Pool Deck (Case Study) - AT Siteworks

Pool Deck

Background

A referral came in, asking for help with backfilling an inground pool, and preparing the site for a concrete apron around the pool, along with a patio area on one side. Additionally, a sidewalk was to be installed leading from the back of the garage to the pool area. The contractor that had started the work could not complete the work and had abandoned the site, leaving a mountain of dirt and an incomplete project.

Challenges faced

The elevation of the pool had been determined by the previous contractor. The elevation of the existing garage was also pre-determined. The homeowner was in a wheelchair and access to the pool was by way of an elevator from the living space to the garage. The previous contractor apparently had planned for the sidewalk to go straight out the rear door of the garage downslope to the proposed pool apron. That path, due to the elevation difference, would be far steeper than ADA guidelines and would force a 90 degree turn at either direction at the bottom of the steep slope to avoid going directly into the pool, an obvious safety hazard. Additionally, the steep ramp leading back toward the garage, upslope from the pool, would have been unduly difficult for the homeowner to access without help.

Creating the solution

After spending time with the homeowner to discuss all critical factors, then spending several hours on site shooting grades, calculating slopes and evaluating options available, a plan started to form. However, a single challenge stood in the way. A meeting was called with a local home builder, the source of the initial referral, to discuss this challenge. The threshold of the door at the back of the garage had been installed approximately 8 inches above the garage floor, requiring a short ramp up in order for a wheelchair to go through it.

This 8 inches of additional elevation was forcing the proposed new route of the sidewalk out of ADA compliance. It was suggested that lowering the door 8 inches would solve the problem and the builder confirmed that lowering the door was a fairly easy task.

Execution

By stepping back and analyzing all of the factors we couldn’t change, we began looking at what we could change. Rerouting the proposed sidewalk on a more diagonal path that lead to the desired area for the patio, along with acceptance by the homeowner that lowering the door would overcome the other pre-existing challenges, we presented our solution. The desired apron around the pool was graded and prepared for concrete to be poured (by others), with positive drainage away from the pool. The homeowner specified the desired patio area and it was also excavated and graded to prepare it for concrete. In order to create positive drainage away from the pool in the patio area, a french drain was proposed and installed in order to prevent undesired ponding of water. Finally, an ADA-compliant sidewalk leading from the back door of the garage down to the pool patio in order for the homeowner to enjoy her investment independently.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter the size of the project, the same thought and care goes into every solution. Our customers place a huge amount of trust in our experience. In this case, the homeowner had been burned by the previous contractor, which created undue stress prior to our initial meeting. She did not have a construction background and was having a difficult time overcoming both the mess she had been left, as well as visualizing our proposed solution. In spite of that, she placed enough trust in our proposal to allow us to execute. In the end, she was pleased with the outcome and grateful for our help. Our reward was her happy tears when it was completed.

Let’s Get to Work

If you’re planning new construction or improvement project, we’d love to talk. At AT Sitework, we’re proud to be a trusted name in Northeast Tennessee for site preparation done right. Let’s break ground, together.

Phone

(423) 646-0119

Location

Gray, TN · Johnson City, TN · Kingsport, TN · Jonesborough, TN · Bluff City, TN · Bristol, TN

Business Hours

Till The Job's Done!