Austin Pools - Aren't All Pools The Same?
In the past, home swimming pools used to all look the same. That isn’t the case anymore. Now pools are custom designed to fit the personality of the home owner or style of the home. They range from lap pools to reflecting pools, complex architectural pools and naturalistic pools. Build indoors or out, fit just about any area and stay within a reasonable budget.
 Keep in Mind The pool company will have to do major excavating to dig the whole for your new pool. Carefully plan if you are concerned about losing a great deal of your current landscape.
Carefully determine your needs and desires before buying a pool. Evaluate the location, design, shape, size, depth, and feature of your pool. Will it be used for recreation, relaxation or exercise? How often will it be used? Consider factors such as children growing up or house additions that would change your plan over time. You will save yourself a lot of money by doing extensive planning before construction when it is much more difficult to change your mind.
Architectural Pools
An architectural pool is a pool that has been designed to show a strong relationship with the accompanying house. In fact, they are most often building when the house is build, designed by the same architect. Architectural pools are usually placed close to the home with a pool deck or terrace doubling as a transitional space between the two.
Naturalistic Pools
In contrast to the strong lines and striking features of an architectural pool, a naturalistic swimming pool is designed to blend almost seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Commonly, these pools are placed further away from the house, perhaps near a woodland edge or a low point. Most of these pools act as replicas of ponds or lagoons in their free form shape, many times enhanced by trickling streams or waterfalls.
Lap Pools
Lap pools are desired by those who wish to swim for exercise and fitness purposes. They are efficient in size and suitable for most lots because they hold less water than most recreational pools. In addition, their simple designs complement most architectural styles. The standard lap pool will be anywhere from 40-70 feet long, 8-10 feet wide, and at least 31/2 feet deep.
Swim Spas
Swim spas are a good alternative to lap pools if you do not have the adequate space, or don’t desire a large pool. Swim spas are sometimes called jet pools because they have adjustable water jets that create a current and allow you to swim in place, like jogging on a treadmill. You can adjust the jets, therefore increasing the intensity of your workout and accommodate swimmers with different skill levels.
Swim spas are also used for hydrotherapy. The jets double as massaging hydro jets, and the water can switch from 72-78 degrees for a fitness workout to 98-104 for hydrotherapy.
These pools are usually 13-20 feet long and 4 feet deep.
Recreational Pools
The most popular pools are those designed for a variety of recreational purposes. They can be built in any shape, size, or style and often has a deep end and a shallow end. Most recreational pools are 31/3-5 feet deep at one end to 11” deep on the other.
Spas
Hot tubs have always been popular for home owners. The choices are many, including concrete spas, portable spas, and prefabricated spas and in ground spas. They offer a variety of seating arrangements, jets, and temperature controls. It can be designed as a stand alone unit or integrated pool which takes advantage of shared water and filtration systems. The temperature in spas is usually kept at 99-104 degrees.
For advice on how to select the right pool for you, read “Pool Building Factors.” If you are interested in more kinds of pools in addition to what we have discussed here, consult your local pool company.
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