Hello! I have been searching the site for several days, trying to find help with decisions needed for our pool remodel. 15'x38' rectangular gunite pool built in 1960's. Shell is in good condition, but need new plaster, tile, coping, plumbing, equipment. My husband wants to do the minimum, but I think adding an integrated spa would give us much more use and enjoyment (live in SF Bay Area). I want to preserve the lap swim space, so am thinking of a rectangular one beside the existing steps. I would like advice on what the dimensions should be so that is a comfortable spa for 4 - 6 people. More importantly, if you've done this, would you do it again? It will add $20K to the project, but we have the funds. I just don't want to end up with "not a great swim pool" and "not a great spa". We will be investing in an automatic cover for the safety aspect. Even though no kids in the household, we're hoping for grandkids, and we may have to rent our home for a year or two. I would LOVE any and all advice. I need to make a decision fairly quickly.
Pool Remodel - Need help deciding whether to add integrated spa
- Thread starter B&G
- Start date
Re: Pool Remodel - Need deciding on adding integrated spa
Howdy, neighbor. My rectangular pool is a tad larger than yours at 44 x 21' and the integrated spa is 8 x 6'. So with 15' of width left over, there's plenty of room for 2 people to swim laps simultaneously. My spa is as small as it can be; I wish it were larger. It seats 5 people comfortably (has 3 jets on the long side and 2 on the short side).
If I were you, I'd definitely want to add the spa. In Los Altos, it is de rigeur, n'est-ce pas?
For your 15' wide pool, you might want to make the spa longer to conserve width. Maybe 12 x 4', with 4-5 jets on the long side and 1 on the short. If you could post a photo or diagram, you could probably get better advice.
Howdy, neighbor. My rectangular pool is a tad larger than yours at 44 x 21' and the integrated spa is 8 x 6'. So with 15' of width left over, there's plenty of room for 2 people to swim laps simultaneously. My spa is as small as it can be; I wish it were larger. It seats 5 people comfortably (has 3 jets on the long side and 2 on the short side).
If I were you, I'd definitely want to add the spa. In Los Altos, it is de rigeur, n'est-ce pas?
For your 15' wide pool, you might want to make the spa longer to conserve width. Maybe 12 x 4', with 4-5 jets on the long side and 1 on the short. If you could post a photo or diagram, you could probably get better advice.
Re: Pool Remodel - Need deciding on adding integrated spa
B and G,
Have you actually used a gunite spa? They add a definite positive impact on the beauty of a pool, but on a scale of 1 to 10 they are maybe a 3 or 4 when it comes to comfort or performance compared to a standalone spa..
Not saying you should not get a gunite spa, just saying it would be very wise to go try one out first..
Thanks,
Jim R.
B and G,
Have you actually used a gunite spa? They add a definite positive impact on the beauty of a pool, but on a scale of 1 to 10 they are maybe a 3 or 4 when it comes to comfort or performance compared to a standalone spa..
Not saying you should not get a gunite spa, just saying it would be very wise to go try one out first..
Thanks,
Jim R.
Re: Pool Remodel - Need deciding on adding integrated spa
Jim R - that's a great question. I've only sat in a large outdoor spa at a resort, and that was years ago. The reason I was thinking of an integrated one is that it is just one unit to maintain. Unfortunately, my husband is not interested in maintaining a spa, and I'm not sure I could do it. I am thinking our pool maintenance person would take care of it as part of our regular service. I also thought it would be more conducive to using the pool more - so easy to get warmed up and then get a few laps in. I do like the comfort therapeutic jet action in stand-alone spas. I will do a bit more research.
Thank you for your reply,
The "B" of B&G
Jim R - that's a great question. I've only sat in a large outdoor spa at a resort, and that was years ago. The reason I was thinking of an integrated one is that it is just one unit to maintain. Unfortunately, my husband is not interested in maintaining a spa, and I'm not sure I could do it. I am thinking our pool maintenance person would take care of it as part of our regular service. I also thought it would be more conducive to using the pool more - so easy to get warmed up and then get a few laps in. I do like the comfort therapeutic jet action in stand-alone spas. I will do a bit more research.
Thank you for your reply,
The "B" of B&G
Re: Pool Remodel - Need deciding on adding integrated spa
Hi Neighbor
Thanks for the helpful info. The narrowness of our pool is what has me concerned. And I'm not sure if making the spa long enough to fit 6 people makes sense... maybe keeping it to 5 x 7'?
I've uploaded a photo of the empty (ugly) pool, and a photo I took of what I thought we might do.
Any and all advice is appreciated!
B&G
Hi Neighbor
Thanks for the helpful info. The narrowness of our pool is what has me concerned. And I'm not sure if making the spa long enough to fit 6 people makes sense... maybe keeping it to 5 x 7'?
I've uploaded a photo of the empty (ugly) pool, and a photo I took of what I thought we might do.
Any and all advice is appreciated!
B&G
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Your empty pool is even uglier than mine was! Yikes.
The photos help. It does look kind of narrow with the spa there. But next to the steps looks like the best spot for it in terms of available width. I think it’s lap-swimmable as long as the swimmers are polite about passing.
Maybe off topic, but have you considered adding an automatic motorized cover? Love love love mine. Keeps bad stuff out & good stuff in. I don’t know how far you’ve gotten with the permit process, if you’re doing so, but the auto cover counts as 1 of the 2 required barriers to child entry here in CA. The other barriers are less user friendly.
