Hey guys. I'm new to this forum, but have built 2 ICF foundations previously. For my next house, I'm planning ICF to the roof, ICF water storage tank under the garage, and an ICF pool. Of course, the wife would like pool lights. :) Can anybody share some products or techniques to get this done? I couldn't find any info on the subject. It's not clear to me how to create a watertight penetration and make it look good. Thanks!

With concrete pools, you basically are casting the fixture itself into the wall.
The main difference is "surface mounted or flush mounted".
Then, once the pool is ready to fill, you install the bulb unit.
Also, apparently you don't seal the light in, and some water in the conduit is expected. Just make sure the termination on the other end is above the pool's water level (or you'll have just made a low pressure fountain).

Most units these days seem to be LED, with halogen going the way of the dodo.
Basically, find a unit that you like and read the instructions. There should be info on actual installation procedures included.
You could always find a professional pool installer and offer to pay him for an hour or two of his time for a run through "best practice".

Also

http://www.myperfectpool.com.au/9-types-of-swimming-pool-lights-choosing-the-right-lights-for-your-pool.html

Thanks for the tips, very helpful!

Also interested in this....guessing using a liner is done different then a concrete pool.

I'm in the process of constructing an ICF pool. After some research and contacting the company, I decided to go with this SR Smith lighting:

https://srsmith.com/en-us/products/pool-lighting/poollux-premier-pool-lighting-control-system/

It is a reasonably priced color LED light system that uses standard 1.5" pvc pool conduit/fittings. You just need to run a PVC sleeve through your ICF (ideally before you pour) and the lights can be easily installed or swapped out later.

I purchased the kit but have not had the chance to try it out yet (still in the construction process). Check out the product if you haven't already.

There's a few ways you can do concrete pools.

You can go with a liner if you like.
There are also spray/roll-on/paint-on pool sealant systems that go right over the bare concrete.
There's also surface finishes like PebbleTec.

Basically you need to look around and decide how you wanna handle it.

Dilettante, do you have a cost compare of spray/roll-on/paint-on pool sealant systems compare to a liner. I put a IFC pool in when we did our house foundation but never finished the liner/sealant system.

Is there anything to put right on the foam?

BuildBlock recommends finishing directly on ICF in one step with BuildCrete Pool Plaster, a GigaCrete product, at least 3/8” thick with embedded fiberglass mesh. This pool plaster product can be finished completely smooth and is 100% waterproof. It can also be pre-colored or painted.

For multi-step, BuildBlock also recommends the Sider-Plast System by Sider-Crete:

Sider_Plast System

and finishing with either their Sider-Proof Top Coat or with Perma-Crete.

BuildBlock also recently released this ICF pool engineering guidance:

BuildBlock ICF Pool Engineering Guidance

Posted By newbostonconst on 04 Oct 2018 06:39 PM
Dilettante, do you have a cost compare of spray/roll-on/paint-on pool sealant systems compare to a liner. I put a IFC pool in when we did our house foundation but never finished the liner/sealant system.

Is there anything to put right on the foam?

No.  I don't.  I'm neither an ICF contractor or a pool contractor.

A bit-o-Google-Fu should turn up what you need.

ICF Pool Liner
ICF Pool Sealant
ICF Pool Waterproofing
ICF Pool Plaster

And so on.

Thanks for the reply's....The Gigacrete product had some failures if I remember right from reading over the years. I will read the new build block info, thanks for pointing that out.

I have searched may times for info on ICF pool sealant and never came up with an answer that I liked. Cost was either through the roof or had failures. I do have a saved formulation for the portland cement mixture some gunite pool guys use but am not sure if it will work directly on the foam.

Dilettante, i was hoping you had quoted both a liner and sealed pool for my reference. I am on the edge of which way to go but am i no rush, I have lots of other stuff to finish on our house. Thanks again.

Yes, I believe you are correct about the infant mortality of the initial Gigacrete product. I suspect that is perhaps why BuildBlock recommends something like twice the thickness normally recommended. The product may have been changed over the years too.

bkrahmer, what is the "ICF water storage tank under the garage" for? Emergency water? heating\cooling?

I'll be building in an area where there is no water supply and wells are not allowed by law (there are water truck services at about 90 euros per load). My plan is to do a rainwater harvesting system. I think it should be pretty cost effective to just excavate another 4-5 feet under the garage and put the water storage tank down there. I'll use a slow-sand filter system along with a 1-micron filter, but don't intend to drink the water or use it for cooking, but everything else.

cheers

Putting water tanks in our homes is almost common place in our remote and often off-grid area. They are used for both basic water storage and for thermal storage for heating and/or DHW. Around here a PE needs to sign off the design given the public welfare issues associated with this. Here are some images of a DHW thermal storage system:

OK, well I learned something today. Not being able to have a well never registered as a possibility before.

Great! Around here people have dry land (and sometimes spend a lot of money making that determination...) or their well water is very poor quality (high levels of arsenic and/or salt). So trucking in potable water is not uncommon. If they have a stream on their property and water rights, they can use that as their domestic water source. If so, they often will use a hydraulic ram pump (no electricity needed at all) to pump water from their stream to keep their water tank full and they will also use a good filtration system to make this surface water potable. Lots of good info about hydraulic ram pumps on our website and we do design, build and sell them too. Truly one of my favorite machines and about as close to perpetual motion as you will ever see!

newbostonconst Posted:06 Oct 2018 07:36 PM Subject: RE: going off idea off ICF project for new house

" You keep claiming that people on here are only here to sell what they do for a living.....

I don't see that at all "


I guess we only see what we choose to see.

I don't see that at all either but I do see a angry jerk and smell the stench of a rotting badger.

I think I hear the whine....coming from the left.