frame or the outer contour of the future podium.We hammer a pair of pegs on each side along the walls of the pool and pull two cords, draw two parallel lines.

We mark the next two and draw them along the ground perpendicular to the first two. The result is a marking in the form of the letter “P” with an additional jumper in the middle. This is the outline of the future podium. The distance from the edge of the pool will be equal to the width of the podium.

We lay the timber according to the markings on the ground, cut off the excess, and connect it with self-tapping screws into a U-shaped frame structure.

Important! For now it will lie on the ground in the position it was assembled. The pool in this case is used as a template. It cannot be moved or moved.

Installation of supports and external timber trim

The next step is to drill holes for the supports. A U-shaped frame structure lying on the ground will be used as a marking template. It is necessary to drill one support in the corners, two more along the midline (the axis of symmetry of the pool) and a couple on the near line. In the latter case, the distance from the edge of the pool is 100-120 cm.

You can drill with a conventional electric drill with a 100 mm auger drill. Depth - 50 cm.

Next you need to install the corner supports from the timber. It is clear that before installation, the lower ends of the racks must be treated with mastic or any other liquid waterproofing.

Be sure to wait until the protection dries and becomes hard. Only after this will it be possible to fix them in the holes using wooden wedges. It is advisable to immediately align vertically as much as possible.

Once the pillars are ready, you can raise the timber frame. For this purpose, pre-prepared bench supports are used. The frame of the future podium must be raised to the level of the pool minus 40 mm (thickness of the board on the platform).

After leveling, the frame structure is temporarily fixed using diagonal struts. All parts are assembled using self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.

Now you need to increase the number of vertical supports:

• additionally, two pillars are installed along the outer line to the left and right of the pool;
• three support pillars are mounted on the median line, but these are already short posts.

The one near the pool and the one further away are cut to the height of the frame trim. The central pillar is made lower by 20 cm.

In addition to the supports, a jumper is made of two forty boards on the median line. It will be located 20 cm below the general frame trim.

The result was a fairly strong structure with a rigid connection to the ground. So far, the strength of the frame structure is low, since the supports are not fixed in the pits.

Therefore, at this stage it is necessary to strengthen the racks in the pits. You will need 8-10 buckets of thoroughly washed crushed stone with a fraction of 10-15 mm. We pour it into the holes and carefully tamp it with a metal crowbar.

Pegging and gender

The next stage is tying the frame base of the podium to the pool. There will be no rigid coupling between the pool frame and the podium, but the area where the platform meets the side needs to be sealed. Subsequently, this part of the frame structure will be covered by decking boards and soft protection of the edge of the pool.

Previously, excess material on the diagonal struts must be cut off; only the tops of the pillars should remain in the upper part of the podium. They will be used to construct the fence.

Next, joists are installed on the site from magpie boards 20 cm wide. The pitch between the logs is 45-50 cm. The logs are simply sewn with self-tapping screws to the frame frame of the site.

The blanks at the corners have to be cut, the ends filed at an angle and adjusted to size individually. Particular attention should be paid to the corner where it is planned to install stairs to the frame pool.

The problem is that the stringers, when climbing the steps, exert horizontal pressure on the frame base of the podium. Therefore, it is necessary to leave space so that, if necessary, reinforcement of the supports can be added in the form of additional struts.

All that remains is to lay the floor on the joists and trim the edges with a hand-held circular saw.

Building a staircase

To climb to the podium, a wooden staircase on two stringers will be used. But first you need to make the frame part of the transition platform.

The frame is assembled in the form of a square frame from a forty board. Two longitudinal struts are cut inside, and the corners on the inside are reinforced with metal plates.

The box is lifted onto a stand and fixed from the side of the podium with self-tapping screws directly onto the supports. To install the platform, you will need to additionally dig two holes and install two supports made of timber. Moreover, the material is not cut; the protruding upper part will be used for the frame base of the staircase railing.

