The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

15 Basic Ways To Landscape Your Homepage

Swimming Pools

POOLS ARE FUN! And they are so inexpensive that you can give serious thought to owning one. Today's prices begin a little below $2000 and the entire cost can be easily financed.

Before rushing nut to build or buy a pool there are a few decisions to be made: the Size, shape, location in your yard, depth of water, lighting, heating, outside finish and what landscaping will best keep mud out of the house.

Size determines cost. Not only length and width, but how much water will the pool contain when full. Minimum length is generally considered to be 25 feet. You will find that smaller pools cannot save enough money by their low first cost to justify the bathtub-like size. The 35-foot installations are real swimming pools in every sense of the word and cost only from $2500 to $3500 depending on the extra equipment ordered. A reasonable length has always been essential to provide the proper proportions of deep water for diving and shallow water for children's wading.

The shape of your swimming pool is easily determined by two factors. If the pool is for active swimming and diving, then a rectangular design will provide the greatest usable sports space. However, if your unit should harmonize with the house, and will be used as a recreation area, then one of the lovely oval or kidney shaped pools will add the most to an overall landscape plan. Differences in price are slight, although cost per square foot decreases as the pool becomes larger.

Other than installing your pool away from trees which will shed leaves into the water, there are practically no definite restrictions on location. However, you should give some consideration to the amount of sunlight, protection from prevailing winds, an economical level building site and convenience to the users. It's much cheaper to do the deciding before the pool is built. A hidden problem is the location of utility lines, water pipes and sewers. Costs go sky high if these must be moved before excavating can begin.