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| There I am |
I have been installing in ground pools for quite some time now, and I think that gives me a pretty good idea about what components would make for the best in ground pool. Today I just want to give my readers my personal opinion on what I think would make a great pool. Everything that you are about to read is my personal opinion based on my experiences as a in ground pool builder and service technician. Obviously that goes without saying that you may feel differently about certain aspects of an in ground pool. If I were to build a pool for my family today this is how I would do it.
What type of pool:
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| Beautiful Vinyl Liner Pool |
To begin, I would decide on what type of in ground pool to install. I have personally installed vinyl liner pools as well as one piece fiberglass pools. I have yet to install a concrete pool and I am not all that interested in doing so. For me I think the best route would be to go with a vinyl liner in ground pool. I would be too concerned about having a one piece fiberglass pool pop out of the ground if I ever had to drain it down for any reason. In all honesty that is a very real threat when it comes to one piece fiberglass pools. There are also plenty of photos online that will back up that claim. The expense in repairing something like that would be too great for me. In addition to that I really do like the idea of being able to change the look of the pool simply by changing the pattern on the liner. In regard to the concrete pool, I feel that it would just cost too much. Traditionally a concrete pool is a symbol of social class. With that in mind builders are able to charge more. In addition to the high initial cost of the install I am very aware of the fact that concrete cracks. It is just a matter of when and where. There is no preventing it. At some point it will crack and it will loose its aesthetic appeal. I don’t know about you but if I am spending a large amount of money on something, I want it to look as good as possible. That being said I feel that to get the best bang for your buck the way to go is with a vinyl liner in ground pool. You will get a pool that is structurally sound and won’t leave you wondering how to repair a crack in the bottom. In addition to that they are very aesthetically pleasing and can be made to fit any back yard and personal taste.
The design:
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| Free Form Style Pool |
This part is really up to personal taste and backyard space. My back yard is big enough to accommodate any size pool really so for me it comes down to the style. I am partial to the free form pool. I tend to be drawn to the curves and organic layout rather than the basic geometric rectangle pool. I am not one to be too flashy so I would probably go with a smaller pool probably along the lines of something that would fit into a 16’x32′ space. There are endless possibilities in regard to the shape so for that I would want to sit down and draw it out. Did I mention that I am married, so naturally that would affect the design. In the end we would come up with something that we are both happy with, but as long as she is happy I am cool with it. Anyway that is a general look into the design I would choose.
The Deck:
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| Beautiful Decking |
I have seen all sorts of decking options for vinyl liner in ground pools. A lot of people choose to use pavers around their pool. For me this wouldn’t work well. I am more of a concrete type guy, however there are some things that I would do to give the pool more of a high end look. To begin I would start with a 1′ stamped border all the way around the pool. The color would have to be chosen with my wife of course. Then I would utilize a slightly different color to give the pool some contrast, and again my wife would help with this. I have also seen a lot of pools that have some grass around them, and I really like the look of that so perhaps I would try to include it in my pool as well. Again keeping with the organic look of the pool, the deck would also have to be free form with plenty of curves. I am not a big fan of the “cookie cutter” type pools where your pool looks strikingly similar to your neighbors. I like to have some aspect of originality without going over the top with it.
The equipment:
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| Paramount’s 6 Jet Swing Sweep System |
Swimming pool equipment has come a long way. We now have all sorts of things available to use on our pools to give use the best possible swimming pool experience. So with that in mind I would certainly utilize modern technology in my pool. To begin I would install the Swing Sweep system by Paramount. This will allow me to spend more time enjoying my pool and far less time actually cleaning it. This system uses what are known as SwingJets to push any debris down to the specially designed main drain where it will be removed from the pool.
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| Jandy Versa Plumb System |
As far as the equipment at the filter pad goes I would use a Jandy pump, filter, and heat pump. Jandy has specific pumps, filters, and heat pumps that work with their Versa Plumb system. The Versa Plumb system is basically a pre-determined way of plumbing the equipment. It comes with all the necessary pipe and fittings to do so. The benefit is that it increases efficiency and hydraulics. This will allow me to save money in the long run. In addition to that I would use an Ultra UV and Clear O3 from Paramount as a way to clean the water itself. This will dramatically reduce the amount of chemicals I will need to put in the pool.
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| AquaLink RS One Touch |
One last thing that I would do is install an automation system by Zodiac to complete my ideal swimming pool. With Zodiac automation I can control all the aspects of the pool from the comfort of my home. Think of it like a thermostat on the wall. From there I can adjust the temperature of the pool, the speed of the pump, and I could even change the lighting. In addition to that I could also get the iAquaLink which would allow me to do all of those things from my smart phone. There are so many things that can be done using this automation that can make your pool your own backyard oasis.
These are just some of the things that I would do if I were installing a pool in my own backyard. Throughout the years I have had the privilege of working with some of the best products on the market. What you have just read is a combination of the best of the best that I would certainly use on my own pool. The purpose of this post is simply to give my readers an idea of what is out there for their pools, and what I find to be the best. For more information on vinyl liner in ground swimming pools check out my other blog posts. For more information on Paramount Pool Systems check out their website at http://www.paramountpoolsystems.com/ You can find more information on Zodiac/Jandy at http://www.zodiacpoolsystems.com/
