How to Transform a Swimming Pool to a Sunken Patio

Step 1

Remove your pool's diving board, ladders and slide if applicable. Use a wrench to remove the diving board's buttplate as well as all flatwashers, nuts and lockwashers from the board's mounting hardware. Use a wrench to remove your slide and ladder's anchor bolts. If the slide or ladder is sunken into the cement, use a hacksaw to remove them. The various pieces can be used in other landscaping projects or discarded. Depending on how much you choose to fill in the pool, some if not all of the pool's steps can be used in your patio design.

Step 2

Fill the deep end of the swimming pool with cement so it is level with the pool's shallow end. The shallow end of a pool is usually about 3 or 4 feet deep, which is ideal for converting your pool into a sunken patio. If you want a patio that is only 1 or 2 feet deep, you will have to add cement to the entire pool. Professional help may be required when pouring cement. You can also opt to create levels within your sunken patio by partially filling in your pool's deep end. Allow cement to dry for two or three days.

Step 3

Create a garden border around your new patio's perimeter using sod. Depending on the depth of your patio, the garden may be level with the above ground. Make the sod about 1 foot deep all the way around your patio, and use large and small chunks of limestone or other natural stone as garden fencing. Plant assorted flowers, herbs, shrubs and vegetables in the border garden as desired. Lawn ornaments, such as small sun dials or Buddha statues, may also be used.

Step 4

Add a patio table and chairs to your sunken patio as desired. Create a main seating area around the table and add a few other chairs or benches closer to your garden areas.