Plunge pools
If you don’t have enough space to accommodate a full-size inground pool, consider adding a plunge pool. Also known as a lap pool or splash pool, these installations are available in all three materials and average approximately 2.4 x 4 m (8 x 13 ft) in size. You can enjoy the benefits of a pool without sacrificing your entire backyard.
Water features
Imagine settling into a lounge chair, an afternoon nap calling your name while the trickling sound of a waterfall lulls you to sleep. Water features not only add a visual element to the backyard landscape, but they help create a tranquil space all can enjoy. If a waterfall doesn’t tickle your fancy, consider installing nozzles in the pool or pool deck to produce impressive water displays.
Lighting
Strategic pool and landscape lighting can transition your backyard seamlessly from day to night. In addition to fibre-optic or standard halogen lighting systems, light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures are another option, allowing you to illuminate your pool and yard, while reducing energy costs.
It is true – we are reaching a golden age for swimming pools. Things are more automated than ever, efficiency is increasing, and the sheer number of options available for new pool installations is almost daunting. The reality is that almost all of these features are budget driven and you have to “trim the fat” somewhere with your pool installation or you will be looking at a $300,000+ project. When I speak with potential new pool owners I tell them to think about benefits versus features. A waterfall is a feature…but what is the benefit? It costs money to install and run a waterfall, and it can play havoc with your water chemistry. Most waterfalls sit dormant and unused. If you want a waterfall, you should want it for the benefit it gives you. Do you live near a busy street and you want to drown out the noise of traffic? That can be a benefit of a waterfall. The same goes for negative edge (infinity edge, vanishing edge) pools. Unless you live on a body of water you are defeating the point of the illusion that this feature is supposed to provide. They cost a ton, and what benefit does it bring? I would advise to go with a hot tub in addition to a regular walled pool much more so than a vanishing edge effect into my neighbors yard. My personal favorite from this list is the lighting. Lighting is expensive for what it is, with some bulbs being $500 or more, but a robust lighting system can add heaps of character to an otherwise ordinary pool…and you can add one heck of a lot of lights for the cost of a negative edge upgrade! Great post – thank you!