Tips for swimming in style
The area around the pool plays an important role in creating a functional, stylish space in which to relax and entertain friends and family.
We asked the experts for their tips:
PAVING:
Australis Pavestone's Tim Smith said paving fell into two categories - in situ (poured) paving, such as bitumen; and segmental paving, such as reconstituted limestone, clay brick, concrete and granite.
"The concern with in situ or poured concrete around pools is the amount of services that are associated with the pool, namely electrics and plumbing, and more particularly the access to these services when something breaks," he said.
"If the failure is under a poured paving finish, this has to be jack-hammered up as opposed to lifting pavers which can be replaced."
Mr Smith said it was important to consider not only access to below-ground services but also the overall look you wanted, how hot the paving would get and your budget.
DECKING:
Stewart Brown, of Totally Floored, said there was a constantly increasing range of decking timbers to choose from but he still recommended native Australian species that could handle our climate. He liked jarrah around a pool because it was the most stable and could handle a bit of water.
Several low-maintenance manufactured decking products were also available.
Allwood Timber Supplies' Murray Loughton said the colours of your home could affect your choice of timber. "Our most popular products are Merbau and Kapur decking, for a rich, red-brown decking colour," he said.
People also chose pine which could be stained any colour. Merbau and Yellow Balau were a good choice for areas in full sun because they suited WA's harsh weather.
Timber needed oiling a couple of times a year to keep the deck looking its best, Mr Brown said.
Mr Loughton said timber decking installed in areas with existing limestone walls or paving required extra consideration.
"Some timber can release a brown, tannin stain that can discolour paving or limestone," he said. "Make sure paving or limestone around decks has been properly sealed so that stains can be washed off."
FENCING:
Mark Beavon, director of Feature Fencing, said the most popular pool fences were semi-frameless glass fencing and straight-top and flat-top tubular styles.
The most important factor to consider was location, he said.
"If you live within 2km of a large body of water, like a river or ocean, you should consider aluminium type fencing," he said.
Pool fencing was powder-coated, and needed to be cleaned regularly - generally every six months, but in coastal areas more frequent cleaning was recommended.
Richard Suter, of The Glass Fence People, said the biggest trend in pool fencing was people wanting to see as much of the pool as possible.
"This is possible with glass and we are seeing more people going for a fully frameless glass fence, which used to be seen predominantly in high-class hotels and resorts."
Carol Harper, of Exclusive Pools, said raising pools 1.2m out of the ground had become a popular way of fulfilling fencing requirements. "This way the pool wall acts as the isolation fencing," she said.
Mr Beavon recommended reading up on fencing rules and regulations before installing a pool to be aware of what made it expensive. "It may be advisable to get a salesman out who understands the legislation."
Another consideration was colour of the powder-coated finish. "The darker the colour, the easier the fence is on the eye. You tend to look through, rather than at the fence."
TIP: "Some of our customers like to use their birthdays as a reminder to re-coat their decks," Mr Loughton said.
