One Man’s Trash Bin, is Another Man’s Pool

It may not look like it, but this pool was made from a construction Dumpster. All for a cool price tag around $800. Photo Credit: Alana Harrison

In this week’s Oak Cliff People, I chatted with artists Scott and Nicole Horn and Art Conspiracy executive director Erik Glissman about how to build a fully functional pool out of nothing but a large construction Dumpster and some ingenuity. These pools were started by hot carpet baggers up North, and the project has slowly made it’s way into Oak Cliff.

The best part? It’s pretty cheap compared to a flimsy, above-ground pool and fairly easy to do if you have the dedication for the project.  The story breaks down everything from buying and lining to filling and chilling. I wanted to give a little more reference on how to maintain and decorate here in the blog, so make the jump to find out some extra tips.

Fill it, Keep it Clean
“Version 1.0” of their pool didn’t rely on a filter and pump system and quickly got green, Scott said. A 5,000-gallon pond filter and pump has since help keep the near 1,700 gallons of water circulating, Scott said and the pool’s size is perfect if they need to empty it out for cleaning.

“If we really need to drain it, I can drain it in four hours and refill it in four hours,” he said.

With normal ph level balancing, chlorine tablets, and letting their pool skimmer clean the bottom, the pool is kept up like any other pool.

Decorate
The Horn’s decided to do some design work with their pool: An awning in the shape of a cloud hangs on a pulley system above the pool and keeps excess sun off them. A few troughs hanging off the side act as large ice buckets for “copious amounts of beer.” Their colorful pool noodle chairs offer a lounge seat for patrons, and a mister and a few inflatable balls add another element.