Pools??

knottie9c5ed33df4bbd226 · April 2015

I always like the home design threads in here..I desperately want a pool but FI is not so keen on the idea. Do you have a pool? Any suggestions on what kind? I would love an above ground with the deck built around it. Are they hard to maintain?? If you have pictures I would love to see them!

kvruns · April 2015

my parents have an above ground (well I think it is partially in ground) with a deck around it. They have it professionally opened/closed each season and periodically have to go to the pool place with water samples to make sure the pH levels or something are ok. Aside from chemicals, the most maintenance is just cleaning it out each time. They have had to get a new liner and new solar cover, maybe a new motor for the pump I'm not sure, so some costs there for sure although their pool has been around for a while so might just be time to replace a lot of things.

Me personally if I ever had one I'd want an inground pool and larger patio space around it.Plus you can have deeper water that way if you want it

emmaaa · April 2015

I would honestly rather have an inground pool versus and above ground pool. I think they look better and flow with the yard, and they can be deeper and have a diving board.

I'm on the fence about wanting a pool. The (hopefully) future mother in me think it could be such a huge hazard with kids. They could accidentally fall in and drown or slip and crack their head. Then when they get older and have friends over to swim, that's more liability. I'm a worrier. DH wants a pond and I have the same fears with thayt.

mikenberger · April 2015

I always like the home design threads in here..I desperately want a pool but FI is not so keen on the idea. Do you have a pool? Any suggestions on what kind? I would love an above ground with the deck built around it. Are they hard to maintain?? If you have pictures I would love to see them!

I managed commercial pools for 13 years. Things I would look into before creating a pool:

Insurance. Do I have to have a fence? Does it need to be a certain height? Do I need to carry additional homeowners insurance? Does it have to be in-ground? Can it be above ground? What if I get a slide? A diving board? Do I need to have a silent alarm? Do I need to have cameras on the pool? Do I need to have an additional fence around my property and then another one around my pool? (Two fences) Does it need to be made from a certain material?
Building your pool. Do I want above ground? Do I want in ground? What do I want it made out of? Concrete? Tile? Vinyl? If an above ground, I need to learn how to patch it or fix it because chances are, it will become damaged.
Filtration system/Chlorating system. Do I want DE? Do I want tablets for chlorine? Do I want gas (probably not a home pool). Do I want just a regular pump? Do I have the mechanical ingenuity to fix this on my own? Will I keep a pool company on contract?
Cleaning. Am I going to use a skimmer? Am I going to buy a pool vaccum? Am I going to learn how to do my own pH readings and water testings? Am I going to keep a pool company on contract? What happens if I get an algae bloom? Am I going to put a cover on it? Do I buy a heater or do I buy a solar cover to keep it warm?

All kinds of things to consider!

ETA: Forgot the most important thing: Where am I going to put all of this stuff!?

princessofgenovia · April 2015

We're looking at buy our first home now and one of my (very limited requirements) is a pool. Or the actual possibility of putting in a pool later.

We live in AZ, it's hot like 75% of the time here, give me water to splash in please. My dream home for when I win the lottery is a pool with a lazy river.

lurkergirl · April 2015

I don't have a pool, but I enjoy swimming in them

I have no idea about the cost or maintenance, but salt water pools are freakin awesome. No more icky pool hair!

jenna8984 · April 2015

princessofgenovia said:
We're looking at buy our first home now and one of my (very limited requirements) is a pool. Or the actual possibility of putting in a pool later.

We live in AZ, it's hot like 75% of the time here, give me water to splash in please. My dream home for when I win the lottery is a pool with a lazy river.

I would never buy a home in AZ without a pool.

Here in MA, I find them totally pointless since we only get hot enough weather really from mid June through August. All that maintenance and cost for 2 months of enjoyment? I'll drive to the lake thanks. DH & I agreed though that we will get a hot tub for the next house. That shit we can use all year.

kvruns · April 2015

princessofgenovia said:
We're looking at buy our first home now and one of my (very limited requirements) is a pool. Or the actual possibility of putting in a pool later.

We live in AZ, it's hot like 75% of the time here, give me water to splash in please. My dream home for when I win the lottery is a pool with a lazy river.

