Swimming Pool Piers in North Texas
Understanding Building Conditions
When building a custom swimming pool in North Texas, one of the most important structural considerations is the installation of swimming pool piers. These piers serve as the foundation of your pool, providing support and stability while ensuring the longevity of your investment. In a region like North Texas, where the soil can shift and fluctuate with seasonal changes, pool piers are especially crucial for the structural integrity of your custom pool. Here's everything you need to know about swimming pool piers and their importance in custom pool construction.
What are Swimming Pool Piers?
Swimming pool piers are vertical columns or supports installed beneath your pool’s foundation to help it remain stable and level over time. These piers are typically made of concrete, steel, or a combination of both materials and are designed to bear the weight of the pool and its surrounding structures. They are strategically placed to distribute the weight evenly, ensuring that the pool doesn’t sink or shift as the ground beneath it settles or shifts.
In North Texas, where soil conditions can be challenging due to expansive clay and shifting earth, pool piers are a critical component to prevent foundation problems such as cracking or sinking.
How Do Pool Piers Work?
Pool piers work by penetrating the unstable top layer of soil to reach more solid, stable ground deeper beneath the surface. The piers are placed at key points under the pool’s foundation, ensuring that the weight of the pool is evenly distributed. The size, depth, and number of piers required for your pool will depend on various factors, including the pool’s size, the soil conditions, and the overall design of the pool. Experienced pool builders will assess the site conditions before determining the best pier system for your custom pool.
Why Are Swimming Pool Piers Important in North Texas?
Expansive Soil
One of the primary reasons pool piers are essential in North Texas is the presence of expansive clay soil. This type of soil expands when wet and contracts when dry, causing the ground to shift beneath your pool. Without adequate support from piers, this shifting soil can lead to uneven settling, which can crack your pool's foundation and affect the overall structure.
Long-Term Durability
By installing pool piers, you reduce the risk of costly repairs due to foundation damage. Over time, the support provided by these piers helps prevent the pool from settling unevenly, which can cause issues like cracked tiles, grout, or even worse, structural damage that may require an entire rebuild.
Foundation Stability
Pool piers provide a solid foundation that prevents shifting or sinking of the pool over time. In an area like North Texas, where temperature extremes and fluctuating moisture levels can significantly affect the soil, having a stable and secure foundation ensures your pool remains level and structurally sound.
Prevention of Cracking & Shifting
As the soil beneath the pool shifts with changing weather patterns, pool piers are designed to absorb and redistribute the movement, minimizing the risk of cracks and shifts in the pool’s surface. This not only preserves the aesthetics of your pool but also protects the investment you’ve made in your custom design.
Helical Piers
Concrete Piers
Steel Piers
Push Piers
Types of Pool Piers
Choosing the right type of pool pier is crucial to ensuring the stability and longevity of your custom pool. Different types of piers are suited to different soil conditions and pool designs, with each providing a unique benefit depending on the needs of your pool and the terrain. Here are the most common types of pool piers used in North Texas:
Helical piers, also known as screw piles, are one of the most effective solutions for supporting custom pools in areas with expansive or shifting soils, which is a common concern in North Texas. These piers are essentially long, steel shafts with spiral-shaped ends that are screwed into the ground, allowing them to penetrate deeper into stable soil layers beneath the shifting, unstable topsoil. The screw-like design allows for efficient installation without the need for heavy machinery, making it an ideal solution in areas with restricted access or tight spaces.
The main advantage of helical piers is their ability to resist the movement caused by soil expansion and contraction—common in regions with fluctuating moisture levels, like North Texas. Once in place, helical piers provide excellent long-term stability for pools, ensuring they remain level and secure despite the environmental challenges.
Concrete piers are another widely used solution for supporting custom pools, especially in areas where the soil is more stable and doesn't experience as much shifting. These piers are created by drilling deep holes into the ground, then filling them with concrete to form solid, durable columns beneath the pool's foundation. The concrete piers form a strong, weight-bearing base that supports the weight of the pool, surrounding deck, and other elements.
