Design help needed for new pool build

[Lynngapeach]

So I, like many others, have lurked for a time trying to answer my own questions. The community here seems so helpful so I’m coming to you all for input! Background - we’ve just moved into a new home and want a pool. Had an 18 x 36 rectangle vinyl liner SWG at our last home for 10 years and loved it. Hubby wants a more free form pool this time. He’s leaning towards an Oasis shape. We know we would like the depth probably 3.5 to 4’ for shallow and 6 or 6.5 deep end. We plan to have a bench in the deep end, vinyl again, SWG and then here is where we are running Into questions.

i thought I wanted a sun shelf but I don’t know if we will use it since it’s vinyl liner and we won’t have furniture on it. Our kids are grown so that’s not an issue. And then we’ve heard of issues with the liners pulling up. Anyone love/hate/had issues with theirs?

I definitely want areas to hang out on in the shallow end so maybe I just do benches to either side of the stairs instead of the sun shelf?

We were leaning towards 16x32 but the neighbors just installed one that size and it looks tiny. So now we are leaning back towards the 18x36. I know it’s slightly more upkeep but with the oasis shape I felt like it looked like so much swim area was lost. Maybe it’s just a trick of the mind.

Finally, is there anything you did or didn’t do that you regret? And conversely what did you do that you love?

Thanks so much for any input!

 

[bmoreswim]

Hi and welcome! My comment on pool size is you can't swim on pool decking. Not a trick of the mind. Comparing an 18 x 36 rectangular to an 16 x 32 freeform is a major size difference. Even with the same dimensions you will lose roughly 15% surface area with a freeform versus rectangular. So a 16 x 32 freeform is roughly 67% the size of a 18 x 36 rectangular. So good call with the 18 x 36 freeform. You are only losing 15% that way.

16 x 32 = 512 SF x 85% = 435 SF
18 x 36 = 648 SF
435 / 648 = 67%

The 15% figure comes from a hand drawing I did on graph paper to get a rough idea.

No sunshelf here so I can't help you out on that front.

 

[sham]

Everyone seems to love the sunshelves but we really don't use ours. We don't have chairs on it. When I'm in the water, I like to lay on a float. Maybe I'll be happy we have it when we have little grandkids. But if I could do it over, I would skip it and have more room in the pool for volleyball. We have teens/college age kids.

On the length, I would definitely do 36+ not 32. Our pool is 39' and looks small to me.

 

[Lynngapeach]

Hi and welcome! My comment on pool size is you can't swim on pool decking. Not a trick of the mind. Comparing an 18 x 36 rectangular to an 16 x 32 freeform is a major size difference. Even with the same dimensions you will lose roughly 15% surface area with a freeform versus rectangular. So a 16 x 32 freeform is roughly 67% the size of a 18 x 36 rectangular. So good call with the 18 x 36 freeform. You are only losing 15% that way.

16 x 32 = 512 SF x 85% = 435 SF
18 x 36 = 648 SF
435 / 648 = 67%

The 15% figure comes from a hand drawing I did on graph paper to get a rough idea.

No sunshelf here so I can't help you out on that front.

Thanks for doing the math! That makes so much sense now.

 

[Lynngapeach]

Everyone seems to love the sunshelves but we really don't use ours. We don't have chairs on it. When I'm in the water, I like to lay on a float. Maybe I'll be happy we have it when we have little grandkids. But if I could do it over, I would skip it and have more room in the pool for volleyball. We have teens/college age kids.

On the length, I would definitely do 36+ not 32. Our pool is 39' and looks small to me.

That’s exactly what I was afraid of toowith the shelf.

I saw in your description that it appears you have the deepest section of your pool in the middle. Is that correct and if so was it the volleyball thoughts that led you to do it? Do you still love your depths? And what is the shape of your pool?

 

[sham]

Yes, the volleyball was the reason for the depths. We are happy with it. Originally we were dead set on an 8-9' deep end with diving board when our kids were younger...they would jump off the diving board for hours at my in-laws pool. We ended up waiting on the pool build until they were teens and decided to do sport pool for volleyball and basketball. I have seen many people on here, along with two neighbors and a cousin, who regretted doing a semi deep end like 6 foot. They say the end never gets used because it is not deep enough for diving, but too deep to stand. Our pool is free form. I wanted a straight line pool but with the shape of our yard free form worked better.