Next, a horizontal crossbar is sewn onto the platform tables, and two stringers, cut in one piece from two fortieth boards, are attached to it. The bottom edge will rest on the bar.

The staircase frame is sewn up with pieces of floorboards left after laying the floor on the podium. Afterwards you will need to make another hole, on the left side at the base of the stairs. Depth - at least 50 cm. A 70x70 mm beam is placed vertically in the hole. This will be part of the staircase railing frame system.

Arrangement of the upper part

First you need to make a fence.You need to close the entire perimeter of the site, except for the part that is directly adjacent to the pool. The height of the fence is up to 90 cm. First you need to cut off the tops of the pillars at the same level and lay 70x70 timber on top. It is clear that all wooden parts on the pool podium must be carefully sanded with sandpaper.

In the same way, timber is placed along the staircase and intermediate platform fencing posts.

The material is stuffed onto the racks from the inside. It is also polished so that there are no burrs, but it will not be used for gripping with hands. The entire fencing of the frame pool podium will receive railings made of inch boards, previously sanded on a machine to a perfectly smooth surface.

Now you need to mix the cement-sand mortar. First of all, the area in front of the stairs is poured. The frame structure of the staircase has reliable support in the upper part, and only the ground in the lower part. Therefore, a small concrete slab will securely fix the base.

Part of the solution will need to be diluted to a more liquid state and poured over all the supports of the frame part of the podium. Each pillar should require at least 2 liters of mixture.

Refinement of the podium fencing

The railing scheme will only work for adults. If children will swim in the pool, the podium fence must be closed. This can be done by installing decorative plastic balusters, sewing up the fence with clapboard or sheathing. All of the above schemes will require significant investment of money and effort.

The easiest way to close the fence is to use welded metal mesh:

• you need to fill a horizontal strip 50 mm wide along the contour under the railing and along the bottom of the supports;
• measure the height from the surface of the podium to the railing and cut a strip of steel mesh to size;
• install mesh on the outside of the pool fence.

The mesh is nailed into staples with a hammer. The option of securing it with a furniture stapler is clearly not suitable. As a rule, children swimming in the pool love active games on the podium area. Therefore, furniture staples simply won’t hold up.

Important! After installation, the edges of the metal mesh need to be sewn up with a decorative strip. Otherwise, the sharp edges of the wire may cause injury to the hands of pool visitors.

The bottom edge of the mesh can be sewn directly to the bottom bar.

Decorative and protective finishing

After the assembly of the podium for the frame pool is completed, you need to seal the joint between the sheathing of the upper edge of the pool and the wooden floorboards of the deck. First of all, you need to remove the soft material, dry the wood, apply a thick layer of sealant (mastic waterproofing), and then put the sheathing back on. Before using the frame pool, the waterproofing of the edge must be dry.

Next, you will need to select a coating separately for the floorboards of the platform, the fence and the frame structure of the podium. Floorboards must be sanded before applying protection to remove the top layer, as well as possible chips on the edges of the boards. After treatment, the flooring is thoroughly cleaned (you can blow it off) of dust according to the instructions.

As a protective coating for the area, you should use sauna oil, but only from Finnish or Swedish manufacturers. The impregnating material penetrates deeply into the wood, dries, forming a thin film. In this case, oil does not enter the pool. The surface is soft and pleasant to walk on with bare feet.

If it is not possible to use wax, then you can apply polyurethane varnish. It is also used to protect fences, stair steps, and railings. The coating is applied in several layers. After varnishing, the railings will need to be additionally sanded.

For the frame system of the podium, it is better to use high-quality oil-based varnishes (paints). If such materials are not available, then bitumen mastic can be applied.

Results

Building a podium for a frame pool with your own hands is quite simple if you have at least a little experience working with wood. When planning a platform, no special precision is required, but the parts need to be connected carefully, and most importantly, securely. In this case, the wooden podium will last quite a long time, even if you use the pool every day.

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• How to make a swimming pool at your dacha with your own hands

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