There was a time (think back in the 1950s) when the backyard pool was pretty much a hole in the ground filled with water. You added a raft or two and some fruity libations garnished with paper umbrellas, and you had a party!
While the spirit of the backyard oasis is still the same, the amenities certainly are not! There are of course fun and budget-friendly facelifts for your outdoor entertainment center, but there are also myriad makeovers to rival luxury resorts.
The Tiny Pool Trend
As we reported back in April, this might be one of our favorite trends of the year. Besides the obvious advantages of a smaller footprint, tiny pools:
- Take up much less space so you can plant a garden or install a volleyball net or bench seating; or an outdoor kitchen!
- Require less maintenance.
- Don’t cost as much to heat.
- Can be treated to more luxe finishes because you don’t need as many expensive tiles to dress them. You can also still enjoy a Baja Bench. No need to skimp on those sun ledges!
Tiny pools open the backyard pool possibility to families who didn’t consider they even had a choice! Traditional thinking dictated that you needed a huge outdoor space to house a pool, along with a huge budget.
Like the tiny house trend sweeping the nation (because they suit new home buyers, those seeking simplicity, and empty nesters looking to downsize), there are always alternatives when it comes to bringing some tranquility to your home and its outdoor living space.
Smart Pools
We can’t say enough about how technology has driven this (and every!) industry. By first of all taking the guesswork out of pool maintenance, smart pools can be governed by voice commands or a touch of an app on your phone. A huge improvement over the rotary dials of the 1950s phones – they could only make calls!
Picture yourself leaving work after a long day to be greeted by more than the usual amount of rush hour traffic. What can you do besides trying to wind down by singing to your playlist? You can set the stage for your grand entrance home.
So, at the next gas station, tap the app and set the water temperature… turn on the spa while you’re at it.
Love the way you can transform a room with paint? How about bathing your outdoor space in an endless array of lighting options? Dim the lights, change the color. Ready the tone for party mode or leave me alone mode! You can even tune to your favorite soundtrack. Voila! Instant relaxation ready and waiting.
The other obvious advantages with smart pools are that you can check and control the pool temp any time. Or add chemicals to ideally balance the water. Like your own personal pool assistant, you can also get advance system alerts to stay ahead of issues and on top of maintenance tasks like filtration and cleaning and pool pump issues. You can even set an alert to dispatch your pool maintenance provider in the event of a problem.
Just a note that existing pools can easily be retrofitted to become smart pools with an automatic control system like this one!
Built-Ins
Consider the advantages inside your home of built-in cabinetry to stow your home theater components and even shelving for books and photos. They’re sleek, integrated, and highly functional. Within the confines of a pool, built-in ledges and bars lend that same sense of community. Around the perimeter you have your shade umbrellas and lounges and furniture, but what if you don’t want to leave the pool to bask in the sun or sip a refreshing summer cocktail?
Built-ins have turned pools into places to socialize. It’s like having even more square footage to entertain your guests. From swim-up bars to tables and chairs that emerge from the shining depths of your pool, presto! You’ve created an aquatic lounge.
Besides Baja Benches, steps can be built into a corner creating a multi-tiered stairway to enter the pool. It’s also safer for the little ones. Another option is a beach entry that slopes gently into the water to create the effect of walking into the ocean.
How about a stone grotto complete with waterfall? If you really want to rev up your pool’s aesthetics, this built-in will be a stand-out.
Shallow-Depth Pools
There has been tremendous interest in this pool alternative. Water depth is typically etched along a pool’s edge with the deeper end roped off as a warning to inexperienced or younger swimmers.
If you can live without a diving board, you may be intrigued by this design. Who does it work for?
- Families with younger or elderly swimmers
- People who use their pools for exercising or water sports
In more practicality, if you are not looking to have a diving board (you’ll typically need at least an 8’ pool depth if installing one), shallow-depth pools are actually less expensive to install. You are not excavating as deeply, thereby minimizing construction costs.
In more good news, with the lower construction costs you will potentially have more money to invest into adding visual appeal like cool fire bowls and killer landscaping.
While there’s plenty of retrofitting you can do to an existing pool to update it, this is one decision that should be considered a final one. Nothing is impossible but changing your mind about pool depth after the installation is complete is probably a lane you don’t want to swim down.
Reduction of Energy and Maintenance
This trend is ALWAYS in vogue. Automating your pool’s cleaning and filtration systems is probably one of the best uses of your hard-earned money. You’ll want an experienced professional to install your pool the first time, but if it is on the older side, it is a good idea to have it assessed for energy efficiency. You want the most effective pump for example. You may also wish to look at a conversion to a saltwater pool.
The bottom line is that this trend is also one that can yield the cost savings you need to subsidize other pool updates you want!
As home improvement financing solution experts since 1979, we are always looking forward to seeing what tomorrow will bring in pool trends! At Lyon Financial we are proud of the difference we can make for your family by providing something that puts years of memories within reach. Call 877-754-5966 for more information.
