A Canadian couple is making waves with their new modular swimming pool.
Photography courtesy of Modpools.
The Modpool prototype at the Ranthams’ home in Abbotsford, not far from Vancouver, has been thoroughly tested by their three children.
Repurposing used shipping containers comes naturally to the Rathnams: For the past 12 years, they’ve been modifying containers to create off-the-grid offices and labs for the oil and gas industry in places like northern B.C.
It takes from six to eight weeks to build each Modpool at the factory in Abbotsford.
“So we decided to make our Modpools just 4 and a half feet deep—which means kids can splash around while adults stand up in them.”
A clear polyethylene wall separates the swimming area from the hot tub portion—which has eight body jets and steps that double as seating. In cool weather, you can slide the wall back in and only heat the hot tub portion of the pool.
Heavy-duty steel tubing is welded to the top rim—“that’s the belt that holds it all together and keeps the walls from flopping out,” says Paul.
The Rathnams worked with a local company to develop their liner, devising a formula that resembles the dense, heavy-duty rubber lining used for oil tanks, which is chemical-resistant and UV-resistant.
The heating system, pump, and filtration equipment all come with the pool, along with color-changing LED lights and the hot-tub jets.
“The Modpool can be installed on a lot where you couldn’t think of putting an in-ground pool,” says Paul, because the land is either too rocky, uneven, or steeply sloped.
After a concrete pool is in place, you can’t decide on a whim to move it elsewhere on your property, nor can you sell it or take it with you when you move.
Paul Rathnam admits that they struggled with the design—but “it’s why people are talking about our pools.” (The window is omitted in pools destined for in-ground installation.).
The smaller Modpool holds 4,800 gallons, and in many areas a pool under 5,000 gallons doesn’t require a pool permit, just permits for electrical and gas.
The pools have a modern look, so it’s no surprise that many buyers live in modern houses—and ask for a gray liner that creates a mirror effect on the water surface.