Digging next week...unsure of placement...SO NERVOUS!!!!! Please help ease my fears!

[MrsHanson]

Good evening!

I think I am just nervous, but as I keep thinking about this, maybe some of you out there can help ease my fears. I appreciate any and all thoughts.

Would you put an inground pool in a "pretty" yard location, where it looks really impressive, but it would be in the shade 95% of the day? Or...would you put an inground pool in a less ideal location, but it has full morning sun (we have no afternoon sun whatsoever...so not an option).

Originally, I wanted the ideal location. However, I got realistic, and thought...I need the sun...let's move it to the other location.

We are digging next week, and I am just nervous.

For some who want more info, here it is:
We are putting an inground rectangular concrete vinyl lined pool in "virgin" dirt, in the back of the yard, where nothing has ever been before. So much of our large square yard, with pine/other trees that surround the yard, plus a previous filled in inground pool, and a septic field, etc., we do not have a lot of space to work with.

We had mostly two choices.... have the pool placed horizontally at the end of the backyard, where it would look aesthetically pleasing. However, it would be in the shade almost all of the time. Or...put the pool vertically in the yard, where it has sun in the morning.

Honestly, I am just blessed to even have this opportunity to have a pool. I am filled with gratitude to be able to even worry about this at all. This is my dream project, something I have wanted my whole life. I am just so nervous as this approaches...

Can anyone put in their two cents? God bless anyone reading this on their weekend...

Thank you!

 

[Jimrahbe]

mrs,

Welcome to TFP.. A great place to find the answers to all your pool questions, even if you live in the entire State of Mass...

If this were my pool, I would place it were it got the most the sun.. Pools need sunlight, and so do the people swimming in them..

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[riley00dog]

Hi, we've just completed our dig and I completely relate to the pre-dig nerves!

I agree with placing the pool where it gets the morning sun. We dug our pool in the backyard due to accessibility from the house, but also because it's in full sun all day until about 3pm. Our neighbours across the road have a pool in their backyard and of course it's the opposite scenario - it's in shade all day and gets the sun mid-late afternoon. It's always freezing. The water is never nice to swim in, even on stinking hot days.

 

[kimkats]

I would love to see the two locations but also lean to the sunny location. My best friend has a pool and it was almost always shaded. The water was very *brisk* and not a lot of fun to jump into unless the outside air was HOT so..........They took down a few trees to let the sun in and now enjoy their pool much more!

Kim

 

[richierich]

Are you planning on getting on a heater? I would do the sun location if it were me

 

[MrsHanson]

Hello!

Thank you all for your comments. I know that the pool needs the sun. We will have a heat pump. The pool needs to be heated definitely. I have a wooded lot. I have already cut down the tree that is on the left of the photo. The pool will be located in the back, right side, where you can see the sun.

 

[eric99gt]

Located in Mass....ya definitely the area that receives the most sun. Looking at the lot though any opportunity to remove some trees to allow for the original location to receive sun?

 

[kimkats]

I like that spot! It is VERY pretty!!!

You are going to have to really work on keeping the leaves up and out of the pool. Ask you pool builder if he knows of a skimmer that has an extra big basket to help you when it is leaf drop time.

Kim

 

[bmoreswim]

Definitely sun. Whether you are in the pool or by it, sun is good, with some shade available if needed, but that can be man made. But I’d never put a pool in a full shade spot unless it was indoors.

Keep in mind that trees will continue to grow and your sunny spot will get shadier every day from here on out as well.

 

[MrsHanson]

Hello everyone:

I appreciate greatly all of your insight. You are all knowledgeable and I value your insightful comments.

Since this photo was taken, we have taken down a bunch of trees. The tree cutter gentleman came around the yard, including the perimeter of the yard, both to cut down more trees and he trimmed out others. We spent $$ to make it "cleaner" now. I would still have to cut down 100 trees to have full sun, and that I cannot do. I would take a photo now, but all I see is a snow/ice mess. I can truly ice skate in my backyard.

Who would have thought that placement requires so much mental work!?!?!?!?

oh boy!

 

[Mike Hentz]

Hello everyone:

I appreciate greatly all of your insight. You are all knowledgeable and I value your insightful comments.

Since this photo was taken, we have taken down a bunch of trees. The tree cutter gentleman came around the yard, including the perimeter of the yard, both to cut down more trees and he trimmed out others. We spent $$ to make it "cleaner" now. I would still have to cut down 100 trees to have full sun, and that I cannot do. I would take a photo now, but all I see is a snow/ice mess. I can truly ice skate in my backyard.

Who would have thought that placement requires so much mental work!?!?!?!?

oh boy!

Beautiful back yard. Go for the sunniest location you can possibly get. You may want to raise the area a bit for the pool so you don't ever get run off fill during hard rains. With all those trees you are going to have challenges with leaves, sap, etc so not having dirty water fill will help reduce future headaches. Good luck.

 

[rmclain73]

A few thoughts. How many hours in the morning is that area in the sun? Will you be swimming that early? Placing your pool that close to so many trees will keep you busy keeping it free of pollen and leaves. I am in Mass as well and my pool only gets sun from 10:00am - 1:30pm. Its not in the sun long enough to warm the water very much so thank god for the heat pump! We keep our water at 84. A solar cover really helps the heat from escaping at night. No matter where you place your pool in the yard you will use your heat pump if you are not in all day sun living up here. July and half of August not as much. Morning sun is not the warmest sun of the day. I would place it where it looks best looking at it from inside the house, and where you will have the least amount of clean up.

 

[todd.brock]

We are working on a location in our yard as well. My suggestion would be full sun if possible. We are going to be partially shaded , but will also have a heat pump.

It’s amazing the stark contrast between a muddy covered back yard and those pretty spring time pics!

 

[PrehistoricPool]

ANother vote for the sunnier spot. I live in Northern California, no heater for pool. Our summer days are generally warm and sunny, nights can be chilly. My pool was very brisk for years. Finally I tried a solar cover. Unbelievable difference! Raised temperature at least 6 degrees. I sometimes have to leave it off to keep the pool from getting too hot. I wish I had done it earlier!

So even if you only get sun part of the day, and a part of the day you aren't usually swimming, you might be surprised at how much a solar cover will help. You may cut down the heat bill considerably as long as you get some sun on the pool.

 

[Divin Dave]

The sun. Its incredible the difference in water temp between a shaded pool and a sunny one.

On another note though, I have a big oak tree limb that hangs over one end of my pool by just a few feet. And the amount of stuff that falls off the leaves was never thought about when I built my pool. I would hate it if my whole pool was under it. Birds and Squirrels can flat out make a mess that you never dreamed of until you have a pool under a tree.

And the leaves. You are going to get a lot of leaves when they start falling in Autumn no matter what. But if you are under the tree, you're going to get a whole lot more.