Yes really - another Houston pool!

[Poolbella]

Hi all,

Looking for some input on our potential pool build. We met with a couple of PBs, one small local guy and one state wide company. We are the kind of people who feel more comfortable with the big name guys, we’re always nervous about getting left holding the bag. But they’re coming in at a higher price of course.

We have a 40’ wide house on a 55’ wide lot. The pool we’ve designed has a 8x40 swim lane, with attached spa, Baja shelf and steps. It comes in around 10,700 gallons. Husband does not like the look of the spray decking and travertine is out of our budget so right now we are looking at leaving it all grass and maybe doing a composite wood decking later on. The covered patio you see on the rendering is already there.





I guess I just don’t want the pool to look like it swallowed the yard! We want to be able to swim in it, plus we have a 7’ utility easement to work around. We’re also trying to be mindful of the cost, since there’s always a chance we’ll end up moving out of this house some day.

Any comments are welcome!

 

[Backyard_Lap_Pool]

One thing you might consider is lane line anchors at each end of pool for future lane lines next to each wall to help quell the rebound while swimming laps. With an 8’ wide lane, the waves will bounce off the wall and make for a fairly choppy swim. That said - if this is triathlon training, the waves can be a useful training tool. [emoji846]

 

[ctrav]

Very unique pool layout...taking advantage of what you have to work with and getting a break from the Texas heat! Way to go...

How deep do you plan to go? How many feet from the coin to the back fence? 8' wide is fairly narrow...not trying to be negative...I would use a tape measure or put down two long strips of tape 8' apart and lay down between them, have someone take a picture and go from there. Also if there is no plan to stay long term taking up the yard with a pool will then require that special "buyer" down the road!

Best of luck and thanks for sharing with TFP...

 

[Poolbella]

Right now the depth is 3’6 at each end, sloping to 4’6 in the middle. We have an 8 yo who is a new swimmer, and most of our friends have young kids. Our neighborhood pool is 3’6 for about 70% of the space so we are familiar with that depth.

We have gone out in the yard and marked out the whole pool with spray paint (lawn guy was a bit confused!). 8 ft seems to be fine for just swimming laps, although I don’t think it’s enough to warrant lane lines! There is a 7ft utility easement around the fence line so there’s 7ft between the fence and the pool.

Any suggestions on other decking options? I saw porcelain tile mentioned on a PB site this week.

 

[ctrav]

Since the patio already exists I would consider keeping it all the same (may look odd if not), overlaying same type of decking used for the new on the old (thus a consistent look. Overall blended look will be important later. Porcelain tile seems like it could be not so safe for little ones (slippery) but they may have special ones for pool decks. I have exposed aggregate but there are many options even with regular concrete.

With this Texas heat a shallow pool (3 1/2') will get fairly warm in the summer.

 

[Poolbella]

So we met with PB again yesterday to go over some changes and learned that the internal width of the swim lane is right around 7ft. Now we’re wondering if that will just be too narrow.

Our other option is to put the spa and Baja shelf at the narrow end by the patio and then just do an attached 12x25 pool, but then we’d lose the swim lane aspect. I’m starting to wonder if there’s much point in spending this much money at all.

 

[Sfpat]

Consider your priorities. If it is to have a swim lane, I would widen the pool, say to the edge of the existing column, pull the spa back by two feet and shorten it, or get rid of the spa. Will result in a smaller spa but provide the swim lanes. Possibly also consider a stand-alone spa

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I consider this pool design a bit risky if you might ever sell the house. It is too narrow and too shallow, IMO.

Maddie

 

[Poolbella]

Thanks sfpat - I’m not sure it can be any wider because we have a 7’ easement coming off the back fence, and I don’t think they want to go any closer to the existing patio.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Do a search on here for narrow pools. I feel like having that spa in the middle blocks view of the back end of the pool from the front end a bit, which makes it awkward. If you really want a spa I'd suggest putting it on one end, and the steps on the other to maximize the width of the pool. I'd lose the big lounge area cutting into the width and put that on the end if no stairs needed.

Have you asked about obtaining a variance?

