A Homeowner's Guide to Pool Remodeling

As a homeowner, your pool has most likely become a sanctuary over the years—a place of relaxation, rest, and entertainment. You might be thinking about giving your treasured pool a “make-over,” and that’s where remodeling comes in. It’s just what you need to create the swimming pool of your dreams. But first, how do you know when to remodel or what to remodel in a pool?

Signs that it’s time to remodel

• Your pool system is outdated: If you have an old pool, there’s a high chance that your filter, pump, and plumbing systems are going to malfunction.If you notice anything odd about how the pool’s plumbing works, then it’s time to do some pool maintenance and remodeling.
• There’s a leak: If you notice that your pool’s water level is dropping off at an unusually high rate, the pool tiles are shifting, or puddles of water suddenly appear in your yard, you might be dealing with a leaking swimming pool. It’s time to call the experts and fix things up.
• Your pool is out of style: Let’s say your pool was fixed ages ago. You enjoyed it at first, but now it’s no longer what’s hot and fancy. With the right budget, you can opt for remodeling and get something more in style.
• You want a more accommodating pool: Bigger pool equals more fun. There’s no point in having a family pool if the family can’t have fun and plan parties in it. If you find that your pool is too small for all the activities you have planned out, then it’s time to remodel.

Some features you can add when remodeling your pool include:

1. A Spa:

Adding a spa area to your pool not only enhances the beauty of your pool but it also makes it more calming and relaxing to be in.

2. Shape:

You can change the shape of your pool to something more exciting. Think outside the box for this one. A pool can take on the shape of whatever you can imagine.

3. Pool slide:

Pool slides are a fun feature to add when you’re upgrading. They look great and they contribute to the pool experience! If you have kids, they’d be thrilled.

4. Lighting:

Adding lights to your pool will draw out the night magic and the beauty of it. Watch your pool glow and a shimmer with lights and you might just be in your own fairytale.

5. Mosaic tiles:

Mosaic tiles give a more personal touch. The tiles come in different shapes and colors, and you can customize them however you want and create a unique and striking image on your pool.

If you’d like to have even more features in your new pool, you can speak to the remodeling team. They’ll let you in on more options and work with you to create something truly beautiful.

How to remodel your swimming pool

With the why and what of remodeling out of the way, let’s move on to the how. How do you remodel a swimming pool?

Well, first things first, you need to get in touch with a professional pool contractor with a proven track record of success. This is important for smooth sailing throughout the process. Your contractor will be responsible for taking your dreams and visions for your pool and turning them into a reality. Once the project is on, these are the steps you should expect:

• Pool draining

A submersible pump will be placed at the bottom of the pool to drain it. This will take anywhere from six to twelve hours.

• Chipping and Priming

After draining, your contractors will go on to chip and prim the pool’s surface. It’s a noisy process, but it’ll be over in half a day.

• Tiling

The contractors will fix the new tiling you’ve chosen for your pool. This step depends on how big your pool is. The bigger it is, the longer it takes.

• Surface Application

This takes about six hours. The contractors bring in trucks and pump the plaster or pebble mixture into the pool using giant hoses. After the pebble has been applied, the surface is completed with an acid wash.

• Adding Water

Your pool’s almost set! Adding water to fill it will take from 12 to 48 hours. You have to be sure that the water isn’t turned off too soon because it can cause ugly water lines to form in the pool.

• Chemical Start-Up

This is the final and most important bit. You need to add the chemicals into your water and balance the pH until it’s safe for swimming. This process takes a few hours with a pebble-based pool and a couple of days with a plaster-based pool.

It’s advisable to get professionals to handle things but if you’d like to do it on your own, be sure you have the test kits to monitor the pH of your water.

Another important thing to look out for is the softness or hardness of the water. While soft water is great for the home, it’s an entirely different story when it comes to pools. Soft water leaches calcium out of the pool walls, possibly leading to collapse. Soft water can also corrode all the railings and heaters. You should stay away from soft water if you don’t want your remodeling efforts to go to waste.

Overall, swimming in soft water might feel great but it isn’t good for your pool. Most people end up hardening the water in their pools, however, if you find out that your pool water is too hard, you can try softening the water a little bit. The key is to find a balance. You can learn all about water softeners here and figure out if your pool really needs one or if you’re good in the clear.

Additional real estate resources

Tammy Emineth- With more people staying home during the pandemic swimming pools are being requested more than ever.

Paul Sian - swimming pools can be  fun for the whole family. But beware that pools are not an investment.  You will never recoup the amount of money you spend on a swimming pool one selling your home.