Today’s swimming pools run the gamut, allowing homeowners to select the style, size, finish, and more that best suits each person’s and yard’s unique needs and limitations. From the unimaginative but straightforward rectangular design of American tradition to luxurious spas reminiscent of the baths of ancient times — and many points in between — today’s homeowners have plenty of pool options from which to choose.
Basic Pool Options
Most swimming pool enthusiasts know their basic options when it comes to pool construction: fiberglass or vinyl liner on one end of the spectrum, and then gunite, tile, or stone on the other. Concrete pools can also be paired with an aggregate or plaster finish, depending on the look you’re after. Of course, you’ll want to consider your home’s architectural style as well as your yard, when it comes to pool design.
But you’ll also want to think about your personal needs and intended use for your pool. Perhaps your reason in desiring a pool is primarily aesthetic. For others, its purpose is much more heavily for recreational use. Within the latter category, you’ll want to consider whether you plan to use the pool for entertaining, for instance, or simply for personal exercise or relaxation.
A variety of silhouettes can also be considered, and your choice of shape and size can help determine the construction type of your pool. If you’re looking for an L-shaped, freeform, kidney-shaped, or otherwise out-of-the-box design or unusually large or small size, that will limit the possibilities.
Even if you do decide on a rectangular design, you’ll have many possibilities you can include, from deck jets or a spillover spa to stairs and waterslides. Other pool styles include lap pools, plunge pools, and saltwater pools, and vanishing edge pools, intended to showcase a particularly impressive view.
Introducing the Spool Pool
Another fairly niche pool style is commonly referred to as a “spool pool.” A growing number of water feature enthusiasts appreciate spools for their multi-tasking brilliance and pint-sized footprint. Larger than the typical jacuzzi or spa but smaller than a pool, the spool — as its name implies — is the perfect fusion of both of these delights. The typical spool is approximately 8 feet by 16 feet or smaller, packing plenty of potential for relaxation and rejuvenation into a pretty condensed amount of space.
Boasting space-saving design without leaving anything out, spools are more affordable than a separate pool and spa would be. The obvious difference between a spool and either of those is the possibility of temperature control. The addition of jets to a pool allow you to swim in place while still getting the benefits of lap swimming once possible only in a larger pool or natural body of water.
Many people crave the versatility offered by a spool but didn’t even realize that it existed!
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