[Greenbuilding] clay wall for pool

[David Wentling]

Been working with ponds for over 15 years. 


If you use EPDM, be sure to use a liner protection fabric beneath the rubber to reduce potential puncture from below and avoid rubber liner stretch. EPDM will have carbon slough off over time, so avoid contact with swimmers. This can be accomplished with liner fabric on top of the rubber and covered with gravel and large stones. I worked on a natural lap pool where large flat stones were laid out in a straight line and gravel was filled in between. Flat stones acted as swimmer lane lines. Large boulders were located on each end for the swimmer to push off when turning.


Had an old pool where previous owners patched walls and used foundation water proofing paint. Bad idea! Paint not designed to have constant water pressure. Every year it was scrape, patch, paint!! We lined the old pool with rebar and shot in a new concrete liner. We used "Marblelite" pool coating. No leaks for over 20 years. 

Bentonite is available in sheet form as well as drums. As long as you do not have an erosional flow across the clay it is stable. Expensive option. Best if covered.

If you have a natural high clay deposit locally, many farm ponds utilize this product. Availability versus cost is a local thing.

I have been associated with a dozen natural ponds where we have used under gravel suction pipes in the main pond and feed edge or top pool bog gardens. For  those who require a higher clarity we have incorporated UV sterilizers. These are often added several years later when the females want to join in the swim fun!

For the cost and durability I would use EPDM with liner fabric top and bottom.
 
David Wentling
ConservFirst.com


________________________________
 From: Gennaro Brooks-Church - Eco Brooklyn <info at ecobrooklyn.com>
To: listserv Green Building new <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org> 
Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2012 9:01 AM
Subject: [Greenbuilding] clay wall for pool
 

Hello,
I am building a natural pool and looking for a good sealing option. The existing pool has very feeble concrete walls that are strong enough to keep the shape but not strong enough to hold the water in. Under pressure and time they will crack. Some options I see are:
1. a liner like epdm
2. stucco the walls and paint with pool paint
3. clay blanket
4. making a clay stucco mix?
5. spraying clay on the wall then spraying a stucco?

Part of the pool is going to have a deep layer of gravel and plants so removing that to find a crack or leak is going to be near impossible. Something that "self heals" like clay is attractive to me.....but it has to work on vertical walls. The floor is easy.

Gennaro Brooks-Church
Director, Eco Brooklyn Inc.
Cell: 1 347 244 3016 USA
www.EcoBrooklyn.com
22 2nd St; Brooklyn, NY 11231


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