Lazy river was one of my honeymoon spot "rmust haves" although we found a couple that had them but in the end chose a different resort. Boooo. Some day I'll get to a resort that has one again

levioosa · April 2015

emmaaa said:
I would honestly rather have an inground pool versus and above ground pool. I think they look better and flow with the yard, and they can be deeper and have a diving board.

I'm on the fence about wanting a pool. The (hopefully) future mother in me think it could be such a huge hazard with kids. They could accidentally fall in and drown or slip and crack their head. Then when they get older and have friends over to swim, that's more liability. I'm a worrier. DH wants a pond and I have the same fears with thayt.

If you decide to get a pool and you have kids or parties, having a gated fence around it is an absolute must. It's not very attractive, but it helps with the liability and safety factors. My Dad told my Mom we didn't need a fence (we have a huge 1960's inground pool) when she begged to get one. My brother fell in and almost drowned when he was two. The only reason he didn't drown is because four year old little me jumped in and pulled him to the side of the pool where I hung on until my Mom ran outside looking for us in a panic. Unfortunately I didn't know enough to keep him upright in the water. They had to do CPR on my brother, he ended up getting pneumonia, and the next week we had a gate installed. My Dad never really forgave himself for acting like such an asshat about it. After that we never had a problem, and we had a ton of pool parties growing up.

emmaaa · April 2015

levioosa said:

emmaaa said:
I would honestly rather have an inground pool versus and above ground pool. I think they look better and flow with the yard, and they can be deeper and have a diving board.

I'm on the fence about wanting a pool. The (hopefully) future mother in me think it could be such a huge hazard with kids. They could accidentally fall in and drown or slip and crack their head. Then when they get older and have friends over to swim, that's more liability. I'm a worrier. DH wants a pond and I have the same fears with thayt.
If you decide to get a pool and you have kids or parties, having a gated fence around it is an absolute must. It's not very attractive, but it helps with the liability and safety factors. My Dad told my Mom we didn't need a fence (we have a huge 1960's inground pool) when she begged to get one. My brother fell in and almost drowned when he was two. The only reason he didn't drown is because four year old little me jumped in and pulled him to the side of the pool where I hung on until my Mom ran outside looking for us in a panic. Unfortunately I didn't know enough to keep him upright in the water. They had to do CPR on my brother, he ended up getting pneumonia, and the next week we had a gate installed. My Dad never really forgave himself for acting like such an asshat about it. After that we never had a problem, and we had a ton of pool parties growing up.

You are completely right. My aunt has a pool we all used and had a fence around it. That way it at least prevent very little kids from getting in alone. I'm such a worrier.

hellosweetie1015 · April 2015

I desperately want a pool, or space for one. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford it, because it is a lot of upkeep, but if/when I do, I want it inground.

There will be fencing around it, and we wouldn't get a pool at all before our youngest was about four or so (which means probably at least 7 years, since we don't even have our oldest cooking yet...) but it is a lifelong dream of mine.

levioosa · April 2015

emmaaa said:

levioosa said:

emmaaa said:
I would honestly rather have an inground pool versus and above ground pool. I think they look better and flow with the yard, and they can be deeper and have a diving board.

I'm on the fence about wanting a pool. The (hopefully) future mother in me think it could be such a huge hazard with kids. They could accidentally fall in and drown or slip and crack their head. Then when they get older and have friends over to swim, that's more liability. I'm a worrier. DH wants a pond and I have the same fears with thayt.
If you decide to get a pool and you have kids or parties, having a gated fence around it is an absolute must. It's not very attractive, but it helps with the liability and safety factors. My Dad told my Mom we didn't need a fence (we have a huge 1960's inground pool) when she begged to get one. My brother fell in and almost drowned when he was two. The only reason he didn't drown is because four year old little me jumped in and pulled him to the side of the pool where I hung on until my Mom ran outside looking for us in a panic. Unfortunately I didn't know enough to keep him upright in the water. They had to do CPR on my brother, he ended up getting pneumonia, and the next week we had a gate installed. My Dad never really forgave himself for acting like such an asshat about it. After that we never had a problem, and we had a ton of pool parties growing up.
You are completely right. My aunt has a pool we all used and had a fence around it. That way it at least prevent very little kids from getting in alone. I'm such a worrier.

