You won’t be able to contain your excitement for container pools.

Cool Down This Way 

Picture this – it’s the first week of the April holidays and you get to spend your hard-earned time off with the family. Our weird and wonderful weather has decided that April is the best time for some Dezemba weather with temperatures on the grumpy side of 30°C. Eskom is excited to announce that the “4” in Level 4 stands for “forever”. 

You listen to the whine of your precious tween as they complain for more data since the WiFi router’s battery has long since departed. As you wait your turn to stand in front of the open fridge just to cool off a little. The poor dog seems to be melting into the tiles and the cat has officially moved to the family next door because, as your spouse reminds you again, The Joneses have a genny. 

Look, at this point, you have two choices; you can either move to Canada and never have to deal with a heatwave again. Or you can invest in a pool (and let’s be honest, that Maple Leaf will just never look as cool as a Springbokkie on the jersey). 

The Nuts And Bolts Of Container Pools 

Not only does a shipping container pool save in time, labour costs and materials. But it really is the ultimate solution to taking your chill wherever you may roam. 

If you choose to situate your container pool above ground and without any permanent structures, you can take it with you when you move. Saving you from going through the whole pool building process again! 

From a purely eco perspective, making use of a container that would have just been abandoned to rust its life away due to excessive shipping regulations is a fantastic idea. 

Shipping Shopping 

Container-xchange.com states that a shipping containers’ useful life is between 20 and 25 years. But most containers are retired before hitting the 10-year mark. The interesting and totally wasteful fact is that large corporations usually opt for single-use containers when shipping their products from their Chinese factories.   

Containers that are used for single trips must submit to the same regulations as their longer-lived counterparts. This means you can buy a “second-hand” container for anywhere between R8000 and R16 000. The average price of a new, traditional pool is between R 65 000 and R 120 000.  

How They Get From Shipping To Splashing 

It would be so convenient if you could just get a container craned onto your lawn while you stand ready with the hose and a pool noodle, right? Unfortunately, there are one or two steps before you can float your woes away in your new container pool. 

Getting permission 

We don’t live in the kind of country where you can just plop down any structure without someone wanting a slice of the pie. It’s a good idea to get the advice of an engineer or a draftsman to make sure you placate the building regulators. 

Foundational fun 

You can go one of two ways. Either a quick and easy above-ground model where you only need to pour a foundation as big as your chosen container. Or by integrating the pool into your deck. 

Above ground pools don’t have to look silly – they can range from the simple and timeless to the chic. And, if you have a bit more patience, you can easily slot your new pool into your deck or patio. 

Waterproof your water sport 

The corners of the container will need to be reinforced, all seams welded shut and a waterproof coating applied. The final step to getting the inside of your pool ready is to decide on either a fibre-glass or vinyl insert. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.  

Good and clean and fresh 

Just like with traditional swimming pools, your container pool will need a filtration system. That will ensure that you don’t end up with a really fancy koi pond. South Africa has a very high number of accidental drowning cases each year. Therefore, equipping your container pool with safety gates and a custom pool cover comes highly suggested. 

Plug-And-Play 

You work hard, so you shouldn’t have to work even harder to relax!  There are many companies ready and willing to make your container pool dreams a reality. Furthermore, you don’t even have to work out the dollar-to-rand exchange rate to use them. Here are our favourite local container conversion companies and why we love them: 

Absolute containers 

The lowdown: 

This company has over 30 years of experience converting containers into classrooms, mobile clinics, and offices. Their team has a range of skills and experience from architecture, construction, engineering, interior decorating, alternative energy and more. 

The best part:  

We love Absolute containers because they offer a one-stop-shop with all the basics. You won’t need to think too hard and can get a simple, effective swimming pool solution with very few tears. 

Contact their expert team here or go rout around their informative articles here for more inspiration. 

Innovative Modular Concepts 

The lowdown: 

IMC is probably one of the most forward-thinking container companies. They integrate effective technology like 3D renderings to help you visualise your pool. They also offer the most extensive list of eco integrations in their container homes, which they will apply to your pool to make sure you are leaving the smallest footprint when creating your swimming pool dreams. 

The best part:  

IMC has great backing! They are partnered with AFRI.CAN™, whose vision is “to industrialize rural Africa with complete, strong, sustainable and smart AFRI.CAN™ micro-factories, business incubators and agro-processing facilities for SME’s of entrepreneurs and cooperatives.”  

IMC will work with you through each step of the process, from procurement to popping the bubbly when you finally switch on the pool pump. Check out more of their fantastic projects here or give their team a shout to find out more. 

Big Box Containers 

The lowdown: 

Big Box Containers is a company with a big footprint as well as a big heart. They are one of the biggest container companies in South Africa. This means that you are assured that you will get the best prices and expert team members working on realising your swimming pool dreams.  

The best part:  

If you prefer working with a company that gives back to the community, Big Box Containers is the one for you. They support multiple charities and donate containers to charitable initiatives like the Orange Babies’ children’s home and Skateistan skateboard park. They also sponsor South African events such as the Night Trail Series and Wines2Whales MTB events. 

If their big name and big hearts have piqued your interest, scroll on over to their blog or contact them for a quote. 

Jump in, the water’s fine! 

The holidays are drawing closer, and if you start your enquiries now, you might even have your new container pool installed before the kids get bored. 

Make a splash on our socials by sending us your favourite container conversion ideas and remember to use #homemakerssa so we can share the love!  

Check out the HOMEMAKERS website for even more home inspiration.