Cinderblock pool walls?

Cinder Block Bound · Postby **Cinder Block Bound** » Wed 25 Sep, 2013 23:49

You can drill holes in the footer with a hammer drill and drive rebar down in to the holes. Set the block cavity over the rebar. I have seen most people are putting the rebar in every other cavity. The rebar should extend up past the top layer of block. Once the block are filled, the rebar extending past the top can be bent over and used to tie the deck to the wall. Plus it will provide support to keep your deck from settling.

cwalker1960 · Postby **cwalker1960** » Mon 13 Jan, 2014 10:23

Pool User wrote:If the floor and footer are poured at the same time and the first course of block later, what joins the block wall to the footer? That is, how do you prevent the wall from separating from the floor?

cwalker1960 wrote:Not filling the block is fine if you plan on putting in a vinyl liner. This is not acceptable if the pool is to be plastered. Plaster doesn't give, it cracks.
As for pouring a footer , laying the block walls then pouring the floor,, if you're planning on plastering this pool , it wouldn't be the way I would go about it. Footers can settle , then you have a leak around the perimeter of the pool. With the footer dug as you have described , tie all the steel in the floor and pour the footer and floor at one time ,, then lay the block. We pour floors on big commercial pools all the time ,, I'm talking 70' by 150' by 17' deep. and this is how we do it. I have seen pools with the floor poured later and they leak period.
ool

when the steel is tied for the floor we bend it up against the walls about 2 to 3 foot high so it can later be tied into the wall steel, remember we are shooting the walls so placement is not critical .. If using block for the walls it will take some planning to make sure that the steel comes up in a block cavity or some other approach that the builder seems needed. For example I could see using the block that has half of the webbing cut out length wise, Don't know their proper name but I think they use them for a space to lay conduit or whatever.

Transy416 · Postby **Transy416** » Sat 21 Jun, 2014 14:31

cwalker1960 wrote:
Pool User wrote:If the floor and footer are poured at the same time and the first course of block later, what joins the block wall to the footer? That is, how do you prevent the wall from separating from the floor?

cwalker1960 wrote:Not filling the block is fine if you plan on putting in a vinyl liner. This is not acceptable if the pool is to be plastered. Plaster doesn't give, it cracks.
As for pouring a footer , laying the block walls then pouring the floor,, if you're planning on plastering this pool , it wouldn't be the way I would go about it. Footers can settle , then you have a leak around the perimeter of the pool. With the footer dug as you have described , tie all the steel in the floor and pour the footer and floor at one time ,, then lay the block. We pour floors on big commercial pools all the time ,, I'm talking 70' by 150' by 17' deep. and this is how we do it. I have seen pools with the floor poured later and they leak period.
ool

when the steel is tied for the floor we bend it up against the walls about 2 to 3 foot high so it can later be tied into the wall steel, remember we are shooting the walls so placement is not critical .. If using block for the walls it will take some planning to make sure that the steel comes up in a block cavity or some other approach that the builder seems needed. For example I could see using the block that has half of the webbing cut out length wise, Don't know their proper name but I think they use them for a space to lay conduit or whatever.

Cwalker,
My apologies if this is a dumb question, but what prevents a leak at the wall and footer/floor joint connection when the first course of blocks is installed after the floor/footer has cured?

Johnalastra · Postby **Johnalastra** » Sun 19 Jun, 2016 12:03

Nancy wrote:Pool User
Is there that much difference between plastering over poured cement and cement cinderblocks? What causes the cracking?

Nota, have you had any problems with the plaster cracking?

The crackinc occirs as a result of shrinkage. You can prevent this by laying the block in mortar and placing a horizontal wire reinforcing in between each course. This is how we bricklayers keep block walls from cracking.

vredmondpool · Postby **vredmondpool** » Sun 26 Jun, 2016 11:49

I too want to build a cinderblock pool wall...BUT as an above ground with a customer vinyl liner. I plan to use the cinderblocks just for holding up the vinyl liner. I assume the liner, which will be shaped in a rectangle form will hold most of the weight/pressure of the water. So, can I skip the rebar and filling with cement? I figure if the cheap aluminum pools you buy at Walmart can hold up water...why can't my cinderblocks hold the water. I'm trying not to spend too much. I do plan to mortar or even guerilla glue the blocks together. Thoughts?

