How to Design an Indoor Swimming Pool

Visualize what your ideal pool looks like and how your family will use it. Will you put it in an existing room? Will you be building an addition? Is the pool going to be built in a newly constructed home? Would a retractable enclosure be a good choice for you? These questions are the first things you should think about when planning your pool, because your answers here will help you decide which types of indoor pools best fit your available space and budget.

If you are building a new home or addition, you can simply add the pool to the architectural plans when you are in the initial planning stages of the project. Inground indoor pools will be poured along with the foundation in most cases, unless you choose a fiberglass model. If this is the case, you can have it installed in the floor when the house is being built. Your general contractor can ensure that the design plans are carried out as shown in your pool layout specifications.

If you are intending to add a pool to an existing room, you will probably want to consider an above ground indoor pool. Your ceiling height will determine how deep your pool can be. In most cases, a basement or other room with a concrete floor is the best room for the pool, as it will need a good solid floor to support the water weight. If your floor is not strong enough, extra reinforcing can be done, and your pool supplier can advise you as to how this is best accomplished.

Another option to consider is an indoor/outdoor pool. This type of pool is built in the backyard, like any other outdoor pool, but it is then enclosed with what is called a "telescoping" pool cover. These come in an assortment of styles and price ranges. Telescoping pool covers are very much like sun rooms, but their walls and roof open completely to allow you to have an indoor pool in the winter and an outdoor pool in the summer.

After you have done some thinking about which of these options would be best for your family, your next step is to do a bit of research. You can use websites and magazines to determine what your ideal pool environment will look like. Finding pictures of pools and pool enclosures on the Internet is easy, and you can also find pictures in pool magazines. Once you find some pictures you like, print them or cut them out and assemble a folder of ideas that you can show to your chosen pool contractor. He or she will be better able to envision your ideas if they have pictures to look at.

The final step is for you to decide with your pool supplier how to go about financing and building your new pool environment.