The time has come. You have done all the research, slogged through all the leg work, made all the preparations, and ensured the appropriate setups are completed. It is now time for the construction of your new swimming pool to begin. And yet, not. So, what happens when Mother Nature has other plans? What makes the weather during pool installation such a crucial factor? And why is it that rain causes construction delays
First, while rain is not ideal, dry, hard ground is also a deterrent. This effect occurs because parched ground risks the builders’ safety and leaves the equipment vulnerable to damage and loss of efficacy. Yet, despite the potential for these adverse outcomes, it may still be challenging to understand the inevitability of weather delays during pool construction.
Another aspect of weather delays that homeowners may find difficult to grasp is that they are never proportional. So, for example, one day of rain does not mean that the project will experience a one-day delay. On the contrary, that single wet day will most likely have a significant knock-on effect, thus bringing the installation to a halt for a lot longer than one day.
So why does it happen this way? Why does a period of rain necessitate a delay period afterward?
Here are some factors that dictate the answer to that question:
Backyard Conditions
The state of your backyard plays a vital role in the continuity of the pool installation. It is primarily your soil type that has the greatest effect. Therefore, consider that a yard with predominantly clay soil retains water longer, thus taking longer to dry. The inverse is true for sandy ground.
Recent Weather Patterns
Wet weather conditions in the period immediately preceding the start of construction render the ground too wet to allow the process to commence. Therefore, you will have to delay until it dries.
Excavation
The excavation stage of construction is the one most vulnerable to inclement weather. Therefore, it is at this point that you are more likely to experience significant delays. There are several reasons for this distinction, including:
- Trapped water. The open pit becomes a water catchment site. Moreover, it is likely to get trapped in the deepest point of the hole. When either of these two scenarios occurs, you have two options left: wait for the water to evaporate- which can take weeks- or pump it out.
- Cave-in. At worst, the soil may absorb enough rainwater to make it unstable so that when excavation is ongoing, the pit’s walls are more likely to collapse and create a bog.
- The chances of a cave-in depend on the status of your plumbing. The addition of necessary plumbing requires that the contractors dig a trench around the perimeter where the pipes will lay. These trench walls may then collapse should it rain before the builders can cover them.
- Roof or surrounding concrete. If the pool installation occurs close to the house, then your rain drainage implements may channel the run-off into the pit, thus having a dire effect on the construction process.
So what solutions are available?
First, remember that yours is not the only project that is affected. If there is rain in your area, then they’re likely multiple delays impacting numerous upcoming swimming pools, so it may be better to take it in stride.
Next, you can minimize the adverse effects of flowing rainwater by draping plastic sheets over the hole’s perimeter walls.
Finally, remember that while weather forecasts are available, nature can still be unpredictable; therefore, there may be rain when it is supposed to be dry or a deluge where experts predict a drizzle. With all this, the moment there is rain, the wet conditions affect the integrity of the work environment, thus necessitating a delay. This temporary stop may not be ideal, but it is the only way to certify that your project has a satisfactory outcome.