Maddie

 

[ctrav]

If you decide to get a variance (which is an excellent idea) you can improve your odds dramatically by:

- get a new set of plans/drawing showing a wider pool out to 4’ from the fence (you gain 3’)
- attach a written explanation of the plan
- take the plan to neighbors on each side and behind the property and have the sign saying they approve of the project
- take these documents to the hearing

A huge benefit of doing this is that you give the governing body options. They may agree that 7’ may be excessive and come down to 5’ or approve plans as submitted. I did this in my last neighborhood when I wanted to build a covered patio. Initially the city said no because of my lot size so I requested a hearing. Long story short my project was approved!

 

[Poolbella]

The easement is for the utilities, we have 4 utility hubs in our back yard.

The sun shelf isn’t really something that I think we’d use a whole lot, but Houston buyers tend to love a sun shelf. We are more likely to sit on the steps!

We have the option to move the spa a little closer to the patio, I wonder if doing that and then just removing the sun shelf altogether and doing some steps down from the spa would help make it feel bigger. The interior of the pool would be almost 13’ without the shelf and the steps.

 

[sham]

The easement is for the utilities, we have 4 utility hubs in our back yard.

The sun shelf isn’t really something that I think we’d use a whole lot, but Houston buyers tend to love a sun shelf. We are more likely to sit on the steps!

We have the option to move the spa a little closer to the patio, I wonder if doing that and then just removing the sun shelf altogether and doing some steps down from the spa would help make it feel bigger. The interior of the pool would be almost 13’ without the shelf and the steps.

Yes, I would definitely lose the sun shelf to make a wider pool. We don't really use our tanning ledge that often. In Texas it is hot--When I lay in the pool it's going to be on a comfortable float in the water, not on a sun shelf. And I don't ever put chairs on our sun shelf.

 

[Poolbella]

I was also thinking that having the spa sit flush with the ground would help with sightlines to the end of the pool.

 

[Poolbella]

Latest design option from PB - feels like this may be better.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

The new drawing still has the problem of if you're sitting on the porch in the shade, you can't see over the spa to the far end on the left (left of your pic). I feel this is a safety risk.

Maddie

 

[santacruzpool]

How about a stand alone hot tub/spa on the fence side with some tiered decking, planters, and a pergola that work with your fence and the then would solve the utility easement issue? Then the pool could extend where your spa is now and be safer and larger.

Stand Alone spas are cheaper and easier to maintain from everything I have researched.

 

[Poolbella]

I see what you’re saying about the safety, but I don’t know how we could avoid having that hidden corner there - you can’t build an L-shaped pool without it. The spa could go flush with the ground, currently it’s 18” high. And the water depth there is only 3’6”. Plus, the 40’ swim lane is the whole reason we’re building the pool so taking that out isn’t an option.

Also, we’re adding an outdoor kitchen to the existing covered patio so people probably won’t sit under there. The seating will be moved out to the deck at the wide end of the pool.

 

[Backyard_Lap_Pool]

Right now the depth is 3’6 at each end, sloping to 4’6 in the middle. We have an 8 yo who is a new swimmer, and most of our friends have young kids. Our neighborhood pool is 3’6 for about 70% of the space so we are familiar with that depth.

We have gone out in the yard and marked out the whole pool with spray paint (lawn guy was a bit confused!). 8 ft seems to be fine for just swimming laps, although I don’t think it’s enough to warrant lane lines! There is a 7ft utility easement around the fence line so there’s 7ft between the fence and the pool.

Any suggestions on other decking options? I saw porcelain tile mentioned on a PB site this week.

On the lane lines, they are more for calming the water - not for splitting a 7 ft wide lap area into multiple lanes. (I meant line anchors next to each wall). The waves rebound off the walls (even in my 20 ft wide lap lanes area) and the motion of swimming builds and builds those waves to the point where you can roll for a breath of air and end up with a face full of waves.

We went with the forerunner 4.75 inch lines from antiwave.

http://antiwave.com/pool-lane-lines/

 

[Poolbella]

Thanks, I’ll take a look!