Open Enclosures

A break from the pool play, the sun, even momentary Texas downpours underscores the benefits of having handy roof covers where anyone can be close to the fun, keep a watchful eye on the festivities while not being totally emersed in the intensity of summer fun. Gazebos, pergolas, arbors and trellises add to backyard pool experience in many ways.

 

 

 

Poolhouses

It's happening all over America, and has certainly made its way to the North Texas area. An increasing number of swimming pool owners are recognizing the virtues of pool houses. While shade structures, such as pergolas, have been popular in recent years, there has recently been an increase in the popularity of fairly elaborate pool houses. Pool houses not only add to the visual aspect of the backyard environment, but they are also a great place to entertain.

There are many benefits to including a pool house in your backyard environment. Chances are you don't want pool traffic going in and out of the main house, you need pool storage (yes, you can finally reclaim your garage by storing pool supplies, toys, and floats in the pool house) , and you want to be outside near the pool as much as possible. The perfect solution is a pool house.

There is obviously a broad range of styles and sizes of pool houses. Many pool houses include some of the same modern conveniences as the main house does such as a kitchen, full bathroom with shower, and some even double as a guest house or home office. But whatever the style and size, a pool house is a feature that should have character and complement the pool, and with proper planning it can. With proper planning, you can easily meet all of your entertainment, refreshment, and storage requirements. Whether you want a tropical paradise or a sports bar themed pool house, spend some time thinking of what you want and making some notes on what you want. The more information that you can give an architect about your desires, the better the design will meet your needs. Two of the most important things to consider are placement and features.

Poolhouse Placement

Where would a pool house most effectively serve your functional and aesthetic desires? Typically, pool houses are on the back side of the pool or adjacent to one of the ends of the pool. It is also important to consider the views of the pool house-how it looks from the main house and also the view from the pool house to the pool-especially if it has seating areas.

Features

Exactly what are you trying to accomplish with a pool house? Do you just want a gathering area for guests? Do you want a place to store your pool toys and floats? Do you want it to also be used as a guest house or home office? The gathering room is usually the heart of the pool house, and from there they are very custom. Some of the features that we have seen included are:

Floor Plans

After considering placement in the yard and some of the features that you desire, it is time to decide on the floor plan of the pool house. There is a catalog that contains designs for pool houses which might help you in planning your pool house. It includes more than 50 different styles of pool houses that make up what I believe is the only book of its kind. The catalog is a low-cost starting point for ideas and the catalog can be ordered from Coventry Pool & Garden Houses, Inc. at their website.

Although you can buy the building plans from Coventry, another alternative would be to seek out a local architect. Your pool house should carry many of the same architectural elements of the main house-such as construction materials, colors, and details. A local architect can you accomplish this and can also assist in conforming to local building codes and homeowner's association rules. Denton has several really good architects that are very capable of designing the pool house that would suit your needs and might even help you select a builder for the project.

Do not forget landscaping, as landscaping has a way of really complementing a pool house. I believe that it is important to landscaped around it much like you would around a house-with a combination of foundation planting and also hanging or container plants.

A well designed pool house adds beauty as well as utility to the poolside area. If you are considering having a swimming pool built or if you want to enhance your existing swimming pool, consider adding a pool house-you will not be disappointed.