Tuesday, February 22, 2011

So your thinking about a new swimming pool.....





Beautiful Outdoor Living Created by Shaping Water...



Backyard Swimming Pools have been bringing together friends, neighbors and families for thousands of years. Most of you have wonderful childhood memories of cannon ball contests, water volleyball and diving for pennies but since that time swimming pools have come a long way.


The days of “Kidney Bean Shaped” swimming pools with three feet of concrete apron, inefficient loud pumps and chlorine pucks have been replaced with custom waterscapes incorporating natural stone patios & landscaping, Variable Frequency Drive Pumps, web based automation, in-floor cleaning systems and architectural details that boggle the mind. In fact, todays pools can be completely run from from your computer or iPhone.


Let’s start with the design process...You are not looking for a “Pool” design, you are looking for an “Outdoor Living” design. A proper design details every item that you want to incorporate into your yard. These items should include the swimming pool, patio, walkways, steps, landscaping, lighting, outdoor kitchen & fireplace, drainage, equipment location utility routing, fencing, etc. The plan should be drawn to scale including elevations and all the architectural details should be specified. Remember, you get what you pay for, you should plan on paying for a quality outdoor living design. “Free Designs” are a waste of time unless you are looking for a very basic pool. These designs are rarely creative, lack a cohesive vision between all aspects of the outdoor living environment and many times are the same design your neighbor was just presented with.


Now it’s time to accessorize...Your options are almost limitless when it comes to swimming pool features so lets talk about some of todays trends. Swimming pools are getting a little smaller but are incorporating more technology and architectural features. Some of the most popular items now are:


  • Shallow lounging areas that allow you to lay in a lounge chair in 8 inches of water.
  • Hot Tubs cascading into the pool
  • Speciality pool interior surfaces including Pebble and Glass Bead Finishes.
  • Saltwater Swimming Pool Chlorination
  • In-Floor Cleaning Systems
  • Variable Frequency Drive Pumps (60% more efficient than std. pool pumps)
  • Full Automation Integration - Push button control of your entire swimming pool
  • Beach Entries, Perimeter Overflow and Infinity Edge Details
  • Natural Stone & Boulder Waterfalls


While this is not a comprehensive list of all features, we find that these elements are integrated into almost every pool we design & build.



How do I know if I’m on the right track?...Looking back, our happiest clients all have a few things in common. The first is that the clients decided not to skimp on the pool and go with the upgraded energy efficient equipment, a maintenance free pool interior (Like PebbleTec), integrated full chemical automation and any other features that save on maintenance time and cost. And Secondly, they had a well balanced project. We suggest that the pool account for 1/3 of the budget, the hardscaping including patio, walls, outdoor kitchen & fireplace, etc. 1/3 of the budget and landscaping, fencing, electrical, gas and all other items should be the final 1/3 of the budget. The goal of any outdoor living environment including swimming pools is that one element should not stand out more than any other element.



How to pick the right contractor...Choosing a Raleigh pool builder is much like choosing a husband or wife. Remember that once you make your decision you will be "married" to your builder not only during the installation period but for as long as you own your pool. We're all grown-ups here and all know to check references, tour completed projects, verify insurance, blah...blah...blah... you know the deal but what I suggest is a little more. Every reputable builder should be able to meet these basic requirements, so all things being equal think about what could make the pool building process as enjoyable as possible. Look for a company that you are socially compatible with and pick the company that you "feel" good about. After all isn't your "gut" feeling usually the right choice? Don't go into the process with an adversarial attitude toward your contractor, trying to beat every penny out of them. Instead create a team environment with the common goal of creating the backyard swimming pool of your dreams.



Getting it Done...There’s no clean way to excavate 100 tons of soil, bring in 50 tons of concrete, dig plumbing & electrical trenches,install retaining walls, pour 30 yards of concrete sub-deck and then install 20 tons of flagstone decking. Your yard will be a construction site and you will be tired of having workers at your house from morning to night but it will all be worth it. Once the pool is filled and the final flower is planted, it’s time to grab a bottle of wine, tell the kids to jump-on-in, have your husband cook a great dinner in the new outdoor kitchen and let new memories of your family replace the old memories of your childhood.



Frank Bowman - Frank Bowman is the principal and founder of Frank Bowman Designs, Inc. a progressive swimming pool and outdoor living contractor based in Raleigh, NC. For more swimming pool information visit www.FrankBowman.com or contact Frank directly at Frank@FrankBowman.com



27 comments:

  1. We are installing an inground pool in the very near future. Our first decision is to go with a fiberglass pool or a gunite pool? Advice from all you pool owners would be greatly appreciated. If you have had both types, please indicate in your reply. Thanks!

    Concrete Pool

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  2. hey I read your blog article so nice but you know about Premium pools this is the best pool company of India. It provides various services for designing a new pool like Best Swimming Pool Builders, Pool Builders, Swimming Pool Contractors, Pool Contractors and Swimming Pool Construction etc.

