Some swimming pools, including every Kayak Pools Midwest above ground swimming pool, come complete with some form of pool decking that provides additional space for guests and pool accessories like chairs or tables. But when it comes time to provide even more space through intelligent swimming pool landscaping, your choices suddenly become exciting. And a little daunting.
There’s a lot to consider-space, price, how the additional landscaping will be used-all considerations when choosing among the following three popular additions to swimming pool landscaping.
Gazebo:
A traditional gazebo is an octagonal structure (eight sides) usually built of weatherproof wood materials and traditional roofing. Since gazebos tend to be taller rather than wider, they can provide simple shade, basic shelter, and make for an attractive addition to your swimming pool landscaping without eating up a significant amount of real estate. While more ornate styles and materials are available, a gazebo often represents the lowest cost-per-square-foot among the choices seen here.
Cabana:
Think of a cabana as a gazebo that’s been super-sized. It’s a free-standing structure with a traditional, cedar or thatched-material roof, surrounded by walls that can be solid, draped or partially open to the outside air. Cabana’s can be wooden, steel, or aluminum and often feature creature comforts such as electricity, fans, plumbing, ample seating, even television, stereos or refreshment bars. A cabana is a covered oasis adjacent to your swimming pool that adds flair and convenience to your swimming pool landscape. While the basic structure itself may only be slightly more expensive than a traditional gazebo, additional costs for additional comforts in a cabana can elevate the price. Elements can be added over time, however, to ease the size of your initial investment.
Patio:
Spanish for “back garden” or “backyard”, the patio is a versatile addition to swimming pool landscaping, simply because it can be built in a wide variety of shapes, and out of a wide variety of materials. Patios are usually made of poured concrete or stone slabs/bricks called “pavers”. Laid over a firm base of gravel, sand and mortar, patios can be square, ovular, rectangular, narrow, wide-whatever the landscape demands or needs to add additional space for people, seating, barbecues, umbrellas, even decorative planters. Costs for patios can vary greatly based on the design and the materials you use-as well as whether or not you do the work yourself or hire a professional contractor.
No matter what the addition to your swimming pool landscaping, be sure to check with your local borough or township to verify the need for additional building permits, and if doing jobs yourself, remember that your handiwork must meet the same standards as local building codes.
If you have the backyard space for additional swimming pool landscaping, and need more alternatives for best using your backyard space, then consider the addition of a gazebo, cabana or patio to your backyard to add recreation space, flair and a little pizzazz to your swimming pool landscape.
