Thinking about adding an inground pool? Here is a great way to get started!

15 May Thinking about adding an inground pool? Here is a great way to get started!

Swimming Pools 101

Considering an in-ground swimming pool? Here’s everything you need to know about style, type, maintenance, safety and cost.

An inground swimming pool is the ultimate recreation amenity.  Once only the purview of luxury hotels and exotic resorts, the swimming pool is becoming the central feature in America’s growing and accelerating outdoor living trend.  While a swimming pool and waterscape will add years and years of precious family memories, the thought of starting to plan a project of this magnitude can be a bit overwhelming.  Enter this post from Bob Vila.  The king of DIY gives you everything that you need to know about planning and building a custom inground swimming pool, right down to the different construction methods and cost.  

Here is an excerpt from the post:

An in-ground pool is the ultimate in backyard upgrades. If you’ve always wanted one, now may be the time. Prices have fallen during the recession by up to 30 percent. Nevertheless, it remains a big investment, so it’s important to make smart choices with regard to size, shape, site selection, and type.

Size and shape depend upon your needs, budget, available area, and design wishes. Swim spas are small pools (some only 10 to 14 feet long) that produce a manmade current against which you can swim in place. Lap pools are typically narrow but require a sizeable yard. Some are as long as an Olympic pool (25 meters) and are meant for training or exercise. Recreational pools are usually shallow at one end and deep enough for diving (9 to 11 ft.) at the other. Typically rectangular, they come in many sizes. Freeform shapes are also available and are often preferred because they blend well into the backyard landscape.

Many pool owners prefer to install their pool close to the kitchen or family room. That provides ready access to the house and makes it easier to bring food and drinks out and to clean up afterwards. It’s also easier to keep an eye on the pool from the house. That said, a somewhat secluded pool has the feel of a vacation getaway—without ever pulling out of the driveway. As long as the pool is connected to the house with a smooth, well-lit path and has a sizeable pool deck around it for outdoor furniture and a grill, no one will complain. A pool cabana, of course, allows for nearby dressing and showering.

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