Considering a basement or underground pool in the garden - what are the pros & cons?

Buried Pool Halls and Basement Pools should always be considered because:

1. Much cheaper to operate because the reduction in heat loss is so dramatic
2. They do not ruin the appearance of your garden or obstruct existing views
3. Buried pool halls can be cheaper to build because high quality external finishes are required for luxury pool hall buildings - but this is offset by the cost of excavation and disposal of the excavation arisings

I. Installing a Basement pool under an existing building

These always need a lot of design input because:

• The existing building invariably has to be underpinned before the basement pool can be installed.
• It can be difficult to determine what the ground conditions are under the original building and services like sewers and water pipes may have to be located and diverted.
• The excavation has to be carried out by very small machines and it is always difficult to get the spoil out of the basement to cart it away to the tip.
• Waterproofing of the new basement will need to be provided by an internal drainage system that collects any moisture that comes through the walls.
• The shape and size of the new pool is highly constrained by the internal walls of the original structure that also need to be supported.

II. Buried pool halls are a better option

So it is probably better to consider having a buried pool hall in your back garden. It might look something like this:

Please click on the image for a larger picture

III. Construction Costs

If you have an access of 2m or more to your back garden, and especially if you have somewhere on site to dispose of the excavation arisings, it is surprising just how quickly and cheaply a pool like this can be built.

The real cost can only be determined after a site investigation and some preliminary design work has been carried out.

IV. Operating costs

The heating and energy costs involved in running a small indoor pool can easily amount to 50 or 60 £'s or €'s per week. With a buried pool hall, particularly one built in polybloks with an insulated roof, the heat loss into the surrounding air is eliminated. As such, the buried pool hall:

• Costs virtually nothing to heat
• Is always at a comfortable temperature

V. Build a Garage or Gym at the same time?

Please click on the image for a larger picture

This will of course increase the cost a little but it can kill two birds with one stone - especially if you would like a gym or even a snooker table in your garden!

The Self-Build approach to Basements and Basement Pool Installation is ideal because Will Witt is a chartered Civil Engineer who can make sure that the risks involved in Basement Pool Construction are minimised.