Pool Deck

If you’ve just installed apool (or if you’ve had one for many years) and you haven’t yet built a deck tocompliment your place of leisure, you are in a great position because yourconstruction options are aplenty.

Depending on the type and size of your pool,your deck should compliment it while serving a function at the same time. Youmight want to providemore ample deck space in a certain area to encourage people to congregate in aparticular area, along with the use of furniture and tables.

In other words,the area of the deck used most will be that part that can accommodate the mostpeople, and in which they may sit down and rest their drinks, reading material,etc.

The barbecue area,waterfall, hot tub, Jacuzzi, or any other feature that naturally draws peopleto it should also be designed to be placed in the area that is the bestenvironment for them to congregate. This seems obvious, but quite often morethought is given to the type of feature the owner wants to install, than on howthe location of its installation will affect group dynamics and the overallaesthetics of the overall design.

The pool deck iswhere most of the people will spend most of the time in the swimming poolenvironment. This is where they will congregate during parties, lounge, orsunbathe. As such, keep in mind the surrounding views both within the poolarea, as well as "borrowed" visual elements outside of the pool area.

If there areunsightly or unwanted views outside of the pool area, consideration should begiven to how these should be screened, and to how deck orientation mightminimize these views. On the other hand, striking natural views, such asmountains, hills, rivers, lakes and sunsets should be accentuated by the deckorientation whenever possible.

Deck orientationshould have an eye toward privacy from neighbors as much as possible. Viewsshould be away from neighboring structures, which may also require additionalscreening with fencing or landscaping.

Congregation andlounging areas should be as far removed from the neighbors as the property orpool environment allows. Sounds both coming from your pool, as well as fromneighbor’s houses, traffic and machinery can be at least partially screenedwith the use of running water, such as a waterfall. Vegetative plant buffersbuilt from soil excavated from the pool are helpful in maintaining privacy aswell as for dampening sound.