Denniswiseman · Postby **Denniswiseman** » Mon 27 Jun, 2016 07:20

I wouldn't advise that as the liner is just that and won't hold any thing up
You need the rebar and concrete to hold the wall together. The weight of water will buckle and distort the wall

CLEpool · Postby **CLEpool** » Fri 01 Jul, 2016 09:42

I recently had a pool installed. It was installed by a pool company that tried to bury an above ground doughboy pool. After 30 days it collapsed. When I went to get it warrantied he said he was broke and suggested a concrete block pool and he would give me the liner. Do trying to make the best of the situation I hired a masonry guy to build the pool out of block. They made a rectangle 16x32 pool out of block. The set the block, skim coated the exterior with cement, drain tile and tarred the cement before backfilling with stone. The pool installer then set an oversized liner in the pool and I have wrinkles everywhere. He out the liner over the block and secured it down. They then put coping on top for future liners. The bottom is concrete with a circular deep end and a walking edge around it so you can stand in the deep end. I am not happy with the liner. What are my options. Please help

Rajeevx7 · Postby **Rajeevx7** » Tue 02 Aug, 2016 23:24

You have to drain the pool if you want to get the wrinkles out! The wrinkles are all at the bottom and the bottom seems more intricate than any custom liner could be made to fit.
There is a how to on you tube for a flat bottom round inground that has the liner elevated as it is filled. Two workers stretch out the liner across the top rail and as the water weighs in they slowly lower the liner down. They didn't have any wrinkles, but they were pros and their pool was not like yours.

johnhardy · Postby **johnhardy** » Thu 18 Aug, 2016 01:45

Decorate around your pool by paving stone and give the natural look.

Tomsalwayssmilin · Postby **Tomsalwayssmilin** » Thu 31 May, 2018 13:49

Hi,

I'm in the process of gathering all the information I can before I start this fun pool build. My first question is what size cinderblock should I build with? My pool will be 20'×40' and run from 9' to 3' with a 12'×8' sun deck and 8'×8' spa built into the shallow end. These are included in the overall dimensions.
I've priced out 8" and 10" block but I'm uncertain as to what size to use. I'm filling every block with a minimum of 3000psi concrete mix and 3/8" or 1/2" rebar in every cavity. I'm also running bond beam block with horizontal rebar every 3rd course. The floor and walls will be a continuous pour with the floor rebar extending into the wall block with 3' overlap. The deep end will be a 6"×6" grid pattern and the shadow will be 1'×1' grid pattern with the deep end grid overlapping into the shallow end 6'.
Anyone hear of using a pillar in the outside middle of the wall to provide additional support to the large 40' span?

Any additional info on the block size would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

Teapot · Postby **Teapot** » Thu 31 May, 2018 16:00

I don't think you'll need the bond beam every 3rd course, just top and bottom. I would use vertical rebar though, didn't see you mention it? Absolutely I would build pillars mid way.

Are you looking for advice on pump and filtration?

Tomsalwayssmilin · Postby **Tomsalwayssmilin** » Thu 31 May, 2018 23:26

Thanks for your reply. Yes I'll definitely be running rebar in every medica vertical cavity. I was thinking the bond beam every 3rd course may be a bit overkill but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I may not go every 3rd course. I definitely think I will incorporate an exterior pillar on each side midway of the 40ft sides.
My main question was what size block I should use. I'm debating on 8 inch block or 10 inch block. I've searched everywhere and I can't find an answer to this.

I'm looking to use the Haywood Pro Logic saltwater system on my pool. Probably the 3hp considering the size of the pool.

Teapot · Postby **Teapot** » Sat 02 Jun, 2018 15:36

Interesting why you just state the proposed pump HP, the most important parts are the size of your filtration and pipework, number of skimmers and returns. The pump is the least of your concerns but I would go variable speed.

Merfromseattle · Postby **Merfromseattle** » Sun 14 Jun, 2020 16:47

I have a cement slab. Can I build a cinderblock pool on that?

_ThaNerd_ · Postby **_ThaNerd_** » Wed 30 Sep, 2020 05:12

I'm thinking of building an inground pool of about 12x22 in size but uncertain about a few things.

Can the floor be cemented first and let to dry and then cement the walls? Like would there be a gap in between the walls and floor or will the two cement bond even though they were cemented in different times?

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