Travel back to the 1950’s. If you weren’t born until after this decade, you still might have the same vision of a large suburban yard with children running around. Naturally, they’re playing with the family golden retriever alongside the white picket fence. On the other side are the courteous, chatty mailman and the neighborhood ice cream truck. In the backyard of the middle to the upper-middle class, you may find a private swimming pool. While the pool is becoming more of a staple in the tropical climates, it’s hard to bring to urban living. Trends are dictating that more people are moving toward the urban living lifestyle. Smaller or nonexistent yards, less owned land with more flexibility and mobility are the few highlights. Some of those trending people still want to keep pools to have an escape. Don’t fret, there is hope and it starts with this blog.

Pools For Urban Living

For our readers who own a townhouse or smaller home in an urban setting, there’s plenty of ideas. If IKEA can thrive on hacking spaces for every room of the house, there’s a way to hack your backyard and make room for a new pool.

Brainstorm what you want the pool for. It can be used for a small relaxing oasis to take a dip. If you have a long thin backyard, you may have the option to make a long single lap pool for exercise. Going back to the golden retriever from earlier, if you have a few dogs, why not wash them all at once and save on your water bill? (That’s actually not a bad idea, come to think of it).

Measure Twice And Cut Once

When you have looked at your backyard from every angle and know exactly where the pool’s cleaning and filtration system will go, you’re still not done. Consider the elements. Will too much shade or too much sun create an uncomfortable environment for your pool? Will it attract birds? If so, can you hang up some diagonal fishing line to keep unwanted avian neighbors from pestering your pups? Our advice, once you have your plan set out, is to ensure no unforeseen circumstances will throw a wrench into the works. Come outside at random points in the day or visualize your plan in action in the morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and night time. Does your neighbor have floodlights that would ruin the mood if you were to take a skinny dip in the evening? Can peepers spy on you and chisel away at your privacy? These things are just as important as the size and location of your pool.

Accommodate, Accommodate, Accommodate

The first person you should accommodate is yourself if you’re single. Where will you store your pool chemicals? The plus side to having a smaller pool is less maintenance and fewer chemicals needed. Size is a tremendous factor in the overall cost of ownership, downtime and less pain in the form of utility bills (the best part).

Now that you’ve gotten the hard part out of the way, let’s begin brainstorming session number two. By bringing an oasis to your yard, it won’t be long until you play host to friends and family. Think about what could benefit everyone and make your backyard the new hotspot. If you have a grill or a fire-pit, can you dine outside poolside? Are any of them against swimming in chlorine water? Do any of your potential guests have health conditions wherein saltwater or mineral pool water would be the better choice?

Make sure you’ve read our blog on creating a safe backyard environment for pets and children. If you’re going to spend more time outside, mix in some nature. Large plants can help clean the surrounding air and add a nice level of sophistication.

Don’t Take No For An Answer

Just because a yard is small doesn’t mean a small pool can’t be added in. If someone says no to you, bring out your creativity and propose ideas to someone more open-minded to help you construct your miniature dream yard!

Erik’s Aquatic Care doesn’t construct pools or reconstruction backyards, but we can point you in the direction of people who can help. We specialize in Bradenton, Parrish, Palmetto, Bayshore Gardens, Lakewood Ranch, Ellenton, Palma Sola, and East Bradenton.

Erik’s Aquatic Care is always here to answer questions you may have as a current or future pool owner. Cheers!