The photos help. It does look kind of narrow with the spa there. But next to the steps looks like the best spot for it in terms of available width. I think it’s lap-swimmable as long as the swimmers are polite about passing.
Maybe off topic, but have you considered adding an automatic motorized cover? Love love love mine. Keeps bad stuff out & good stuff in. I don’t know how far you’ve gotten with the permit process, if you’re doing so, but the auto cover counts as 1 of the 2 required barriers to child entry here in CA. The other barriers are less user friendly.
Esloser
0
I love my attached spa. I’m not sure where you are in the country, but it allows me to add a good month or two to our pool season in Southern Bew Jersey. I open it in April to use the spa and get he cover off and close in late October. I use primarily the spa in April and beginning of May and from September through October and maybe heat the pool a weekend or two if it’s really nice.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 5,426
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45
I have one and would do it again. Even when the pool water is a bit cool, I can heat up the spa quickly and take my 2-year-old "swimming" or spend some free time with my wife. The grand kids will love it. In CA, where we don't close our pools, it extends the time we can enjoy our pools. $20K does seem a bit pricey for adding a spa.
I would do it in a heartbeat. We like having the spa option in the Bay Area winter, but also use it in the summer.
Our play pool is not a perfect rectangle, but close to it. It is approximately 40'x15', with cutouts for the step area and another for the bar/stool area. The spa is elevated and takes up a 6'x8' corner of one of the shallow ends. This seats 4-5 adults comfortably or 6+ kids.
With the cutouts, this leaves about 10 feet of width from end to end for lap swimming. We have a lane line tiled into the pool floor for lap swimming and touch pads on opposite walls for sighting.
One important point is how many people at one time will swim laps in your pool? We have plenty of room for 1 adult, and enough for 2 kids to race side by side from end to end.
BTW, if it were me, I would put a spa in the corner of your deep end. Away from the steps where kids are going in and out. And just in case a kid decides to jump off the spa wall into the pool. (unless you are adding a diving board in the remodel)
Our play pool is not a perfect rectangle, but close to it. It is approximately 40'x15', with cutouts for the step area and another for the bar/stool area. The spa is elevated and takes up a 6'x8' corner of one of the shallow ends. This seats 4-5 adults comfortably or 6+ kids.
With the cutouts, this leaves about 10 feet of width from end to end for lap swimming. We have a lane line tiled into the pool floor for lap swimming and touch pads on opposite walls for sighting.
One important point is how many people at one time will swim laps in your pool? We have plenty of room for 1 adult, and enough for 2 kids to race side by side from end to end.
BTW, if it were me, I would put a spa in the corner of your deep end. Away from the steps where kids are going in and out. And just in case a kid decides to jump off the spa wall into the pool. (unless you are adding a diving board in the remodel)
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This is a great idea! It will help keep you in your lap lanes. Do this, B&G! It can be as subtle as a few diamond tiles in the plaster.
Esloser
0
What about doing it on the short side with steps on both sides? I’m a fan of symmetry.
Thank you for your comments re the automatic pool cover. That has been a huge decision for us, due to the expense, but I decided to make it a priority. Your comment really helped with that. Did you use Pool Covers Inc? Any tips, suggestions? I need to look at your notes, but I'm assuming you didn't go with a salt generator?
Thanks again, for taking the time to respond. And I really got a chuckle about the ugly pool! I'm planning on doing brick color coping, and replace the aggregate around the pool with brick.
Yep, Pool Covers Inc. seems to have a monopoly on auto covers around the whole Bay Area. Unlike virtually everyone else who's worked on my pool, they really know what they're doing and get things right the first time. The initial install is expensive, but you'll get some value over the life of the pool from retaining chemicals, water, and warmth, and, of course, keeping junk out.
Tips & suggestions? The cover is a pretty simple device run with a motor, ropes, & pulleys. Just try not to let debris into the vault where the cover rolls up; it's easier and less gross to blow or brush debris off the cover when it's closed. In other words, don't open the cover when it's covered in leaves in the fall until you've cleared the leaves. There's no real maintenance other than cleaning out the vault when it needs it and oiling the motor/shaft annually. I have PCI come out once a year in midwinter and do that maintenance at a cost of $225. They check the whole system at the same time and re-align anything that needs it.
The vinyl cover will eventually develop pinholes and even tears. You can patch them yourself. At install time, ask PCI to leave you some extra fabric and a patch kit. There's no charge for that. Finally, the vinyl will wear out. The main stress point is where it drags over the spa walls every time you open and close it. The best you can do there is to have your pool builder install nice smooth, rounded tiles on those walls. When my vinyl wore out, PCI also replaced the rails, ropes, and pulleys. The only things they didn't replace were the motor and the spool. They warned me the new ropes might stretch unevenly and require a (free) service call to align, but mine didn't misbehave.
I didn't get a salt generator. A pool has so many breakable moving parts I decided not to add one more. It's not that hard to manually add chlorine and/or use pucks. With new water, pucks are fine until your CYA rises to the level you want it to be at. That reminds me, the vinyl cover likes normal pool water. If you ever have to shock or SLAM your pool, you have to leave the cover open until the water returns to normal chemical levels.
Enjoy!
Oh, why do I always remember one last thing after a long post? You'll want to get an automatic pool cover pump to remove rainwater in the winter. Otherwise, the weight of rainwater will stress the cover. I have this one and it's lasted 6 winters without complaint. Some people prefer to open the pool to rain, but I'm not one of them.