Updating your pool area with a few special water features will encourage more use and more enjoyment. But which features will give you the most pleasure? Here are six ideas for water features joined to your swimming pool in Old Westbury, NY.
Any water feature that is joined to the pool will turn it into a functional work of art. It becomes a source of constant enjoyment, whether the family is having fun splashing in the pool under a waterfall or the pool is still and silent as the waterfall creates soothing white noise after a busy day at work.
Waterfalls
Achieve a natural “hot springs” look with naturalistic waterfalls made with boulders and plantings. Create a melodious symphony of sound by diverting the way the water flows (for example, into two to three streams) and varying the drop heights of each stream. A waterfall that extends out over the pool will create a small grotto where swimmers can duck behind the curtain of falling water.
If you’re not in favor of the jungle lagoon look, a waterfall can also be elegant and sophisticated. A monochromatic masonry wall with a sheer drop waterfall will give you a clean look along with the soothing sounds of water.
Related Article: Must-Have Features When Planning Your Swimming Pool
A Poolside Water Wall
If you have a fence around your pool, consider transforming one side of the fence into a water wall. Use tempered glass just as you would any other glass fence. A cascading sheet of water will add privacy as well as movement and beauty—whether you’re in the pool or enjoying it from the lounge deck. The water wall can be positioned directly at the pool’s edge to allow the falling water to reenter the pool or into a pondless catch basin filled with pebbles. This will also catch any water splashed up from that side of the pool.
If you want a wall that’s more substantial than glass, you can achieve a wonderful water wall effect using masonry with a thin stacked-flagstone veneer. This will create more texture, and give a more dynamic element to the sounds and sights of water cascading down the surface.
Laminar Jets
Laminar jets shoot water partway into the pool or even all the way across the pool in an elegant arc. The sound of the jets of water reentering the pool is more subtle than the sounds of a waterfall, but the best part of jets is that you get to enjoy the illusion that the arcs of water are solid, almost glass-like, especially at night when the jets are illuminated.
A Spillover Spa
Spillover spas are a fun way to connect a hot tub to the pool. Elevating the hot tub adds vertical dimension to an otherwise flat pool area.
Related Article: 7 Reasons to Attach a Spa to Your Swimming Pool
A Water Slide
For pools with a deep end, you can give kids of all ages a water slide. They won’t want to come indoors! Depending on the size of slide, it can be straight, curved, or even a waterpark-style corkscrew. Slides can be built into other features such as waterfalls.
Fountains
Fountains such as water pots (which are bowls set on top of masonry pillars or directly on the pool deck) are fun additions to your pool. Pool water is pumped up into the pots, and allowed to drain back into the pool either by overflowing the pots or via scuppers (decorative drains). Water pots can be relatively still, or they can have a central jet of water that points directly up.
Landscape lighting can add to the nighttime drama for your swimming pool. You could experiment with a design that features different colors of bulbs, and fixtures on both dry land and underwater.
