BIG DEAL
It is no question that installing a pool at your home is a substantial investment in and of itself. It can also be very stressful until you take the first dip. However if you take all of these items laid out in this article early on in the process, your pool project should go off without a hitch.
While overlooking critical components of a pool project is easy when you first dive into pool ownership its best to plan and have a strategy to bring your vision to life prior to ever breaking ground. If not the additional work, stress and cost can delay your project or add to the final cost of your project. Either option is not fun. To better help you plan your project we have put together a list of key areas you should focus on with your potential pool builder to make your pool building experience a good one.
HARDSCAPING
Next to your pool being installed properly the landscaping/hardscaping is the 2nd most critical component of your pool project and you should have a plan in place before you start your pool. Ask yourself and your pool builder these questions.
-How much patio do I need?
-Do I want concrete or pavers for my pool deck?
-Will my project need a retaining wall?
-Do I want a water fall or water feature?
-What type of coping should I get?
-Does your pool builder offer these services?
-If not who will?
- What elevation does the pool need to be set at?
- What type of drainage system will be in place to prevent flooding of the pool or the house?
LANDSCAPING/SOFTSCAPING
Boom! Now that your hardscaping is all sorted out, we can talk about potential landscaping you may want done to compliment your project thus far and tie everything together. Here are critical questions you need to ask yourself and your pool builder in regards to the softscape portion of your pool project.
- There will be a tremendous amount of dirt coming out of the ground. Where will it go?
- Has your pool installer included hauling it away in your contract?
- Does it even need to be taken off site or can it be utilized for grading purposes?
- Can the dirt be used to create a landscape berm with which you can decorate with plants, shrubs,etc …
- What about pre-existing landscaping that may get damaged during the installation process of your pool?
- How bad will my yard be damaged from the pool installation? Who is responsible to fix it?
- Do you want trees/shrubs for screening of your pool area for privacy?
- What are the best plants for screening?
- What type of plants can we have near a pool?
- Do we need drip irrigation for our new plants?
FENCING
Fences are the first line of defense for keeping out unwanted swimmers. While some municipalities allow you to have no fence if you have a locking automatic pool cover, we @ Pool Pros always recomend using layers of defense that include fences, autocovers, alarms systems, motion senosrs,etc. The more layers of protection you have the safer your pool. To us that starts with a fence. Pool fencing comes in aluminum, wood, vinyl and composite materials. Each material has its own pros and cons. Vinyl, Wood and Composite are traditionally used for privacy fences that will disrupt the prying eyes of creepy neighbors and keep your pool areas secure. Aluminum pool fencing is traditionally used in applications where a homeowner wants the open feel. Black aluminum fencing almost becomes invisible and does not disrupt the view from the pool area to the rest of the yard. So if you have a great view that you want to see while relaxing near the pool alumnium might be the right choice for you. So be sure to ask about fencing, requirements, costs and pros and cons of each type and if your pool builder provides that.
POOL COVERS
Last but not least every pool needs some type of cover. Whether it is a solar cover or an automatic pool cover. This topic will need to be addressed with your builder. Auto covers are great but they are expensive initially and require routine maintenance and cover fabric replacments over time that add tot he cost. Traditional solar covers are great and will help lock in your pools heat but they are a bit of a pain to take on and off. If you add a good quality reel it will make you pool cover removal much easier. Regardless, ask your pool builder about cover options right away because if you want an auto cover you will need that installed prior to the pool deck and ordering that last minute can add weeks of delays as it takes about 6 weeks to get a cover in once ordered.
As you can see there are quite a few things to consider when purchasing a pool. The key is to have a good solid plan of attack before signing a contract. If your pool builder does not have one, then it may be time to find another pool builder.
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