Like any new endeavor, planning and building a pool can be exciting—but for many, it is full of unknowns. If you are ready to build your backyard retreat and are wondering where to begin, start here. These 10 pool planning tips will help you put everything into perspective and give you the tools you need to guarantee years of enjoyment.

1. Create a photo book of ideas. Collect photos from a variety of sources to determine the types and styles of pools you love. You can find tons of great photography on websites such as Pinterest, Houzz, PoolSpaOutdoor.com, and LuxuryPools.com. Then share your collection with your prospective pool builder so he or she will have an idea of the direction you’re leaning toward.

2. Establish a swimming pool budget. Early in the process, you should determine how much you are willing to spend on your new swimming pool. Your costs may increase as the planning and building progresses, but know your limit—and be sure to communicate this with your pool builder.

3. Utilize trusted resources. Check out prospective designers and swimming pool builders with organizations like the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org, or see our list of trusted pool builders and pool designers. Also talk to family and friends: referrals are a wonderful resource. Don’t leave this important task to luck.

4. Choose your setting wisely. Remember, natural surroundings, optimum views, soil quality, and privacy issues factor into how and where your pool will be built. Suggest a location, but be willing to change your mind should the contractor recommend a different site.

5. Think about how you will use the pool and how often. Will you swim laps? Will it be for children? Do you wish to entertain during the evening? How you plan to use your pool may mean you’ll want additional options like a heater, pool/landscape lighting, waterslide, etc.

6. Look up local building codes. Your pool builder will help you pull the proper permits, but it is a good idea to know the regulations yourself before you start looking for a pool builder. There may be laws restricting where your pool can be installed in your backyard and how far away it must be from another property or road. Many cities and towns also require a safety fence.

7. Think green. Using eco-friendly equipment will help save on energy and save you money. Also, look into rebates. Depending on where you live, your local government may offer green incentives.

8. Consider maintenance. Think about who will clean the pool and balance the water’s pH. Are you willing to do the labor or will you hire a professional? Your contractor may be able to connect you with a reputable company, or the company may have its own service department. Ask your contractor about control systems to operate pumps and heaters, disperse chemicals, clean debris, and manage the lighting.

9. Don’t overlook insurance. Talk to your agent before you begin to make sure that your pool will be covered by your policy.

10. Keep safe. Create layers of protection to protect children, animals, and other guests around the pool. Look into swimming pool barriers such as safety covers, fencing, and alarms.

Photo courtesy of Aquatic Consultants, Inc./Brian Van Bower; Photography by M. Bouwmeester; Architect: Jasmit Rangr, Rangr Studio, Inc.

How to submit: Upload your video to Hayward's Facebook page

What your video should be about: Video submissions can focus on any pool- or pool-lifestyle-related subject as long as it’s deemed appropriate for the Hayward brand. The contest is intended to reflect the fun, relaxation and enjoyment of the backyard experience, says Bruce Porter, Hayward Director of Marketing Communications. “We want people to capture the essence of pure joy that swimming pools represent… The pool experience is about spending time with family and friends, health and happiness.”

Judging and voting: All winners—except for Fan Favorite—will be selected by a panel of judges. After the entry period ends, fans will be able to vote for their favorite video. The video with the most votes at the end of the voting period will win Fan Favorite and receive $500.

So get your creative juices flowing and have fun making a splash for cash! For more details, complete contest rules, and to see the current entries, visit Hayward's Facebook page and click the Like button.

About Hayward Pool Products

Hayward Pool Products, a division of Hayward Industries Inc., is the largest manufacturer of residential swimming pool equipment in the world. Headquartered in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Hayward designs, manufactures and markets the Totally Hayward^® System, a full line of residential and commercial pool equipment including pumps, filters, heating, cleaners, sanitization, automation, lighting, safety and energy solutions.

If you’ve ever been snorkeling, you know how exciting it can be to see the beauty and mystery of ocean life. Gazing at coral reefs and colorful sea plants as schools of fish swim past you is an experience like no other. Unfortunately, most of us can only have this experience when vacationing somewhere along the coast (and those one-time-use underwater cameras rarely capture anything close to the true look and feel of the ocean). But…could you have this experience in your own swimming pool at home?

According to Paul-Bertram Petereit, creator of the aptly named Aquatic Dreamworlds, you can!

Introduced in November 2010, Aquatic Dreamworlds is the first system to create simulated underwater environments for swimming pools. By projecting realistic 3-D computer animation on acrylic glass on the pool’s floor and walls, this unique system creates an underwater paradise. Can you imagine looking down and seeing a friendly dolphin waving and interacting with you? How about schools of angelfish that appear to swim right up against the pool walls before continuing on their way? Sea turtles, oceanic plants, rocks, and coral adorn the other walls and corners to complete the realistic effect.

Creator Paul-Bertram Petereit is an interior designer and one of Europe's leading trompe l'oeil mural artists. Petereit got the idea while on a glass-bottom boat trip in Florida. Looking down at the ocean through the clear window of the boat floor, he saw the amazing diversity of sea life and was inspired to recreate such a world in virtual form in a 5-foot (1.5-meter) deep swimming pool, complete with moving sea creatures a realistic mural setting. Together with VARIO POOL Systems, Panasonic, and Evonik, as well as the specialists for camera-guided interactive worlds, Vertigo Systems, Petereit has combined high-quality art with innovative modern technology.

This high-end, custom-designed projection system—combined with painted murals—can be installed on residential pools, although it carries a very hefty price tag. For those who can afford it, it’s definitely a unique feature worth bragging about!

Check out these videos to see this underwater world in action: Aquatic Dreamworlds Spot on EN 
 
Photos courtesy of Aquatic Dreamworlds

A swimming pool can transform any lonely backyard into the ultimate hangout. But for some prospective pool owners, especially those with small backyards, the idea of losing a big chunk of flat land in their backyard is a bummer. They may yearn for a pool, but wish they still had that recreational space for dining, entertaining, or having a catch when the pool isn’t in use.

But how could this dual purpose actually be accommodated? The bottom of your swimming pool would literally have to rise up until it was level with the rest of your yard, and the water would have to disappear underground. Could something so innovative exist? It does!

This pool-and-patio-deck-in-one, developed by Hidden Water Pools, automatically rises and falls at the touch of a button. This allows homeowners to decide not only when they want to use their pool, but also how deep it should be. The surface can be set to sink down only 1 – 2 feet, allowing young kids to play, or as a deep as 6 feet for maximum swimming versatility. If fact, the pool even contains swim jets (similar to those in a swim spa) so owners can swim against a current to get in shape.

When the pool is no longer a “pool,” its floor becomes perfectly level with your patio, and the water is stored beneath it. When it’s time to return to “pool mode,” simply press a button. The patio surface will begin to lower and the pool will fill with water, stopping at whatever depth the owner has chosen. Not too bad for any homeowner looking to get maximum use out of his or her backyard!