What happens to shipping containers that are no longer used to ship cargo across long distances? Well, many are turned into homes, art galleries, offices and even swimming pools. Enthusiasts across the globe have been turning shipping containers into swimming pools for the past few years. The results are stunning, with many incorporating additional features like glass panels and a heater.
A Fraction of the cost
The thing that makes shipping containers a favourite for DIY enthusiasts is their versatility. Turning one into a swimming pool or a high-tech classroom can be done, in most instances, at a fraction of the cost of building a new pool the traditional way. Conventional swimming pools are usually astoundingly more expensive for an in-ground pool. You can, on the other hand, buy a used shipping container for around at a lower cost. Even after including the money you have to spend on converting the shipping container, the chances are that the final cost will still be lower than buying a conventional swimming pool.
Sizes
Shipping containers come in standardised sizes of 20 and 40 feet (6 and 12 meters). These are the sizes that are, therefore, available to those who are looking to quickly and easily build shipping container swimming pools.
Depth
Standard shipping containers are 2.5m high, and this is the measurement that you have to work with when designing your pool. Part of the modifications that you need to make involves removing the roof, which gives you the leeway to either have a shallow pool or one that has a depth of up to 2.5 meters.
Waterproofing
So, how do you go about waterproofing your shipping container swimming pool? There are some ways through which you can do this. The most traditional method involves welding the insides of the pool before applying a coat of paint. Another approach involves the use of a waterproofing lining on the inside of the pool.
Shipping Container Pools: The Advantages
The building and setting up of a shipping container swimming pool is easy and does not cost as much as traditional pools. They are also easily portable, as you can easily transport your pool to any part of the country.
Shipping container pools can also be modified into a wide range of configurations. You can, as an example, remove the metallic sides and have them replaced with a glass façade. You can also turn one side of the pool into a Jacuzzi.
Limitations
The one major limitation of this type of pool is the fact that, although very imaginative, your imagination is limited to the dimensions of the shipping container. That does not give you room to manoeuvre as far as depth and width are concerned. However, you can consider getting multiple shipping containers to get your ideal size. For example, you can combine one 20ft shipping container and one 40ft shipping container to get a larger sized swimming pool.