The pool at the modern summer cottage is no longer a luxury. This design is quite affordable even for the average consumer, and even more so if you can build it yourself. However, it is important to design and build this element of landscape design correctly; proper care is also needed. Sooner or later, the owner of the site has the idea that it is necessary to erect a canopy for the pool, which can be made of any material. One popular is polycarbonate. The design will keep the water clean and transform the area.
The need to build a canopy
If you still think about whether you need a canopy over the pool, then you need to consider the positive characteristics of this design, which consists in the fact that the water does not pollute so quickly, therefore, it will have to be cleaned much less often. Among other things, you can use the pool in this case even during rain or strong winds. And other adverse weather conditions will not be able to prevent you from enjoying clean water.
The canopy will protect from sunlight, so you can swim even with the very scorching sun. The energy consumption for heating the water will be reduced, and the water from the pool will not evaporate so quickly. In addition, in the autumn-winter period, the design will not be affected by negative weather conditions.
Canopy for the pool can be made of different materials. But polycarbonate is a solution that is lightweight and durable, as well as the ability to transmit and diffuse ultraviolet light. The material is weatherproof, fireproof and resistant to corrosion processes.
You can buy it at an affordable price, caring for the surface is quite simple, and it will last more than one year.
Preparation of materials and tools
If you decide to build a canopy for the pool, then before starting work it is necessary to prepare certain tools and materials. Among them:
- polycarbonate;
- fasteners;
- self-tapping screws;
- bolts
- welding machine;
- hacksaw for metal ;
- electric jigsaw;
- roulette;
- level;
- profile pipe of round or rectangular section;
- concrete mix;
- shovel;
- hammer drill;
- concrete mixer.
Foundation building
The design of the canopy will be quite light, but the volumetric cover still requires a foundation. The design is mounted on a concrete base, which is deepened by 50 cm into the soil. After the mortar mixture has dried, the foundation surface must be tiled, which will additionally protect the structure from moisture.
Work on the frame
The canopy for the pool will be based on a frame that can be made of metal or wood. It is best to resort to the first option, since water will constantly evaporate near the pool. Creating a framework involves bending the profile so that an arched coating is obtained.
If you have the appropriate skills, you can try to make the supporting structure yourself. Profiles are thrown over the bowl and bolted to the foundation. Further, the arcs extend in increments of one meter from each other, and stiffeners are installed between them. Parts are bolted or welded. If the canopy for the pool of polycarbonate will be based on a metal frame, then the latter must be treated with an anti-corrosion agent before assembly.
Sheathing
On the sheets of covering material, it will be necessary to mark the connection points with the frame. Next, holes are made for installing screws. In order to prevent damage to the skin, the film should not be removed at this stage. Under the influence of heat, the material will expand, so the holes should have a slightly larger diameter compared to the size of the screws. Polycarbonate should be fixed on the profile with self-tapping screws, under the caps of which rubber washers must be laid. The joints obtained between the caps and polycarbonate are treated with sealant.
It is worth recognizing that the use of self-tapping screws is not the best solution for carrying out such work. But if you decide to prefer this particular technology, then it is best to purchase them with sealing washers, which are made of EPDM material. They will allow you to evenly distribute the load on the surface of the canvas at the fastener point.
When choosing a self-tapping screw, you should prefer one whose diameter is equal to or greater than 6 mm. For proper installation, a screwdriver will be required, with which it will be possible to carry out work in the shortest possible time. When canopies for pools made of polycarbonate are made, photos of which you can see in the article, the screws should be perpendicular to a flat surface.
Great efforts should not be made so as not to destroy the surface of the panel and partition. If the self-tapping screw is pinched, and the surface is deformed, then the fasteners need to be released a little. While maintaining the original shape of the bulkheads, the surface should be restored.
Sliding pool canopy
Sliding canopies for pools can be made of a profile and a special mechanism, the length of which must be selected while on the site. Once you have completed all the necessary measurements, you can go to the store, where you can purchase polycarbonate and guides. The latter will move the upper part of the frame, which at the installation stage must be synchronized.
Some home craftsmen try to implement such a mechanism on their own, but experts advise to abandon this plan and purchase a factory model, since in the first case the structure will move with great noise, and over time it may skew, and the movement will not be as easy as before. The pool under the canopy, which you will make sliding, can be covered with polycarbonate only partially.
If you want to leave the pool for the winter and make it heated, then the canopy can be made completely closed. In this case, swimming will be possible even in late autumn.
Use as a fastener of coupling tapes
A canopy for the pool, a photo of which you can find in the article, can be made using tie-rods that allow you to fix polycarbonate. They are made of polyester or galvanized steel. This method cannot be called new, with its help it is possible to press the panels as tightly as possible to the arch structure without damaging the canvas.
The tape is thrown over the structure and fixed on bolts on both sides. Among the main advantages of using this technology, short installation times, the possibility of opening the canopy, ease of dismantling, as well as tight overlapping of the material can be distinguished.
Using Thermowells to Install Polycarbonate
When a do-it-yourself pool canopy is made , polycarbonate can be fixed to the frame using thermal washers. This method is one of the reliable and faithful. The plastic washer is made in the form of an umbrella, the leg of which is designed for using a 5 mm self-tapping screw. At the bottom of the hat there is a seat for the washer. In the upper part there is a hidden recess in which the head of the self-tapping screw opens. At the same time, the fasteners are completely protected from corrosion. When installing polycarbonate on the frame rafters using thermal washers, it is necessary to make holes in the canvases with a diameter of 2 mm larger than the diameter of the legs. This eliminates deformation of the web at the pinch points in the process of increasing or decreasing linear dimensions. A distance of 30 cm must be left between the thermowells.