Concrete piers are ideal for pools built on stable soil, as they provide a robust, permanent solution. They are also used in situations where additional load-bearing capacity is required, such as when the pool is larger, has heavier structures like waterfalls or large coping, or when extra weight-bearing support is necessary for other architectural features. These piers provide long-lasting durability and resist environmental factors like moisture and temperature changes, making them a reliable option for many custom pool designs.
Steel piers are another excellent choice for supporting custom pools, particularly when deeper installation is needed to reach stable soil layers that are farther below the surface. These piers are large, steel shafts that are driven into the ground using hydraulic equipment until they reach solid, load-bearing strata. Steel piers offer high durability and are able to bear significant weight, making them perfect for large, heavy pools or pools built in areas where the soil may be unstable or difficult to work with.
Steel piers are highly resistant to corrosion and weathering, which ensures that they will continue to provide lasting support over time. In areas with highly expansive soils or where deep bedrock is required for solid support, steel piers are the preferred solution. They are capable of withstanding the stress of shifting soil and provide superior long-term performance, making them ideal for high-traffic or high-use pools in North Texas.
Push piers are a type of hydraulic pier that can be used for both new pool construction and the stabilization of pools that have already experienced shifting or settling. These piers are driven into the ground using hydraulic pressure, which allows them to push through unstable soil layers until they reach a firm, stable foundation. Push piers are an effective solution for pool repairs when the pool has begun to shift or settle due to soil movement over time.
The advantage of push piers is their ability to stabilize an existing pool without the need for extensive excavation. They are also relatively quick to install, reducing the overall time and cost of repairs. Push piers are often used in areas where soil conditions have caused uneven settling, cracks in pool tiles, or other structural issues. They can also be employed in combination with other types of piers, offering a flexible and versatile solution for addressing foundation problems in custom pools.
How Are Pool Piers Installer?
1. Site Assessment
Through our 30 years of experience, we've identified specific factors where our sales team will recommend piers. These include the construction of the subdivision by the builder, the presence of large retaining walls on the property, proximity to a large lake or neighborhood ponds, and other local conditions. In certain areas or subdivisions, Foley Pools will not build a pool without piers.
3. Foundation Adjustment
Once the piers are installed, the next step is to adjust or level the pool’s foundation as necessary. The installation of piers often involves lifting or leveling the pool to ensure it is fully supported by the piers. In the case of an existing pool, this step is especially important for correcting any shifts that have occurred over time.
2. Pier Installation
During excavation, our galvanized steel piers are driven deep into the ground, and then the steel is installed to link the pool's steel structure with the piers. This ensures that your swimming pool remains stable over the long term and significantly reduces the risk of the shotcrete walls cracking or the pool shifting.
4. Final Inspection
After the piers are installed and the foundation has been adjusted, a final inspection is conducted to ensure everything is correctly aligned and secure. This inspection involves checking the positioning and depth of the piers to verify that they have been installed properly and are fully capable of supporting the weight of the pool.
How Foley Pools Can Help
Decades of Experience
With decades of experience, Foley Pools brings expert knowledge to every pier and installation, ensuring high-quality results.
Innovative Techniques
They use innovative techniques to create custom designs and efficient installations that elevate your pool experience.
Customer Satisfaction
Foley Pools is committed to customer satisfaction, providing personalized service to ensure your vision becomes a reality.
Common Questions About
Swimming Pool Piers
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Foley Pools is committed to customer satisfaction, providing personalized service to ensure your vision becomes a reality.
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A pier can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your pool, offer additional functionality like a dock or lounging area, and create a more luxurious custom pool experience.
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Yes, swimming pool piers can be fully customized to match the design of your pool and meet your specific needs, whether for relaxation, diving, or aesthetic value.
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Common materials for pool piers include wood, composite, steel, and concrete, chosen for their durability, aesthetic appeal, and ability to withstand pool conditions.
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The installation time for a pool pier varies depending on the design complexity and materials but typically ranges from a few days to a few weeks.
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Permits may be required depending on your location and the scope of the pier installation. It's best to check with your local authorities or work with a pool installation expert to navigate this process.
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Regular maintenance includes checking for wear and tear, cleaning the surface to prevent algae build-up, and ensuring the structure remains secure and stable. The maintenance needs depend on the materials used.
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Building a Durable, Long-Lasting Pool
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