How to plan a new pool installation for your home: Every pool project has its own personality because every home and every family is unique.
The best swimming pool for you fits your lifestyle and your budget—and takes a lot of upfront planning. You’ll want to learn as much as you can beforehand by asking and listening to friends, family, and local experts and considering great ideas and how they might work (or not work) for you.
What works in another part of the country–or even the state—might not work here in Bergen County, where swimming months are precious, the soil is unique and uninvited visitors are “deer.”
Before shovel touches soil, you’ll need to consider:
Pool location
Sun, yard and project size, access, budget, privacy, existing plantings, terrain and municipal regulations will determine your project’s location. It may not be the most exciting, but it’s the most important decision you’ll make.
Pool shape and design
The size of your family, the typical number of guests, and of course, budget, all impact what size your pool should be.
Shape and depth are a little different. What will you use it for? Swimming laps and playing games? Or are you more the float-and-sip crowd? Have you always envisioned a kids’ area or permanent hot tub? Now is the time to decide what will give you the best return on your investment.
For instance, “attaching a hot tub to your pool is very cost-effective,” says Mitch Knapp, owner of Scenic Landscape Design in Haskell. Thoughtful planning, like “where you place the bench, jets and the spillway that takes the water out as it recirculates,” may seem detailed now, “but it really pays off in the end.”
Finishing work
Coping is an extension of the decking and one of the most visible elements of the pool. This cap on the pool shell wall is generally made from poured or pre-cast concrete material, tile or a natural stone, such as bluestone.
More than “the icing on the cake,” coping can also be a safety issue. So, for instance, Knapp suggests bull-nosing (rounding) the edges to keep them kid-friendly. The surface should prevent slips and not get too hot in the sun. Decking surrounds the area and ties the pool, landscaping, and other hardscaping elements all together. Homeowners have unlimited choices of color, material, maintenance, and price.
Heat resistance and a non-slip surface are key. Quartzite pavers, for example, “stay cool to the touch on your feet even up to 90 degrees. It’s a wonderful stone,” says Knapp.
Your unique brand
Overall designs that include waterfalls, ponds, fountains, rock gardens, gazebos, fire and cooking areas, or bars that blend into your home’s theme or landscaping features enhance the “brand” of your project, making it your unique retreat—and bringing more enjoyment to you and more value to your home.
Flowers and shrubs that give season-long color and fragrance can transform your project into a local resort. Whether you choose exotic, eye-popping drama or a more traditional scheme, make sure that what gets planted will get maintained. “Professional planning and maintenance are the way to go to make sure you get the most from your investment. It’s relaxing in itself to know everything works together and is always going to look great, even when those last-minute guests show up,” advises Pete Liberatore of Bednar Landscape Service out of Boonton.
Prefer a more natural feel? Then, consider thoughtfully planned evergreens and perennials to give you lower maintenance with subtle color all season long. Regular pruning and fertilization keep your landscape looking great year to year.
Whatever your choice, nothing frames an outdoor project like the right trees. Avoid deciduous trees that shed leaves early in the fall—they’ll end up in the pool–and avoid fruit trees. “They can get messy when they drop their fruit, plus, they attract bees and birds and their droppings,” says Liberatore.
Look for trees and shrubs that grow 6 to 8 feet high or taller. Pay attention to whether trees and shrubs grow up or out–each will give you different types of screening.
Fences
Even if wildlife is not a problem in your area, small children need to be protected, so a fence is in the cards no matter where you live in Bergen County. Extend your style with material, color, style, and privacy options. Of course, pricing varies wildly.
Swimming pools dramatically change how you use your home. Put a little extra time in the planning now and you’ll reap the rewards for a lifetime of family fun.
Why Not Extend the Pool Season?
Families planning a new pool may be unsure about the right time to take the plunge or just how long the pool season lasts!
Consider these points: There’s nothing wrong with a relaxing poolside gathering with family while your Thanksgiving turkey slowly browns in the oven. In fact, you don’t have to be a member of the Polar Bear Club to enjoy a backyard pool in March. That’s because today’s backyard pools have evolved from a one-season oasis to a lifestyle amenity that can be enjoyed from early spring through late fall, even in the chilly Bergen County area. For those considering installing a new pool now, the return on investment of an extended season makes pool ownership a purchase with an equally extended payback.
According to the Northeast Spa and Pool Association (NESPA), an organization representing the pool and spa industry, today’s pools offer more than just a place to swim. The beauty and serenity of a beautifully designed pool, complete with the sounds of moving water, can be relaxing and soul-nourishing.
Benefits beyond summer
Those considering the installation of a new pool have the greatest number of options for creating an amenity that can be enjoyed beyond the summer months. Pool fountains, waterfalls, and unique lighting can create a focal point for backyard entertaining in any season. An attached hot tub can be heated for cool-weather enjoyment. And, many of today’s mini-pool designs make it easy to heat the entire pool for off-season swimming.
New options for easy maintenance
The key to long-term pool enjoyment is easy maintenance. Easy maintenance and an extended season are made possible by today’s many new options in pool products and technologies. New pools can be outfitted with built-in automatic cleaning systems that operate at the push of a button.
Keeping the heat
For those who want to continue swimming in cooler weather, keeping the heat is important. For heating a pool during the cooler months, there are many different kinds of high energy efficiency heater options.
Clean water, safe water
Electric pool covers allow owners to open and close the pool with the turn of a key. So, when the pool is not in use, debris can be kept out, and the water can retain its warmth.
Let there be light: Outdoor lighting for your Bergen County home!
What you should know about dry drowning: Tenafly Pediatrics Video
