When Redditor CrackerCortex‘s dog passed away, he turned to the great outdoors to deal with his grief. He set out to build a concrete koi pond in his backyard. But, when a friend suggested he try to make a pool instead of a pond, the creative juices really started flowing. He came up with a design for a pool surrounded by rocks, complete with a grotto, a kiddie pool for his son, creeks, and more. After a lot of hard work, his pond sized hole became a tropical paradise. Check out this amazing DIY below.
The project started as a concrete koi pond, but at a friends suggestion, he decided to make it a pool.
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Here are the original plans: The pool features a waterfall, a kiddie pool, a main pool, and a grotto.
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He continued digging out the original hole until it was much bigger.
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Then, he reinforced it with a retaining wall since he lives on a slope.
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He leveled and marked the edges of the pool for a rough estimate.
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The plumbing started going in…
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Here’s the pump for the pool.
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He set the foundation for the pool with rebar.
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This part of the rebar grid would eventually become a grotto.
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The pool was then sprayed with shotcrete, a concrete mixture applied with a high velocity hose.
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It takes a full week for the shotcrete to dry.
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The rocks were then made with latex and mixed colored concrete. He shaped them with a trowel.
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And it was complete!
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His son loves the backyard’s newest addition!
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For a finishing touch, he built a raised fire pit next to the pool.
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(source Reddit)
Fellow Redditors estimated that a professional pool of this caliber would cost around $30,000, but the DIY version cost around $10,000. This looks like something you’d find at a hotel, not in someone’s backyard – so amazing!
