Swimming Pool Water Features
Have you ever thought about adding a water feature to your pool? To create that ‘holiday feeling’ in your own home?
Why are they so popular?
As a ‘water-on-water’ experience, not only can a water feature transform your swimming pool into a stunning centrepiece of the exterior landscape within your backyard for you to relax and enjoy, it can also add personal and even financial value to your home. Water features are becoming more and more popular within brand new architectural designs, as well as the additional renovations to homes around the nation. They are not just a sign of a ‘successful wealthy person’ anymore, as water features become more affordable and easier to install. But why are they so popular?
Living in Luxury
Water features have such a luxurious effect on a space! From the grounds of exclusive hotels or spas, and in magazine photographs of celebrities’ homes, we have seen how these features can make an area feel grand and create a lavish atmosphere! You can up-level your outdoor entertaining area by installing a pool water feature. There are many styles and designs to choose from, so that you can truly customise your space.
Health Benefits
Did you know that seeing or hearing the soothing sounds of moving water will trigger a response in our brains. This releases a flood of neurochemicals and increases blood flow to the brain and heart- which induces relaxation. We know there are many physical health benefits of swimming, like the cardiovascular and improved fitness, as well as emotional health benefits of spending quality time with our families by the pool. But, hearing the sound of water is a great way to relax while you are out there by the pool, allowing your worries to melt away, and feel yourself be transported away to an exotic holiday! Also hearing the sound of water while you are inside the house will provide a constant reminder, meaning you are more likely to use the swimming pool more often!
Added value to your property price
For a house being advertised for sale on the housing market, a home with a pool is always top of a buyers filter search. However, a pool which has a water feature, gives the effect that the current homeowners are taking great care of the place. The buyer will be confident that there are little renovations required, and may be encouraged to offer you a higher price.
We hear you ask ‘Which water feature is best for me?’, ‘How much will it cost?’, ‘When is the best time for it to be built?’… Let us take you on a water feature journey to help you make the best decision to suit your space, lifestyle and budget.
What designs are available?
There are many different designs to choose from, which will depend on what your budget and style are. Think about what you are aiming to achieve with the overall look of your property, as well as the current or new pool specifications.
The main types of features include:
Waterfall: Usually built with fake or real rocks and boulders as part of naturalistic pool design. Waterfalls are one of the most popular water features when paired with swimming pools.
Rain curtain: Usually a rain curtain is a narrow and often wide ‘sheet’ of water, mounted on a wall, pergola roof, or overhang, that falls directly into the pool.
Bubblers: Aka gushers, are small jets in the floor of a shallow surface of the pool. Used as a splash zone for the kids, or a great way to separate the area between the pool and spa. The jets will shoot streams of water that gurgle and bubble up; heights of the streams can be adjusted. Great for the kids to play in!
Water wall: A waterfall spills out from a horizontal spout placed or built into a tiled or decorative wall near the pool.
Sconce: Sconces can be shapes, architectural pieces, urns, vessels, or characters, like animals. It is attached to the pool wall/s and pour out narrow streams of water.
Spill over spa: An integrated custom-designed spa that is raised above the pool, serving as a sort of practical water feature as it spills or trickles into the swimming pool. Great to move water around for circulation/filtration too!
Deck jets: This type of water feature is installed into pool decking and shoots a narrow, arching stream of water into the pool. For additional fun and drama, deck jets can be illuminated with colour-changing LED lights.
How much money will this set me back?
While it does add to the cost of having and maintaining a swimming pool, having a water feature may not cost you as much as you would expect. Things like size, tiling and simplicity will determine the pricing, but you could expect to pay between $2000 and $8000 (or potentially even more!)
When should I get my water feature installed?
In a perfect world, you would install your water feature at the time of installing your pool… We know the world is not perfect- so you can always install on an existing pool. However, to make life easier- when you are getting your pool installed initially, you can let the builder know you might like to install a water feature in the future. They will then be able to create
the necessary infrastructure so you can decide at a later date if you would like to add the water feature in! This will save you time, money and headaches in the future!
Whether you are drawn to the physical look, the relaxing sounds or increase in status that a water feature provides, you can rest assured that your investment in your water feature will be a noticeable addition to your home. While fads come and go, we believe the popularity of water features in and around swimming pools, and the ever changing technological advances will mean they are here to stay.
