Homeowners create four-star poolside oasis
Getting to a resort could be as easy as walking out the back door.
Interested in creating their own oasis at home, some homeowners are building swimming pools and patios with features found at the most upscale hotels.
"Similar to cars, fewer and fewer pools are basic. Things that used to be unusual are now included," said Guy Larsen, vice president of All Seasons Pools & Spas Inc. in Orland Park. "The trend is toward fancier and fuller backyards with upscale pools."
The cost of a pool could pay off, too. An in-ground pool increases the selling price of a home by almost 8 percent. You get the biggest bang for your buck in southwest states like California, Arizona and Texas, where summers are hot and dry, according to two separate studies from the National Association of Realtors.
But not any pool will do these days, especially as more people decide to invest in their properties instead of trying to sell their homes and move during a housing slump.
"Does anyone need to spend a half-million dollars on a pool? Do they need it for swimming? Of course not," said Lew Akins, president of Ocean Quest Pools in Belton, Texas. "But we all want pretty stuff."
Lagoon-shaped pools are out. Rectangular pools are in, Larsen said, mostly because automated pool covers - which save energy and cleaning - come only in rectangle shapes. To vary the look, homeowners can add a curved deck above the pool to disguise the sharp edges.
A pool can't get the right mood without the right lighting. Homeowners are using fiber-optic lighting to color water features, like waterfalls, around the pool, while others are using projecting streams of lighted water into the pool.
To give a more natural look to a pool, homeowners are adding so-called "zero entries" into their pool. Like walking into the ocean or a lake, the water gradually gets deeper on a gradual decline, offering wading areas at different depths. This feature is especially popular among homeowners with wee children who can play in a few inches of water without floats in the shallow end.
Also popular is the so-called "vanishing edge" on pools, which highlights the scenery behind it especially if the lot is on a hill. The far edge of the pool is invisible because the water pours over the edge into a capture device. The pool water looks like it's running off into oblivion.
Other water features like waterfalls, spitting flowerpots or splashing rock arrangements continue to be popular in and around pools.
"People like the sound of rolling and crashing water," Larsen said.
Homeowners also want their pool areas to be an extension of their homes, bringing inside amenities to the outside. Gone are the days of simple plastic chairs, a table with an umbrella and a charcoal grill.
"People are making their backyards so you go out in the patio deck and everything is out there: a kitchen, a television, a stereo system," Larsen said. "All the things you have inside, you have outside, so you can live out there on the weekend or at night."
Akins recently built a poolside kitchen for a homeowner in Salado, Texas, with a beer tap, an infrared grill, a regular grill, a double sink, a garbage disposal, a refrigerator and a separate ice maker. The area also featured a 12-person seating area and a swim-up bar.
Beside the outside kitchen, homeowners are also creating outside living rooms complete with high-end patio furniture, flat-screen televisions, surround-sound stereo systems, and fireplaces or fire pits.
There also are more options now for homeowners who are interested in being green and saving some green.
"Our industry has made huge leaps in that regard," Akins said, noting that pumps come in variable and multiple speeds which run more effectively. "All these major manufacturers have them now. The pumps help reduce energy costs to operate the pools."
To cut down on toxins, pool owners can buy a number of alternative sanitizers that don't require much chlorine. Also, recycled glass tiles or natural local stone can be used for patios and pool surfaces.
Whatever a homeowner's taste, it can probably be done, Akins said, at a price, which varies by region. His most basic pools start at $35,000, but can easily run higher.
Gerald Drews of Temple, Texas, is days away from enjoying his new backyard. With help from Akins, Drews installed a stone patio, an outdoor kitchen and a pool with waterfalls overlooking his sloping backyard with a river running below.
"I look forward to getting up early in the morning, listening to the waterfalls and having breakfast outside," said the 61-year-old owner of a construction business. "Now I've got a reason to be outside. It really adds character to the backyard."