Pool Installation: Things to Know Before You Start

With summer approaching quickly, the thought of jumping in a swimming pool to beat the heat is almost inescapable. But when you don’t have your own pool, that idea comes with a lot of caveats. 

Is the public pool open? Will you be able to relax with all the other people running around? If you want to swim laps, will there be space for you to do so? If you have kids, will the stress of going to and from the pool negate the relaxation and fun of the pool experience? 

You might want to consider pool installation at your home. Having access to your own personal backyard oasis is a godsend. You can swim in the morning or after work or on the weekends or whenever you feel like it because the pool is all yours.

There are many different options for adding a pool to your property. But with the right design and installation team, you can have the perfect pool for your needs sooner than you may expect.

Pool Installation: First Things First

Before you do anything else on your swimming pool journey, you need to answer one question—why do you want a pool? Pool installation is a big investment in time and money, so knowing why you want a pool before you do anything else is absolutely imperative.

The reason you want a pool will determine the general shape of the pool, what additional features you want in your pool, and what you’ll put around your pool. And that’s just the start. 

If you’re putting a pool in so your kids have a fun, aquatic place to play on those long summer afternoons, that comes with additional questions. In five years, will your kids still be using the pool in the same way? What about in ten years? What about when they’ve moved out and the only person who will be using the pool is you?

Be wary of the idea of using a pool to increase your home’s value. Not every home buyer wants a pool. So don’t think about future financial value when considering getting a pool installed in your backyard—think about how you will use it now and in the future.

And there are lots of reasons for building a pool in the backyard. Beyond having a place for your kids to play, a pool can be a valuable place to work out. Many people love having a pool for atmosphere when they throw a party. 

When most people decide to move ahead with pool installation, it often isn’t just for one reason. They may have a combination of the reasons we’ve mentioned here—or motivations that we haven’t even mentioned yet!

The important thing is to know. If you know why you want your pool, you are drastically more likely to get the perfect pool for you and your family. It helps the people you work with, too. 

Design and Logistics

Once you know why you want to enrich your life with a swimming pool, it’s time to start looking at the logistics of pool installation. Installation can be a bit more complicated than asking, “Can I build a pool in my backyard?” and then popping it in place. 

Designing your pool involves determining its shape, its depth, its additional features, and the material from which it will be made. But that’s just the start. Your pool won’t exist on its own. You need to consider the entire backyard environment.

Some people want to create a little hidden lagoon as their escape from the stresses of the world. Some people take a more minimalistic approach, with minimal furniture and plant life surrounding their pool. Most people fall somewhere in between those choices.

With outdoor pool installation, you also have to consider local ordinances for rules determining the minimum distance from your property line that your pool can occupy. In some areas, that distance can be as short as five feet.

And on top of all of that, you need to factor in the infrastructure that already exists under your yard. You need to be aware of pipes and electric lines that run under your property. You may need to get permits to dig into your yard and install your pool.

With all of these considerations, it makes the most sense to work with an expert to design your pool. Someone who knows what they are doing with pool shape, landscaping design, materials, and local rules and ordinances will make a big difference to your project.

Working with an organization that handles pool installation from the design phase all the way through to the end of the project makes the most sense. For example, Tracer is a full-service pool and landscaping company with experience in design, installation, masonry, and landscaping.

Choosing Your Pool Materials for Pool Installation

A major part of the design phase of your pool installation project is choosing the material your pool will be made from. You will also want to consider the surfaces around your new pool and if you will have any sort of pathway from your home to poolside.

When it comes to swimming pools, the three main materials used are concrete, vinyl lining, and fiberglass. Each has benefits and drawbacks. And it is important to consider the potential downsides of these materials before you start working on your pool.

Most people think about concrete pools when they think about swimming pools. Chances are good that the public pool where you took swimming lessons as a kid was made of concrete. Or maybe you watched the Beverly Hillbillies when you were young and think of swimming pools as “cement ponds.”

But concrete has some big drawbacks. It can take a long time to install, and often requires very specific weather conditions for optimal installation. A concrete pool also requires more regular maintenance. This is because concrete surfaces can develop rough textures that make for great breeding grounds for algae. And if you are using a salt water system in your pool, even more pits in your concrete can develop.

Basically, the sides of a concrete pool require more frequent cleaning than a vinyl or fiberglass pool. You also need to be prepared to resurface your pool every ten years or so.

As for vinyl, it requires less maintenance than concrete, generally speaking, but still has its drawbacks. The main issue with vinyl pool linings is that they can wrinkle very easily. Fluctuations in temperature are probably the most common cause of wrinkling, but there are many reasons your vinyl lining can wrinkle up. That means you need to be vigilant about your lining’s condition because, again, uneven surfaces are great for algae.

So with a vinyl lining, you need to be prepared to straighten out your pool’s sides and clean them thoroughly with special tools all the time. And even with constant vigilance, you will still need to replace your liner every 5-9 years.

By contrast, one of the biggest benefits of a fiberglass pool is that it will not wrinkle and the sides won’t get pitted from saltwater systems or general erosion. It requires less regular deep cleaning and looks amazing.

The biggest drawback to fiberglass pools is that they are made at a factory and brought whole to your home, so you don’t have a ton of pool shapes to choose from. This means that fiberglass comes with a higher cost up-front, but lower costs for long-term maintenance.

Once you have chosen your pool material, pick some non-slippery surfaces for around your pool and work with your designer to create a full environment that incorporates your pool installation into your backyard concept.

Good Planning Makes for Strong Decisions

By considering the uses of your pool, the materials of your pool, and the time commitment to maintain your pool, you will have a much simpler time in the design phase and pool installation process.

The last thing you’ll want to pay attention to is the timeline of your project. It’s most likely the case that you won’t want to dig up your yard in the winter months, so planning ahead is a must. 

Concrete pools can take a long time to finish, but a fiberglass pool can be installed in about seven days, given good ground conditions for digging. Your timeframe will depend on what you want your pool to be.

Pool installation involves a lot of decisions and legwork to get everything just right. But when you can dip your toes in your very own pool and swim whenever the mood takes you, all those decisions will prove to have been worth it.