Above Ground Swimming Pools Guide

Creative Swimming Pool Designs

If you have what you might think of as a boring backyard, you may be looking for a way to make it into something special.  A swimming pool is often a great way to do just that.  Swimming pool designs and poolscape possibilities can be combined to make a fabulous showplace out of even a very drab piece of property.  Before you go nuts and just start looking for things to buy, it is absolutely essential that you plan out what you want your property to look like after the project is complete.

The undertaking of a large project like this can be a bit daunting, so organization is a must.  You should start by writing down some basic facts.  You can get more detailed as you go along.  A very important consideration for most people will be the amount of money they have to spend on a project.  Anyone who has taken on a home improvement project in the past most likely has realized that expenses can mount in a hurry if you don’t plan out everything as much as possible.

Once you have some idea of how much you are willing to spend, you may want to start the wheels turning on anything that may take extra time, such as obtaining swimming pool financing.  Many people do not take on any extra loans, but if you think that you might, it could be a good idea to find out where you stand before proceeding on to anything else.

Since this site is mainly dedicated to above ground swimming pools, we will concentrate on those as the main feature of your re-vamped back yard.  As I’ve mentioned previously, if you are willing to consider a used swimming pool, you can cut your costs substantially.  Even if you want to go with a brand new pool for your construction project though, you can find better prices on above ground swimming pools and accessories during times when swimming pool dealers are looking to clear out stock from their inventories.

As you consider your backyard, think about the amount of room you have to work with and how you want to utilize it.  A realistic assessment of your situation will help you  to end up with a better finished project.  Just because you could cram a 28 foot pool in to the space, doesn’t mean that it is a good idea.  You are planning not only for a pool, but also an entire poolscape that will be used for entertaining family and friends.  This doesn’t have to be complicated and expensive, but your overall experience will be a lot nicer if you can actually hang out by the pool without having to walk sideways to get by each other!

photo credit: Kecko

Think about any special features that you might want your pool to have such as lighting or a deck.  Both of those will require money and preparation.  If you plan on having cook out parties, make sure that you plan for room to cooking and for sitting down with friends to eat.

As you start the planning of your pool design and how you want the area around your pool to look, start with some ideas and be will to be a little bit flexible as you work toward your final outcome.  You may have the perfect design for your pool area all planned out.  If so, that is great.  If you are working from a general idea of what you want though, you may actually come up with ideas you like better as you move along in the project.

Where to Install an Above Ground Swimming Pool

Above ground swimming pools are much easier to install than in ground pools, but they do have their own special requirements.  You must carefully consider where you are going to have your swimming pool located on your property.  Choosing the placement for your swimming pool installation is crucial.  At first, the thought of being able to just walk out the back door and jump into the pool might seem like great fun, but you must remember that this will eventually be quite a noisy place if there are kids swimming with their friends.  For many people, this might not even be a consideration, but for some (like neighbors for instance), the noise levels could be distracting.

Much more important than the noise factor, are the actual physical requirements of the area where you will be doing the installation.  Above ground swimming pools absolutely must be located on level ground that is not going to shift.  The weight of the water contained in a swimming pool is immense.  When that weight is not distributed evenly, the uneven stresses and strains on the weight bearing sides of the pool can make the swimming pool unsafe.  A collapsing pool is not only dangerous to property, but to the people around it as well.  You do not want it to happen.

Even a slight tilt to the ground will be magnified over the diameter of the pool.  Keeping things level is essential.  This can be accomplished with excavation, but it will increase your swimming pool costs a bit.  Some sources recommend using a basic level and a straight board for determining the levelness of the area.  I can say from experience that the relatively small investment in a leveling transit can be a very wise investment.  During one of my first pool installations, we tried using a level.  The bubble was just the tiniest bit out of dead center, and still within the center lines.  Over a 24 foot diameter pool, this magnified to approximately a four inch difference in water depth.  We noticed this when the pool was about one fourth of the way filled.  We had to drain the pool and reset the posts.  This wasted an entire day and about 3,000 gallons of water.  We borrowed a transit from a neighbor at that point and made sure that the pool was dead on level.  Take my word for it… it is easier to set the pool up just once.

When possible, it is better to allow plenty of space around above ground swimming pools.  People will be moving around them a lot and you may decide in the future that you want to add some type of swimming pool deck to the poolscape.  This is a much easier endeavour if you are not limited by the constraints of the spot you set your pool upon.  You should also do your best to avoid an area prone to debris.  A tree next to your pool will be a constant headache as leaves, bird droppings and twigs will greatly increase how often you have to clean the pool.  In general, even if you are working with a tight space, you should leave at least a few feet of level surface beyond the edge of the swimming pool.