Many backyards in the Inland Empire, for example Highland, Rancho Cucamonga, and other areas closer to the mountains have challenging terrain that can be intimidating and present problematic building conditions. Selecting a pool contractor with experience and knowledge is paramount with all pool projects but especially important with slopes and engineering involved.
Bogner Pools has 60 years of experience with backyards that contain upslopes. There are several items considered while designing your pool project:
Structural Engineering - Additional steel and gunite are added to the pool to handle the stress put on the pool structure by the weight of the dirt from the slope.
Hard ground conditions - Many of these areas close to the mountains are very rocky or have very difficult to penetrate soil.
Calculating wall heights - The design of the pool needs to be tall enough to retain the grade behind the pool and decking.
Before Construction
Including the proper engineering to insure your swimming pool remains structural sound is significant. These solutions can include additional retaining walls, raised areas of the pool wall or a combination of both. We know that proper design is a critical step in the completion of a successful pool project. A structural detail prepared specifically for your yard conditions will be signed and stamped by a licensed civil engineer before we begin construction. Bogner conducts routine testing and inspection of all structural materials used.
Bogner estimators always insure the proper heavy equipment needed to penetrate tough ground and boulders is addressed to avoid unexpected costs to the you as the home owner. Known hard ground conditions are always disclosed to the home owner and in many cases, the cost can be provided as part of the project cost right from the start. Many pool contractors simply avoid the conversation and point to the fine print when hard ground is encountered leaving the home owner to pay unexpected costs. Boulder charges can be very large depending on each the conditions of the job.
After Construction
Determining how much of an upslope needs to be retained takes some time and effort from your estimator. Bogner Pools values accuracy. We take additional time to use a transit level to determine the relative position of existing level ground, the floor in your home, and the height required to retain the upslope. Transit levels are very precise. A simple step like this can make sure you don’t have soil washing into your pool.
Although more expensive to build in these areas, elevation changes in your design can add a lot of character to the design, as well as regaining these areas that were pretty much useless before. Bogner has experienced estimators that are ready to listen to your ideas and help you envision your new and improved backyard. Our clients enjoy our CAD design process and appreciate our no nonsense line item accounting for each project. We are eager to help you. Staycation!
-Rick Nelson
Designing at Bogner pools for over 20 years.