A backyard pool can transform your summer life. With the various pool construction materials to choose from, it can require some up-front planning to decide what’s right for your landscape and outdoor lifestyle. Fiberglass and vinyl pools have their advantages, but few pool options have the creative versatility of gunite. As you plan out your perfect pool in anticipation of the warmer seasons, let’s answer the question: Is a gunite swimming pool the right fit for your Oyster Bay and Port Jefferson, NY, area backyard style?
What Is Gunite?
Gunite is often talked about as equivalent to concrete. However, it’s not that simple. A gunite pool is constructed using several materials to ensure the strongest possible swimming pool for your backyard. Indeed, a gunite pool will last for a very long time.
How Are Gunite Pools Built?
The first step of constructing a gunite pool is its design. Gunite pools can be practically any shape. Once your design is finalized, the next step is excavation and the construction of the pool on site. This challenging process requires precise planning every step of the way, especially in small backyards. Once the hole is excavated and the pool structure is constructed (using rebar), the next step is spraying the gunite mixture into the form.
Finishing touches for a gunite pool may include a water-repellent sealant that will help protect the structure and keep water inside the pool. Additional options include tile work that gives the inner surfaces of your gunite pool an incredible and unique texture.
What Are the Advantages of Gunite?
The incredible strength of gunite is usually a notable feature of such an inground pool. However, the most attractive aspect of using gunite in your pool’s construction is the fact that your pool can be completely customizable.
From start to finish, every detail of a gunite pool can be exactly how you envision it. It can truly be turned into a creative work that stands as proud in your landscape as any of your favorite pieces of art.
An irregularly shaped cocktail pool could fit into an otherwise unusable corner of the backyard, for example. A long lap lane could become a part of the pool plan. And decorative touches like exotic tiles that remind you of your favorite vacation destination could be incorporated.
How Can a Gunite Pool Fit Into a Landscape?
In many ways, a gunite inground swimming pool becomes a focal point that catches interest in its own right. Even if you want to re-create an exotic Balinese getaway or a luxury Mediterranean spa, your gunite pool could be the centerpiece, but it’s what you put around the pool that can make it all the more special.
Two primary agents will help fold a pool into its surroundings: masonry and plant life. Use plant life as the main setting for your pool and to create a connection with the natural world. Use masonry to tie all aspects of your landscape together.
Is there a downside to gunite pools? The main reason people choose fiberglass as an alternative is that a gunite pool can take longer to install than a prefabricated pool, simply because the shell needs to cure, and then be rigorously tested, before the pool is complete (steps that are taken care of before fiberglass pool installation).
Related: FIBERGLASS POOLS VS. VINYL LINER POOLS - CHOOSING A POOL FOR COLD CLIMATES IN SOUTHAMPTON NY
