Need advice on deck layout please..

[tbird2340]

We are getting a 24' round x 54" pool real soon.. We have the area picked where we want to install it but can't figure out what we want to do as far as a deck goes.. Our issue is we already have a deck.. We don't know if we want to tie in somehow to it, or just have a completely seperate deck..

I think we are leaning towards combining the two decks but there will need to be a rise somewhere because we want the new deck to be level with the pool.. I've attached some pics that may give some idea..

What would you guys do? We are worried about height mainly.. Like not wanting deck to be level with a window on the house or some weird stuff like that..

Thanks

 

[Jase1125]

What's the distance from the ground to the bottom of your window?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Where will you put the equipment pad? Will there be a heater? Where is your gas meter if there will be a heater...
How far around do you want the deck to go?

 

[tbird2340]

Where will you put the equipment pad? Will there be a heater? Where is your gas meter if there will be a heater...
How far around do you want the deck to go?

Equipment will be over in the corner by that blue thing near the fence.. Heater to possibly come in the next 1-2 years depending on how well the solar cover does.. Gas would be in same corner as equipment..

As far as how far / big.. We are unsure.. We don't want to regret and say "we should have went bigger" so we want to go big enough to enjoy.. Not just like a landing or anything.. If we go with it being extended out from our original deck I think we will have a lot of room..

If we decide to go separate I may need to push the pool out away from the house 3-5' more than that circle to leave more room for decking.

 

[tbird2340]

What's the distance from the ground to the bottom of your window?

Ground to bottom of the window on the far right is 4'.

Thanks

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Ok well go bigger if you can cuz we didn't and I regret it. Whatever you do don't put the equipment under the deck. Not even the return. Just don't go all the way around.

Maybe 1/3 to a half. Make sure you have stairs down to the ground on the equipment side... we don't and have to walk all the way around the pool. My deck is like yours in a way but reversed, up higher, with steps down to pool area but my point is go bigger if you can and have easier access to the equipment side.

Here's my deck. You can't tell but that's a table for 6 with umbrella on the right, it's a large enough area for a seating area but the actual pool entry area is rather small - was an issue when the kids were younger and I had an inflatable slide.
http://s284.photobucket.com/user/DavesWifeAnnie/media/poolandbaseball007.jpg.html

 

[gwegan]

If you install a deck level with your pool you may need to fence the deck and install a gate or have alarms on the doors. In California it would have to be 54" tall.


The way you appear to have this set up the bedroom window will look right at the pool wall and possibility your deck. Can you move the pool away from the house?

 

[tbird2340]

If you install a deck level with your pool you may need to fence the deck and install a gate or have alarms on the doors. In California it would have to be 54" tall.


The way you appear to have this set up the bedroom window will look right at the pool wall and possibility your deck. Can you move the pool away from the house?

We plan on having railing around the deck..

That's actually a dining room that we never use and the window that is higher to the left of that is the kitchen.. I can move the pool about 5' or so out into the yard..

 

[Readyforapool]

I'd go bigger - what do you plan to use on the deck? Loungers? Seating? Dining? You'll never be sorry if you go bigger as you'll have plenty of room to move around no matter what you use it for.

 

[MiaOKC]

We just renovated our in-ground pool and although we already had a sizable 950-1000 sf patio, it was awkwardly configured and not very usable. We replaced all the old patio and added to it to make 1500 sf and love it. We have a large family and love to host gatherings, though, so that might influence how you use your space. We did take a few lawn chairs out and move them to different places to substitute for eventual outdoor furniture (like, here is a "dining table and six chairs" and "here is where we want a sectional couch and coffee table" and "here is where we want two chaise lounges and an umbrella", etc, etc). I am really visual so that helped me tremendously! You could also do the same and use landscape marking paint, mark out your pool, and play with some furniture and mark out a possible deck to try to see if you can comfortably fit your furniture on it and still walk around, clean the pool, etc.

My grandparents had an above-ground pool when I was little, and it was a big PITA to get up to their small deck that was level with the pool - it was separate from everything with a staircase up to it, and only the size of about 1/4 of the side of the round pool, so we'd have to wait for one kid to get in and over the rail before the next could go up the stair. Landing big enough for a lifeguard chair, basically. So I would think attaching it to your current deck and making that a multi-level stepped deck would be preferable - better flow and more navigable. Big, wide steps that could double as bench seating during cookouts, places for potted plants, and so on.

Could you place the pool straight out from the existing deck (not under the windows on the right of the picture, where there is a circle scribed on the ground, but more into the part of the yard you cannot quite see?) That seems like it would keep the issue with the pool and deck being taller than the window sills better managed. I don't know what else is in your yard, but since the pool and deck will be higher than the windows it seems that visually, having it further away would be better.

 

[tbird2340]

Thanks for all the replies everyone... We aren't putting the pool in front of the existing deck because that will take up a lot of "playable" yard.. Where we are putting it our kids are rarely every playing there so it seemed to be the perfect choice.. Altho, yes, it would be much better to be in front as far as if we didn't use the yard etc.

Once we get the pool installed I'm hoping it will be easier to visualize how to build this deck.. Hopefully we can join the two together to make one big useable area!