Can I Put a Swimming Pool In My Backyard?
When the summer months’ soaring temperatures get too unbearable, your swimming pool is just the thing to turn to for you and your family members to cool down. However, if you don’t have one already and are thinking of adding one to your residential property, there are certain factors you’ll have to consider. One of the biggest considerations to take into account is your backyard. Most residential swimming pools are installed in backyards and if you want to know whether yours is suitable for a swimming pool or not, read on.
Accessibility Of Your Backyard
The first question you should ask and perhaps the most important one is related to your backyard’s accessibility. Simply put, if your backyard is not accessible enough, pool installers can’t possibly get in and install the pool. Some of the factors that determine backyard accessibility are:
• Access for trucks and equipment: Irrespective of the size of the pool you want to have installed in your backyard, all pool installers reach their clients with installation equipment and materials in trucks. So your backyard needs to have motorable access to some extent. Even if the installers can’t drive all the way in, they should at least be able to park their trucks in the backyard’s vicinity and then carry the installation materials and equipment to the installation site.
So if your backyard doesn’t have appropriate access, installing a pool may be mightily difficult, even for expert installers. If your backyard has to be accessed via another’s property, you’ll need to seek permission from your neighbor.
• Low hanging power lines: Low hanging power lines make it difficult for installers to do their work and make it unsafe for them. If your backyard has a similar situation, you’ll need to call a certified electrician/team of electricians to ensure that the power lines are placed appropriately so as not to get in the way of pool installers.
It’s recommended to take the advice of pool installers during the on-site consultation regarding what needs to be done for ensuring easy access to the installation site.
Backyard Size
You may want to have a really big pool installed in your backyard, but if your backyard is not big enough to accommodate it, you’ll have to settle for a smaller pool. Certain considerations in this regard include:
• Dedicated space to the swimming pool: If your backyard is small, you have no other option but to opt for a small swimming pool. However, it’s still up to you to decide how much space you want to dedicated to the pool.
Do you want the entire area of the backyard to be converted to a swimming pool? Or would you like to retain a grassy patch by the pool that makes for a good space to sit and relax before/after swimming? Also, would you like your swimming pool area to be a place to host guests during parties and get-togethers?
Once you ask these questions to yourself and get the right answers, you can talk to pool installers regarding how much area you’re willing to dedicate to the pool. Professional advice: It’s best not to be too picky and choosy for homeowners when it comes to installing pools in small backyards. Instead of dictating the pool’s size, you should listen to the advice of professional pool installers. They will suggest different pool shapes, sizes, and installation methods during the on-site consultation process and give you estimated costs of the same.
Take their advice and don’t make decisions that could affect you in the long run. Remember, a swimming pool is a long-term investment, which is why you should be careful and cautious about it.
Backyard Layout
If your backyard is sloped, it may be hard for installers to install certain types of swimming pools. For example, in-ground concrete pools are next to impossible (and incredibly expensive even if they’re possible) to install in sloped yards. So, if you have a sloped backyard and you’d ideally choose an in-ground concrete pool, you’ll have to come to a compromise and go for something that’s practical and doable. The ideal type of pool to choose for sloped backyards is fiberglass, as fiberglass pools can be designed to fit any surface.
Some of the other important questions regarding the layout of your backyard that you need to discuss with the professionals include:
• The location of the leach field and the septic system
• Boulders and/or trees that may interfere with the installation
• Water run-off area during monsoons that may cause soil erosion and subsequent damage to the areas surrounding the pool
Once again, you should turn to the professionals for advice instead of dictating the terms, particularly if you have a sloped backyard. There may be legal restrictions enforced by your local law enforcement authorities as well, so check with them as well to know in detail regarding what you can and can’t do. Failure to adhere to applicable laws may land you in troubled waters later on and an expensive legal battle is the last thing you’d want to deal with, especially after spending a fortune to have a pool installed.
Underground Considerations
One of the most unique challenges faced by professional installers is to find out what lies beneath the ground of the planned installation site. Some of the problems that may potentially arise after digging has started include:
• Large rocks and/or boulders: Sometimes large rocks and boulders may be encountered underground and while installers have the equipment necessary to break down most, there may be some boulders/rocks that are impossible to break down.
• Poor-quality fill: When builders and developers construct residential properties, poor-quality fill consisting of cement blocks, tree stumps, and wood is often buried underground.
• Rock ledge: If the installers hit a rock ledge during the digging process, it may require blasting, which will require you to incur additional expenses. The worst thing about blasting rock ledges is that it’s not always successful.
• Of course, all these potential problems will arise only if you choose to have an in-ground pool installed. To do away with these problems and the expenses that you may have to incur depending on the severity of the issues, it’s best to go for above-ground fiberglass pools. Above ground pools are much easier to install and cost considerably lesser than their in-ground counterparts as well.
Conclusion
To know exactly what kind of pool would be suitable for your backyard and the potential difficulties during the installation process, it’s best to get in touch with professional pool installers near you. During the initial consultation, talk to them at length regarding what kind of pool you want. After listening to your ideas, the professionals can tell you whether or not your ideas are practical enough to be executed.
We’ve stressed this before, and we’ll stress this again; even though you’re the client and ultimately, the pool installers you hire to do the job will follow your instructions, never go against their advice. If you do, the results will be disappointing and there may be severe consequences in terms of environmental damage and legal hassles. So, trust the professionals for the best results.