It's okay to be realistic with things that might happen. An open pool without a fence or bungee pool cover with a toddler? Not a great idea. But worrying that something could happen even with a fence or a bungee pool cover? That's just stressing yourself out unnecessarily. Sure it could happen, but it's pretty unlikely. There's only so much you can do.

CMGragain · April 2015

It depends on where you live. Two of the homes we have owned had an ugly above ground pool in the back yard. We had it hauled away both times. You can't do that with an in-ground pool.
In some parts of the country, an in-ground pool can actually devalue your property and make it difficult to re-sell. Some people don't want the liability or the maintenance. Other places (California) an in-ground pool is a big plus.
Some neighborhoods with homeowner's associations may have strict rules about what is allowed.

princessofgenovia · April 2015

I'd love something like this:

Also excellent:

I love the idea of a water slide:

And of course a grotto:

knottie9c5ed33df4bbd226 · April 2015

mikenberger said:
I always like the home design threads in here..I desperately want a pool but FI is not so keen on the idea. Do you have a pool? Any suggestions on what kind? I would love an above ground with the deck built around it. Are they hard to maintain?? If you have pictures I would love to see them!

I managed commercial pools for 13 years. Things I would look into before creating a pool:

Insurance. Do I have to have a fence? Does it need to be a certain height? Do I need to carry additional homeowners insurance? Does it have to be in-ground? Can it be above ground? What if I get a slide? A diving board? Do I need to have a silent alarm? Do I need to have cameras on the pool? Do I need to have an additional fence around my property and then another one around my pool? (Two fences) Does it need to be made from a certain material?
Building your pool. Do I want above ground? Do I want in ground? What do I want it made out of? Concrete? Tile? Vinyl? If an above ground, I need to learn how to patch it or fix it because chances are, it will become damaged.
Filtration system/Chlorating system. Do I want DE? Do I want tablets for chlorine? Do I want gas (probably not a home pool). Do I want just a regular pump? Do I have the mechanical ingenuity to fix this on my own? Will I keep a pool company on contract?
Cleaning. Am I going to use a skimmer? Am I going to buy a pool vaccum? Am I going to learn how to do my own pH readings and water testings? Am I going to keep a pool company on contract? What happens if I get an algae bloom? Am I going to put a cover on it? Do I buy a heater or do I buy a solar cover to keep it warm?

All kinds of things to consider!

ETA: Forgot the most important thing: Where am I going to put all of this stuff!?

Wow, a lot to think about!! We actually have a VERY large backyard so I for sure have the room. I don't want anything more than 5 feet and no slide or diving board. We have a fence and I have to get a permit for the pool I know. All our neighbors have above ground and none of them have additional fences, but it's definitely something for me to look into that I didn't think about! I basically just want a deck and a place to cool off in the summer

knottie9c5ed33df4bbd226 · April 2015

princessofgenovia, those are AMAZING!! I want an above ground because it's cheaper, but if I had ulimited funds to spend I would go in ground for sure and get some pretty fancy stuff! I think a pool house would be awesome too (not for living, just for storing all your fun pool things, maybe a fridge, etc).

wandajune6 · April 2015

@hicoco - if memory serves, you live close-ish to me (south 'burbs). We have an above ground in our backyard as do many neighbors.

I loathe it and want nothing more than to knock it down. It has a built-in deck around it. Here's what I hate:

