Pool slide thoughts / help

[MikeGyver]

I'm thinking about building a large pool slide and taking advantage of the slope in our backyard. 2 young kids and a childish father will love it. Wife gave the ok.

I'd make it out of fiberglass. I am ok with small fiberglass projects like moto parts, but this size is a little intimidating to say the least. It looks like it would be about 35 feet long. I'm thinking 2' diameter half circle for the bottom and maybe a foot tall sides with a rolled lip. The bottom turn into the pool would have to banked. Chopped mat looks to be a good choice due to the low cost. I don't know how thick it will need to be. I don't want to make a fiberglass mold and then pull the final part from that. I'd rather make a form from wood or other material and pull the final from that. The bottom curve seems like the biggest issue.

Any boat makers or fiberglass experts out there?

There is a pump to supply pool water to the top of the slide, so no issues there. I don't want one of those silly premade flimsy slides.

My yard, blue line would be the slide...

 

[auntiebling]

Call your insurance agent first. Same with a divingboard. Insurance is the reason many pools these days fearure a large landscape rock as part of the coping and no divingboard

 

[MikeGyver]

Call your insurance agent first. Same with a divingboard. Insurance is the reason many pools these days fearure a large landscape rock as part of the coping and no divingboard

Already did via email, agent said the insurance company doesn't care. I'll double check again before I actually start building.

 

[auntiebling]

Already did via email, agent said the insurance company doesn't care. I'll double check again before I actually start building.

lucky!!!!

i'd avoid DIY fiberglass, since getting it smoothe enough for a slide iwill be lots and lots of really itchy work. i've seen poured in place concrete slides, i think the "smoothening" was basically epoxy paint like you'd find on a garage floor

 

[Cyclesuzy]

Don't know anything about building the slide but I'm more than happy to help try it out for you. :thumbup Good luck with your project.

 

[MikeGyver]

Gel coat, veil cloth, fabric, then strand mat. Should be nice and smooth.

 

[KWeezyXB12]

i dont like your slide idea it should go straight and drop you off that 4 ft drop off :teeth

 

[MikeGyver]

i dont like your slide idea it should go straight and drop you off that 4 ft drop off :teeth

The pool water to the ledge the buddha is sitting on is about 6-7 feet. Might as well just run and jump from the upper patio and hope for the best

 

[wilit]

Forget building it yourself. There's a house in Manteca off of 120 (you can see it from the freeway) that has a bunch of old waterslide sections from the old Oakwood Lake water park.

 

[KWeezyXB12]

Forget building it yourself. There's a house in Manteca off of 120 (you can see it from the freeway) that has a bunch of old waterslide sections from the old Oakwood Lake water park.

ive totally seen that. theyre just sittin out in a field

 

[KWeezyXB12]

thanks google https://www.google.com/maps/@37.784...4!1s7x_RCVhmzjt84VMKIes2Uw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[1sicv8]

My Father-in- Law builds pools and I believe he has made some slides before. If your looking for help he might lend you some advice.

Let me know if you need his info

 

[250mL]

I'm going for a 40 foot straight slide. Still looking for a 36" diameter corrugated smoothwall drain pipe.


youtu.be/oi7am-d6Z2U

 

[Archimedes]

Call your insurance agent first. Same with a divingboard. Insurance is the reason many pools these days fearure a large landscape rock as part of the coping and no divingboard

This. Built a dive pool in Dallas in 1999. Builder wouldn't even consent to do it until I confirmed with my insurance company that it was okay. When I said the word 'slide', he told me to get another pool builder. They wouldn't even put one in anymore.

 

[MrIncredible]

So much for OP's username.

 

[MikeGyver]

Forget building it yourself. There's a house in Manteca off of 120 (you can see it from the freeway) that has a bunch of old waterslide sections from the old Oakwood Lake water park.

thanks google https://www.google.com/maps/@37.784...4!1s7x_RCVhmzjt84VMKIes2Uw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Oooo! I'll see if I can get an address. Thank you

 

[wilit]

Oooo! I'll see if I can get an address. Thank you

I just drove past it yesterday. I think they got rid of everything because I didn't see much outside.

 

[MikeGyver]

I just drove past it yesterday. I think they got rid of everything because I didn't see much outside.

Thank you for the feedback. I sent letters to the 3 houses that may own that land asking them to call me if they are or know the owner.

I actually found two rolls of 38" wide fiberglass mat on Craigs this weekend. The guy threw in a bunch of heavy fiberglass fabric tape too. The two rolls combined weigh 230 lbs, it is A LOT! He estimated the two rolls combined was 500 feet long and the seam tape was about 100 feet. All for $100. He and his father in law were going to build a boat, but the FIL died unexpectedly.

I drew a few shapes on the garage floor and sat in them to see how wide the slide would have to be to comfortably fit an adult. It looks like a 32" diameter lower half circle with 1 foot walls would work well. I may have to go to a water park or two for "research" this summer

 

[tzrider]

i've seen poured in place concrete slides, i think the "smoothening" was basically epoxy paint like you'd find on a garage floor

I'd be concerned about cracking.

 

[mercurial]

this sounds like an insanely unnecessary money pit of a project. I honestly have no idea how people have the time and money for this kind of stuff.