Seeing the steps to build your new swimming pool will help you understand how pool contractors work and also appreciate the need for a qualified team of experts. As a family owned and operated company, we know that your investment means more than an added asset for your home, this will be the new gathering place for all the important events in your family’s life. This is why we work with you to design a dream gathering place for your family. We have the expertise and know-how to execute your project and we stand behind our professional craftsmen who have the experience to get it done right. Hawaii AquaScapes is the place to create your perfect pool whether you live on Oahu or on any of the neighboring islands.

There are many phases in the construction of your new swimming pool. We hope this brief description of each stage of construction will help you understand the process, what is happening now and what you can expect to happen next.

Step 1: The Layout

After you have experienced our custom pool design services and you and our in-house designer have planned the perfect pool for you, it’s time to get started. We place wood framing that shows the size, shape and location of your pool. The wood framing provides a guide for the excavation crew. Once the pool has been excavated, the framing helps secure the reinforcing steel for the shell and helps set the final elevation of your swimming pool.

Step 2: Excavation

The excavation is when the fun begins. Everyone loves watching as the big machinery rolls in and the excitement builds as you watch the shape of your new pool take form in your backyard. With years of experience behind them, our craftsmen make it look easy, but it takes a lot of time and hard work to gain the knowledge and ability to do what they do.

Step 3: Steel Reinforcement

Adding the steel is an important part of the structural integrity of your pool. You might find it interesting to see the workmanship and techniques used to bend the steel into the shape of your new swimming pool.

Step 4: Gunite

Next comes more excitement as the shell of your pool takes shape. Gunite is a type of concrete that we use to create the shell. The hose is filled with pressurized concrete that is guided into place by experienced contractors who have an eye for precision and accuracy. Watch as the craftspeople sculpt the concrete into the shape of your pool, spa, steps, swimout, sunshelf and any other features specifically chosen for your custom swimming pool.

Step 5: Pregrade

Once the gunite has set, we remove the wood framing and begin setting the grade for the deck area.

Step 6: Plumbing

Plumbing is an important part of installing a pool and can get complicated depending on the features you have chosen. The plumber will put in the circulating system, main drain and skimmer. In addition, he will install other features based on your pool design. He will also begin plumbing in the returns, therapy jets, deck jets, sheer descent, or any other water features that return the water to the pool after filtration.

Step 7: Tile

Laying the tile requires detail orientation, skill and focus. The tile setter is a craftsperson as well as an artist. To add beauty, he installs the tile that you chose to the location in the pool design. Tiles often decorate the perimeter, steps, swimout and sunbench of your pool. Tile is a crucial part of any pool installation project as it defines the character and ambience of the pool itself.

Step 8: Electric

Many of the amazing, beautiful, and relaxing features of your pool and spa require power. Our electricians are the behind-the-scenes magicians who ensure the proper function of your pool – connecting everything we have installed to the power source, making it all work beautifully.

Step 9: Deck Installation

During the rough decking stage, an experienced craftsperson performs important foundation steps for the deck area. He sets the pitch of the deck area, builds any riser steps, installs the deck drain and pours the concrete.

Step 10: Interior Finish

The interior finish is a concrete coating on the floor and walls of the pool. Craftspeople need both strength and expertise to direct the flow of pressurized concrete and then to use trowels to knead the surface into the final product. It’s an amazing sight, which is usually followed by another amazing sight: water flowing into the swimming pool! In most cases, they will start the water immediately after they finish the plastering process.

Step 11: Start Up

At this point, your swimming pool is nearly finished. Our start-up technician will test that everything is working properly. For example, the technician will start the circulating pump and set the timer. If your pool design has eyeball fittings in the returns and jets, he will install them. He will also brush and vacuum the pool and clean any residue off the tile. The technician will simmer and balance the water and start the slow chlorine start up. In a slow chlorine start up, we add chlorine slowly over a period of a few days. So, it will take a few more days for the water to turn completely blue.

Step 12: Dive Into Your New Pool

You made it! It’s time to take your new pool for a test swim. We will do follow-ups with you in the months following completion. In the meantime, enjoy every minute of your outdoor water playground!