Perhaps you’ve always wished you lived near a pond or creek or even a waterfall, and a traditional swimming pool would be far from offering the kind of natural appeal you’re after. If that’s the case for you, then a NSP might be just the ticket! A Natural Swimming Pool or Pond, that is. Although far from the typical swimming pool design, this style of pool has been increasingly popular over the pond – in Europe – for many years. Once you have read our first post with general information about NSPs, you’ll be ready to dive into this more detailed description of the up and down sides of this unique option.
More Benefits of Natural Pools
We looked at a few general benefits in our previous post, but there are so many more reasons to love these kinds of pools! First, they’re extremely environmentally friendly, because they come without the need to acquire, store, and dispense chemicals like those needed for traditional swimming pools. They even beat out salt water pools in this respect, causing neither damage to the surrounding environment nor irritation to the skin, hair, and swimsuits of those using the pool.
Connected to the idea of not requiring chemicals, Natural Pools offer a lower-maintenance alternative to conventional swimming pools. The lower maintenance requirements translate into reduced monthly operating costs associated with hiring a pool company or the time and effort allocated to ensure your pool water is pH balanced.
Note that this option is still not completely a maintenance-free one: you should still spend a little time skimming the surface of the pool for leaves and other yard debris. But when it comes to annual winterizing, you’re completely free! Just like a natural pond, your NSP can freeze over, offering the beauty of a winter wonderland, just outside your window.
Unlike a real natural water source, your Natural Pool won’t have a thick mud bottom; built from concrete, this pool only looks as if it’s completely organic; it’s really just as sophisticated as a traditional pool would be. If you want to make the look a tad more sleek, you can also have the gravel filter put underground. A lot of how rustic your pool appears will relate to the surrounding landscape you create.
Drawbacks of Natural Pools
So if NSPs are so wonderful, why doesn’t everyone choose this option when installing a backyard swimming pool? There are a few down sides, for sure. While we listed lower monthly maintenance costs as a positive, original installation will cost more. Remember that your Natural Pool will require a secondary pool for the purpose of filtration; as a result, you’ll be paying for the installation of not one but two actual pools.
On the note of that second pool, your NSP will also require a larger footprint to accommodate the Regeneration Zone, which is often just as large as the primary pool. Depending on the space you have available, that may eliminate added outdoor options you’d like to include, such as a gazebo or other outdoor structure.
There are also a few other considerations to keep in mind if you’re leaning toward this unique style of swimming pool. We’ll discuss those in the third post in this series.
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