Adding a pool to your home

-
Oh, how about a pool? 
You do need space, and length to be specific.. 
10m is a minimum and even then it might be small. The cost of adding a few more meters is not as much as you think, so long as you have the space.
But do make room for the pool pump and related items. 
There are vinyl, fibre glass and concrete pools with rebar. The last is the more solid and will last you a long long time. But $$$. 

Many rental homes will get the former two, because they are cheaper and more temporary. Think about how long you want to stay there. A sunken pool cost more, but it's more sturdy and looks nicer.

Remember to cater for steps or even a relaxation area, like a bench to sit on and lights. 

Be prepared to to spend upwards of 50k for the pool. Don't forget the cost of the pump, and make sure you have enough space for the pump room. This should be close by, it can be above ground or sunken, but make sure the valve switches are easy to turn. 

Do take note of the sound as it can get noisy and it needs to be running about 12 hours a day to keep your pool clean.

In designing it, work with the builder. It's mean to be a nice place to sit around as well as in it. So plan for decking, some landscaping, and even an extra water feature or fountain. Do add some lights too so it looks nice at night. Granite adds a nice touch and is quite slip resistant. 




The other thing is see how are you going to walk back from the pool into your home. If you have marble floors, it may get slippery and the marble may be affected by the chlorine water. 

You don't need a huge pump, but you do need to get a size proportionate to your needs. Your builder can advise you on this. Check the noise levels of the motor. 

During the building, make sure you shore up the walls around it, especially if you have an adjacent wall or neighbour. 

And factor in the cost of maintaining it, plus the consumables like chorine, cleaning and such.
But a pool can be a lot of fun. Just don't get it to show off because it can become a white elephant soon if that's your only reason.




Maintenance is where the costs can also add up:
- chlorine : about $50 a tub, which lasts about 3 weeks, depending on the size of your pool
- test strips: about $50 a tube
- or hire someone to do it, at about $70-100 a week
- water and power bills: depending on where you live, if there is a lot of rainfall, you may not need to top up the water much. I might only do it during the dry season months. Make sure your home is a three phase one, but a 63A circuit should suffice. 





One option for those who can't afford a longer pool or even a lap pool is the counter current pool system:
It will add a few thousand in cost but it is like a water treadmill. 


The various parts of a pool system:



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KEF LS 50 Meta review and comparison with the LS50

-
Image
The original KEF LS50 was one of those landmark speakers, a pocket rocket which performed at a much higher level than what it’s price tag might indicate. The original LS50 has been widely reviewed, and is well regarded by audiophiles everywhere.  However it does have some bite in the treble and lacks some deep bass, and works better for music which does not go too deep or with a sub to reinforce the bass. But what it does have is fabulous imaging, which allows you to how off great soundstaging, depth, and definition. If you are into details, you’ll love them. The coaxial design is also wonderful for those who sit a bit off axis. The construction is a marvel in itself and with a modern design, a beautiful gloss finish and a quality build. No wonder it’s loved by music lovers the world over. Now recently KEF has introduced the new KEF Meta. This is an updated version of the original and whilst it can look deceivingly the same, there are significant differences. First a link to the offici
Read more

Dynaudio Heritage Special Speaker Review

-
Image
Dynaudio is a company that has been in the speaker business for more than forty years and prides itself on making most of its components in house, especially the drivers and most of the cabinetry. Through the years they have developed many beloved components for their top end products and have also distilled them down to the masses whenever they launch a special edition. So they have adopted a similar format and take some of their finest drivers, an Esotar 3 tweeter and a woofer derived from the Evidence range and placed them into a more traditional walnut veneer speaker for us to sample.  Thus the Heritage Special (HS) was born. The catch ? Well there are two.. firstly it’s by no means cheap, even though it uses choice components. Second there are only 2500 pairs so if you’re waiting to get one, don’t ! And that’s the sum of my review if you may. If you’re a Dynaudio afficiando, just plonk down the deposit that had planned for the annual summer holiday and get this instead. Now reader
Read more

Haiku fan review II - Mounting a Fan and Using more than one Fan

-
Image
A long long time ago, you had but a handful of choice of fans, and well, they mostly looked the same. The luxury fan market was almost non existent and then Haiku came along and all that changed. My original review is linked here:  Haiku fan review - how to choose a fan Since then, things have moved on and now we are into the fourth generation of the Haiku fan, or fifth if you count the more budget orientated version as well.  Well let's mention what is still present first. The cool, sleek design is still here. And you get both composite ABS blades, as well as bamboo options. It is still a DC motor, with the attendant energy savings, and the silent motor. But most importantly for most buyers, it still looks good. So what is new?  The size options have increased, from 52", 60" and now 84". You still get the option of a longer stalk for higher ceilings, but the longer mount  which extends from 40 to 70 cm comes with a rather bulbous base, instead of the mo
Read more