Rain, rain, go away, don’t come on construction day!

Dry, hard ground is simply non-negotiable so tradesmen can work safely and efficiently whilst ensuring that heavy machinery will work at its best and not get damaged.

Unfortunately, weather delays are inevitable.

Before Mother Nature blesses you with glorious swimming days under the golden Australian sun, she might rain on your construction parade first 🌧

And whilst several homeowners have long understood and accepted this, what many still find difficult to wrap their heads around is the fact that delays can be longer than the duration of the inclement weather.

One day of rain does not mean losing one day of construction work, as it has a huge knockout effect.

Every homeowner should understand this.

Want to know more?

You arrived at class on time — welcome to Wet Weather Problems 101!

Drying up period may mean two days for some and weeks for others and below are the key reasons why:

 

Backyard condition

What’s the type of soil in your location? Ground with more clay will stay wet longer whilst ground with more sand will dry up quicker.

 

Recent weather condition

Did it rain a few days before your construction began? You should know that the ground will take longer to dry up than it should because it is damp to begin with.

 

Excavation

Are you already in the excavation phase of your construction?

This makes you more vulnerable to weather delays.

Why?

• Trapped water. Rainwater may get trapped inside the open hole or worse, stay put into the deepest part of the hole. As a result, water may take weeks to evaporate and dewatering may be necessary.
• Cave-in. This is the worst-case scenario that can happen during the excavation phase. If soaked in massive amounts of water combined with precipitation and strong winds, soil from the hole walls can easily collapse and thus create a mess of sludge inside the excavated site.
• The chances of a cave-in depend on the status of your plumbing. The plumbing phase means digging a trench around the pool hole perimeter to house the pipes. When these pipes are still open when the rain comes, the hole walls are more likely to collapse.
• Roof or surrounding concrete. If you have a small backyard and your pool is being built close to your house, the roof and surrounding concrete can heighten the effects of rain if they don’t have drainage and their angle focuses the run-off to a single area on the pool hole.

 

So what can you do?

To prevent or minimise drawbacks of rainwater during the excavation phase, we recommend placing a draping plastic sheet along the hole’s perimeter walls and securing them by placing bricks or other heavy material.

However, keep in mind that there are unexpected rainfalls or sometimes, what was forecasted as a mere drizzle can turn out to be a deluge.

Additionally, you’re not your builder’s only client. So whether rain happens in your backyard or another one of your builder’s clients, the undeniable truth is: everyone’s construction schedules can take a hit, including yours.

 

Wind

With strong winds, you should know that your builder will have to postpone working on your interior finish, coping surrounds, plaster material, or concrete, whether it has been poured, troweled, stained, or stamped.

Why?

• Wind can dry them out quicker than necessary
• Wind can blemish their appearance by bringing in unwanted forms of matter like sand and leaves.

 

Ripple effect

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again.

Your builder is working on multiple jobs simultaneously. So rainfalls, regardless of intensity, can cause a ripple effect on everyone’s construction schedules.

Not to mention, rainy weather makes sites dangerous and we always prioritise the safety of our talented team first.

 

Final Words

Every good builder prioritises quality craftsmanship because they understand how much of a valuable personal investment it is for you. Whilst they’d also want you to enjoy your pool as soon as possible, compromising quality is never an option.

If you’d like to learn more about our concrete pool package deals, just click here.

T: 13 20 25
W: www.bluehaven.com.au

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