John Dumer - DIY Viking Pool Installation

Most people when looking to purchase a pool, contact a pool builder to install it for them. Sometimes a homeowner has the experience to install the pool themselves. One such family is the Dumers .The decision to purchase a swimming pool is usually a big enough process by itself – deciding on what type of pool, all the options, and then finding a contractor to install it. When Baltimore, Maryland homeowner, John Dumer’s wife and daughter told him they wanted a swimming pool he decided to become the ultimate weekend-warrior. From his days in college as a pool manager, John knew he didn’t have the spare time to build a gunite pool and a vinyl liner pool was not appealing to him. After doing some research to explore other options, he discovered fiberglass pools.

“I liked the fact that the fiberglass pools were relatively easy to install and not a high-maintenance pool,” said Dumer. John also knew that if he was going to get a pool he was going to do it right. He wanted to make sure that he designed a pool that he and his family could live with for the rest of their lives.

When asked why he decided to purchase a fiberglass pool, John responded, “For years when I was going to college I was a pool manager and we dealt with gunite. Liner was not appealing and gunite was extremely high maintenance with the acid washing. My wife and daughter wanted a pool but couldn’t put the time into gunite. I explored other options and I found fiberglass. I didn’t want bright white because we live in the woods and wanted a more natural look. We looked around and found Viking Pools on the web. The sapphire color was the best choice because it shimmers in the sunlight.” John and his wife decided on the Rockport design. After the concrete was ordered, John dug the hole and then the pool arrived. Then the real work began.

The most challenging aspect of the project for John was trying to visualize the end result. John’s wife and kids browsed through magazines and cut out ideas and pasted to a poster board for ideas.

Everything was all very doable. The best way to do the rock façade was to search the internet for faux rocks. John contacted companies that do this on a large scale. He received training DVDs and another site tape demonstrated two different ways to make concrete rocks.

Between the two methods John picked the one that worked best. Forms were used to imprint the rocks. He purchased 4 different designs of latex mats.  John said it was the best money he ever spent. Then he contacted a local concrete company that poured the concrete in 8 yard increments. Mats to stamp the pool deck were also purchased by John.

The finishing touches were added including over 300+ shrubs to accent the pool environment. The landscaping was the key to completing the overall backyard get-a-way feeling. A backyard compliments your home and your lifestyle. It’s more than a swimming pool. It’s a natural setting. The Dumer’s backyard looks like the pool just appeared between the rocks and trees. They now have a perfect place to relax and absorb nature without leaving home.