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  3. Landscaping a backyard swimming pool is a fun activity, but it takes a keen and meticulous eye to incorporate and meet all the design specifics that you wish to have. Creating a beautiful outdoor living space such as a pool should depend on the family's size. This way, you'll be able to define whether you need a kids’ pool or just an ordinary family pool.

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  4. Now this time I visit many website and found many information but I think this is very important information all of us.I will sharing this information some other people.Thanks for published this information…

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  5. Thanks so much for sharing this! I have been looking into swimming pool contractors in West Vancouver... I totally want to get a pool!

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  6. Wow these are beautiful! Do you know where i could get swimming pool waterfall kits to make something like this?

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  7. I would absolutely love to hire a swimming pool builder in Cape Coral, FL. I sure hope I can find a place!

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  8. Thanks for sharing this! I've been looking at getting a pool, but don't know where to find swimming pool builders in Cape Coral Fl. Do you have any suggestions?

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  9. I would love to find some swimming pool builders in Cape Coral, FL. I finally have the resources to get a pool and I want to get one soon.

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  10. I'd love to have a swimming pool with a waterfall! When you get a pool, though, do the same guys do the pool service or do you have to hire someone else?

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  11. That is really beautiful and awesome. I love it and you need to keep up the great work. I am looking for a swimming pool contractor in Ottawa to help me build a nice and beautiful pool for my house. I want to make sure that it is done really well.

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  12. I am looking for the information about swimming pool. you have mentioned a quite systematic and improved details as compared to other blogs.Thanks for posting.OEM 100520 Filter Catridges

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  13. We want to get a swimming pool for this summer. We have talked about it for years but never put anything into action. We have a big back yard that it will fit nicely in. I think I'm more excited than the kids to put this into action.

    http://yandlessplashtimepools.net

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  14. That pool in the picture looks awesome! Is it very hard to install a waterfall into a pool? I really wish my parents would put a pool in our backyard. http://www.beadlingpools.com/construction

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  15. Thank you for the post. We have been looking into getting a pool lately, and we would love a beautiful design like the one in the photo. I want something that is aesthetically appealling.

    Emily Marshall | Dolphin Polls & Spas

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  16. This was a great article. I remember the days when I use to help people design kidney shaped pools. Now a days, the more unique, the better. These were great tips.

    Aaron | http://www.ezylivingpools.com.au/our-pool-portfolio

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  17. I would love to get a custom pool. I am planning on getting a swimming pool for my new home. I think that it would be fun to have. My family would use it all the time.
    http://www.advancedpools.com.au

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  18. I have heard of all these fancy ways that I can put in a swimming pool, but I'm just looking for a cheap good and easy way to do it. I have heard getting a concrete pool is pretty easy, so hopefully I can have someone tell me what I need to do, and who I should call. http://www.ezylivingpools.com.au/our-pool-portfolio

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  19. One of our family friends just built a very big, very nice house. It is seriously probably one of the nicest houses I have ever seen. They are now looking to install a swimming pool and have asked if I have heard of any companies worth using, This article was helpful, and I will be sure to share these tips with them. The pool in this post was very gorgeous. I would love a pool like this in my backyard. http://www.koolpoolz.com/Products/

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  20. This is a beautiful pool! I would like to get an in-ground pool for my new yard. It would have to be a kind of small pool because my yard isn't very large. Thanks for sharing this information!

    amber | http://www.sunsetpools-spas.com/pools/chicago-concrete-pool-construction-contractors

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  21. I love looking at custom made pools like the ones showed here. It always reminds me of how untalented and uncreative I am to be able to build stuff like this. Hopefully one day I'll be able to put something like this in my yard.

    http://www.nassaupools.com

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  22. My uncle is actually in the process of building a pool in his backyard. I can't wait until he gets it done because he has told us that we can come swim whenever we want once it finally gets done. He has been planning on building a pool for quite a while now and is finally putting it to action and doing it. It is going to be so fun and I'm really excited. http://www.bellarpools.com/pool-construction

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  23. I have never thought to make my own custom swimming pool before. I did visit a swimming pool last summer that was completely custom made. I thought it was really cool because the water they used allowed you to open your eyes without burning them or causing irritation. It was really cool because they put a lot of scenery on it. If I were to get a custom pool, It would be like that. http://www.angpools.com/about.html

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  24. Before you go off and start digging up your backyard, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. One is how big do you want the pool to be? There are many different sizes of custom pools that you can choose from. Another thing to consider is where are you going to put the pool. You want it to be in a good spot that gets a lot of sunlight, that is also close to the house. I would suggest talking to a professional pool builder before you start digging. http://www.contemporarypools.com/index.php/custom-pools/

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  25. My uncle last opened his inground pool 5 years ago. He wants to reopen it and have it repaired. the water is murky and seems like the lining has collapsed. does any one have an idea how much would it cost?
    swimming pool restoration

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