Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Thinking About Getting a New Pool

Hey there.  A wonderful perk about living in Southern California is the weather.  It's usually sunny, warm and overall very pleasant.  We don't deal with severe cold winds (though you would never have guessed that with last night's winds...), blizzards, and all things cold so it's usually grilling and pool weather all year long.  We already have a grill and pool.  Not any fancy schmancy ones, but they definitely get the job done.  But what has crossed my mind is maybe getting a built in pool set up in my back yard.  Here's my back yard:
There definitely is space here for a pool.  It's just a matter of whether it's worth it or not.  We have one of those inflatable pools that is pretty sizable.  Not monstrous but a good 8 feet in diameter and about 3 feet deep or so but it's a pain to set up and put away.  Putting it away is the worst!  You can NEVER fold it the way it came packaged.  NEVER!  So it never fits all nice and snug in the box so you can't neatly set it aside.  It's a bulging mess and once frustration hits, it's just tossed in a corner of the shed. 

Having a built in pool will definitely fit that.  But then new issues come up.  Cost and maintenance are the big ones.  Will it cost me a fortune.  It needs plumbing, it needs water, it needs a filter (maybe one of those automatic pool cleaners), it will need a cover, it will need a fence, etc. etc. Especially now, that I have a very curious and adventurous 1 year old roaming the yard, I don't want to risk my boy falling into the pool.  I'm just so iffy on it.  The older kids would love one, the wife always mentioned that we COULD have one but in the end, I'm the one that usually shoots the idea down.  What do you think?  Take the plunge and build one or be on the safe side and stick to the more affordable build it yourself pools?  Let me hear your thoughts.  Until then...  Later!

4 comments:

  1. Well, living in Fargo ND, there is no way I've ever thought about getting a backyard pool myself. But, in your situation, I think it might be worth it. Like you said, the inflatable one is a huge pain, but if you use it a lot, then spending the money to build and maintain a built in pool might might seem better!

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  2. I have an in ground pool at my new house and the kids just love it.

    Maintenance and energy use isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

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  3. It looks like I'm getting more positive than negatives on this one. I'll put some serious consideration to it. Especially since maintenance and energy might not be so bad. Thanks.

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  4. Take a look at the fun my youngest son is having here:

    http://113tidbits.com/2011/02/javier-the-seal-swims-in-my-backyard/

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