1. It takes up a huge portion of our backyard. And it's ugly.
2. It's expensive to maintain between chemicals, electricity (it needs to run all the time), and maintenance
3. There's a lot of maintenance to keep it clean between fussing with chemicals, skimming, cleaning the filters, etc.
4. Something always breaks. We had to buy a new pump last year, repair the liner, and patch multiple holes. We'll need to replace the liner this year, a major hassle.
5. Filling the pool stinks. In theory, can you can keep the water from year to year but it ends up being pretty gross. You need to drain it, scrub the liner (which took 3 people about 7 hours), then fill it. The water took 3 days to drain through a hose to the street. To fill it, you use a hose. It took us 3-4 days of low/non-existent water pressure in the house to get that done. The water bill that month was hideous as well.
6. Everyone wants to use our pool. In theory, it's fine. But then they forget towels, want to take a shower, get thirsty, want a snack, etc. Having a pool means people wanting to come over constantly, whether you want it or not. It's always positioned as just coming over to play but always ends up being a huge imposition.
7. The house came with the pool but I know our homeowners insurance will go down dramatically if we get rid of the pool. I don't remember the numbers but it was significant.

princessofgenovia · April 2015

Oh I also want a backyard/outdoor shower. For some reason the idea of being able to shower outside makes me happy.

doeydo · April 2015

RE pool covers and fences, you can get hard covers: http://www.poolcoverusa.com/index_files/testim1_large.jpg

And there's this kind that is supposed to not make you drown if you step on it: https://www.poolwarehouseuk.com/shopimages/wintercov_anchor.gif

Or you could have a glass fence around the pool (awesome, IMO): http://www.pantherglass.com.au/upl/website/pool-fencing/glasspoolfence23.jpg

theartistformerlyknownas · April 2015

@wandajune6 you filled it with a hose?! Oh lady, call a water truck!

I would love to have a pool but we have such a short season for it here, it's not really worth it. We had one in both houses growing up though and it was great. We loved being the house people wanted to come to. Winterizing and de-winterizing is such a pain though... and one year our neighbors didn't drain theirs properly, the water got into our yard where our dog drank it, and he got meningitis and nearly died.

If we do end up getting a pool. I'd want above ground with a deck - we already need a fence around the yard because of the dogs, and I don't want ANOTHER fence around an in-ground pool. Plus you have a little more privacy from neighbors that way, for sunbathing or late night skinny dipping.

Whether we have a pool or not though, our kid(s) will be taking swimming lessons before they can even walk.

chibiyui · April 2015

WinstonsGirl · April 2015

We talked about it briefly, before we did our yard. We have the room. The I remembered visiting the IL's in Quebec, where it's hotter and everyone has a pool. I went to use it and it was freezing cold, even in August. No way would I use it here. We'd have to heat it as well, and it'd only last from June - August. We have a hot tub instead

larrygaga · April 2015

I hope to live on a lake when I get a home.

However, I always heard that above ground pools were the worst for property values. I think inground look so much better.

wandajune6 · April 2015

lolo883 said:
@wandajune6 you filled it with a hose?! Oh lady, call a water truck!

I would love to have a pool but we have such a short season for it here, it's not really worth it. We had one in both houses growing up though and it was great. We loved being the house people wanted to come to. Winterizing and de-winterizing is such a pain though... and one year our neighbors didn't drain theirs properly, the water got into our yard where our dog drank it, and he got meningitis and nearly died.

If we do end up getting a pool. I'd want above ground with a deck - we already need a fence around the yard because of the dogs, and I don't want ANOTHER fence around an in-ground pool. Plus you have a little more privacy from neighbors that way, for sunbathing or late night skinny dipping. Whether we have a pool or not though, our kid(s) will be taking swimming lessons before they can even walk.

We tried to get a truck but they're expensive and hard to schedule. With such unpredictable weather and not knowing now long it would take to clean it, it's hard to know when we'll need it. DH was convinced that we wouldn't need to empty it all the way first.

JoanE2012 · April 2015

When we were house hunting, we ruled out any house with an inground pool. We figured if we didn't want the pool, it would cost a mini fortune to fill it in. We were open to an above ground pool because it would be easier to take down if we wanted. And the house we bought a couple years ago has an above ground pool. And it's coming down this year.

We just don't use it enough to justify the maintenance and costs.

knottie9c5ed33df4bbd226 · April 2015

wandajune6,
good memory! And I didn’t even think about home insurance going up..that’s a
big point to consider as well. And I totally know you’re right about everyone
always wanting to come over. FI’s parents have a pool and everyone is there
constantly..they don’t seem to mind, but I guess it could get to a point where
it’s annoying.

Pools??

Re: Pools??

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