- Sep 7, 2009
- 18
Having read all the construction blogs on here with some considerable envy our time has come to finally build a pool at our villa in Spain.
The villa has been owned as a second/holiday home for about ten years. However we spent far less time than we wanted to due to work and other demands. Therefore we have always held back on putting in a pool due to capital cost and the expense of running it while hardly ever being there. The situation has changed now, I'm in O&G and the recent oil price crisis has moved my retirement plans forward - there's always a silver lining!
The site is difficult, steeply sloped with poor access from above for vehicles/machinery.
Here’s how it was in 2008.... So the first job was to terrace the land so it was manageable
It’s about 50m to the road at the bottom. The builders built a ramp for the machinery to get up the hill from the road. The same will have to be done a second time for the pool machinery to access the 2nd from top terrace where the pool will go. Expensive – should have foreseen this issue when we had the terracing built as the plan was always to have a pool. Hey ho..
In lieu of a pool we installed a spa at the front of the villa – the best €6500 I ever spent! This has sufficed for 7 years now, used twice a day whenever I am there summer or winter. The location is on the access road side of the villa but completely private and not overlooked. Perfect.
The pool site.
Our intention is to use the second level of terracing as the base for the pool. We strongly considered an infinity design as the views might have supported this type of design.
Long consideration led to the conclusion the site really didn’t justify it. We have a sea view but its limited and infinities work best with open vistas and seascapes (IMHO). The other factors were cost, evaporation and heat loss. Water is a relatively expensive resource in Spain, which combined with the fact that I want to solar heat the pool and use it for extended seasons ruled out this idea.
So the pool will be rectangular, 9m x 4m, gunite and block construction, Vidrepur tiling mosaics, Salt water system, solar cover, solar heating ready (plumbed in ready for collectors to be added), 2 speed pump. All machinery will be European or US sourced.
A 25m2 patio area will be built beside the pool the underside of which will provide the machinery room and storage for sun beds etc. Paving will match the existing patio area. The area will be fenced by traditional Spanish balustrades. We will also have a structure for shade – decision on what exactly yet to be made.
We don't get the nice 3d graphics over here but I have some plans to share
Planning permission is a lengthy process in Spain application has been made (a 91 page document) for the relevant permits and approvals. We now wait and hope to start construction in 60 days or so but I have started this thread in case questions arise along the way – as TFP is such a friendly helpful site!
Hopefully swimming by May – it’s all very exciting.....
The villa has been owned as a second/holiday home for about ten years. However we spent far less time than we wanted to due to work and other demands. Therefore we have always held back on putting in a pool due to capital cost and the expense of running it while hardly ever being there. The situation has changed now, I'm in O&G and the recent oil price crisis has moved my retirement plans forward - there's always a silver lining!
The site is difficult, steeply sloped with poor access from above for vehicles/machinery.
Here’s how it was in 2008.... So the first job was to terrace the land so it was manageable
It’s about 50m to the road at the bottom. The builders built a ramp for the machinery to get up the hill from the road. The same will have to be done a second time for the pool machinery to access the 2nd from top terrace where the pool will go. Expensive – should have foreseen this issue when we had the terracing built as the plan was always to have a pool. Hey ho..
In lieu of a pool we installed a spa at the front of the villa – the best €6500 I ever spent! This has sufficed for 7 years now, used twice a day whenever I am there summer or winter. The location is on the access road side of the villa but completely private and not overlooked. Perfect.
The pool site.
Our intention is to use the second level of terracing as the base for the pool. We strongly considered an infinity design as the views might have supported this type of design.
Long consideration led to the conclusion the site really didn’t justify it. We have a sea view but its limited and infinities work best with open vistas and seascapes (IMHO). The other factors were cost, evaporation and heat loss. Water is a relatively expensive resource in Spain, which combined with the fact that I want to solar heat the pool and use it for extended seasons ruled out this idea.
So the pool will be rectangular, 9m x 4m, gunite and block construction, Vidrepur tiling mosaics, Salt water system, solar cover, solar heating ready (plumbed in ready for collectors to be added), 2 speed pump. All machinery will be European or US sourced.
A 25m2 patio area will be built beside the pool the underside of which will provide the machinery room and storage for sun beds etc. Paving will match the existing patio area. The area will be fenced by traditional Spanish balustrades. We will also have a structure for shade – decision on what exactly yet to be made.
We don't get the nice 3d graphics over here but I have some plans to share
Planning permission is a lengthy process in Spain application has been made (a 91 page document) for the relevant permits and approvals. We now wait and hope to start construction in 60 days or so but I have started this thread in case questions arise along the way – as TFP is such a friendly helpful site!
Hopefully swimming by May – it’s all very exciting.....
