Part L - Enclosing an existing swimming pool

[phillipsmw]

Hoping to get a spot of advice please on whether I have the correct understanding here.

I'm considering turning my outdoor pool into an indoor pool.   My proposed enclosure would be just under 30 square meters internally and would be built of a non-combustible material as it's close to the boundary, so I gather no building regulations required for the outbuilding itself, except Part P.  

The LABC website says "Any outdoor pool that has a permanent structure over it will become an indoor pool, but as long as the structure is unheated and unventilated it will not have to comply with building regulations." Then that "Building regulations do apply to indoor pools and the requirements are more involved".  The pool is heated but unsure whether the building will be heated at this stage.

The pool is 20 square meters and already has some insulation from when it was built.  I've got calculations showing a U-value of just under 0.8, calculated according to BS 13370 in the same way as a "heated basement".  This is not good enough for the 0.25 mentioned in the regs.  It would be possible to improve on this, but it would add greatly to the cost.

However, I see from the approved document that energy efficiency requirements don't need to be met for "New and existing stand-alone buildings other than dwellings, with a total useful floor area of less than 50m2".  

The pool building will house the pool and nothing else, so I see it as a "stand-alone building other than a dwelling".

I have emailed the local building control and haven't had a response yet, but I'm thinking that I can just go ahead with it, based on what I've researched.

Can anyone give any input?

Thanks  

 

Edited March 20 by phillipsmw

[SteamyTea]

I used to work in the health and leisure industry. I cannot remember ever having to heat a pool room.

Cool them yes, heat no.

 

How are you going to deal with ventilation?

And remember that all metallic fittings and fasteners need to be the correct grade of stainless steel, or other rust proof material.

[saveasteading]

I've built over big swimming pools. But always avoided building the pool itself because they go badly wrong so often.

But then so do buildings, as you may have noted when they are closed for extensive repair.

Condensation is the big problem.

So even for an unheated space you need to either let the wind whistle through or have extensive insulation.

Also ensure that any joints in metal cladding are sealed on the underside, where the lap will be the wrong way.

 

Heating is usually only under windows to stop condensation.

[kandgmitchell]

Well your enclosure, as you say falls into Class 6 of Schedule 2 to the Building Regulations and so is exempt. It also would not have been subject to the Energy Efficiency Requirements because Regulation 21 (which applies those requirements) gives exemptions to those requirements to several types of buildings included, as you point out, under sub-para 3(d) "stand alone buildings other than dwellings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m2". Since you have a pool inside, the provisions of G1 and G3 (2) and (3) may well affect you (cold and hot water supplies) however, (Regulation 9 (2) (b)).

[phillipsmw]

Many thanks for the replies.

 

For the humidity, I had planned to use a heat recovery ventilation unit (HR500) with a humidity sensor.

I will take on board the heating under windows and the composition of any metallic fixings.

Very much at the early stages of whether it is viable/affordable.

 

And I hadn't noticed the Part G requirements.  I've just a had a brief look.  The building won't have a hot water supply so I think G3 won't be a concern.  For G1, the requirement refers to drinking water or sanitary appliances (which I don't think a pool is?).

[kandgmitchell]

Showers? Drinking water for the ice machine for those cocktails?

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, phillipsmw said:

sanitary appliances (which I don't think a pool is?).

Every time a young boy jumps into a pool etc....

[SteamyTea]

12 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Every time a young boy jumps into a pool etc....

There is a silent p in swimming pool.

[phillipsmw]

In those cases doesn't the cold (or warm) supply come from another source via a human being, that I can't possibly control? As opposed to the "wholesome water" that is being supplied via a hose pipe and chemically cleaned/balanced?

Edited March 20 by phillipsmw

[SteamyTea]

If you test a public pool with a pregnancy testing kit, it comes up positive.

But there is not really a chemical that turns the water red if you wee in it.