Some of the biggest pool drainage problems happen where you can't see them: underneath the paving. Here's what goes wrong, and how we build drainage properly around pools in Melbourne's south-east.
When most people think about drainage around a pool, they picture water running off the top of the paving. But some of the biggest drainage problems happen where you can't see them: underneath the paving slab.
After more than 20 years of pool landscaping across Melbourne's south-east, drainage is the thing we're most often called out to fix on other landscapers' jobs. Here's what goes wrong, and how we make sure it doesn't happen on yours.
Water always finds the lowest point
On any block, and especially a sloping one, rainwater doesn't just run across the surface. It soaks into the ground and travels underneath the paving slab until it finds somewhere lower to go.
Around an in-ground pool, the lowest point is usually the pool hole itself. Water runs under the paving, down the outside of the pool shell and collects in the hole around the pool.
This is a particular issue with fibreglass pools. Most come with a drainage pipe in the surrounds so groundwater can be pumped out from around the shell. Without proper drainage, that pipe needs pumping out again and again, which means ongoing maintenance and, over time, potential problems for the pool itself.
Catching the water before it reaches the pool
The answer is underground drainage. We install agricultural (ag) drains around the pool and beneath the paving slab, so groundwater is intercepted before it reaches the pool hole and carried away to stormwater.
It's work you'll never see once the paving is down. That's exactly why it's so often left out.
Paving should never fall into the pool
The second common problem is on the surface. We regularly see pool paving laid so it falls towards the pool. Every time it rains or the paving is hosed down, dirt, leaves and debris wash straight into the water.
The result is a pool that's constantly dirty, filters working harder, and chemical levels thrown out of balance, so you spend more time and money keeping the water right.
All the paving we lay falls away from the pool, into proper surface drainage such as strip drains, connected to stormwater.
What happens when drainage is rushed
Each year we're called out to landscaping jobs where the drainage wasn't done properly. Common signs include:
- The pool's drainage pipe needing constant pumping
- Water pooling on the paving after rain
- Dirty pool water after every storm
- Garden beds or lawn near the pool staying soggy
- Water running back towards the house
Unfortunately, drainage is almost impossible to add later. In most cases the only real fix is to pull up the paving and start again, which costs far more than doing it properly the first time.
Why we include drainage in every quote
We take pride in our drainage, so it's included in every pool landscaping quote we give. It's never an optional extra or something added later.
It's also one reason pool builders like Master Pools, who we've worked alongside for over 20 years, recommend us to their clients. They stress the importance of drainage with their customers, and they know we do it properly.
If you're comparing pool landscaping quotes, ask each landscaper:
- Do you install ag drains around the pool, under the paving?
- Which way will the paving fall, towards the pool or away from it?
- What surface drains are included, and where do they connect?
If drainage isn't clearly listed in the quote, it's worth asking why.
Planning a pool?
The best time to plan drainage is before the pool goes in, so levels and falls can be worked out with your pool builder from the start. We also fix drainage around existing pools.
Book a site visit and we'll walk through your block, talk about levels and drainage, and give you a clear, itemised quote.
Inspired? Let's talk about your project.
Tell us what you have in mind — we'll come back with ideas and a quote.
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