Miss the Beach? Bring the Fun to Your Home

The pandemic that has plagued the world in the past two years has made us all stay at home and stick to reminiscing our best beach travel memories. Alright, even with the absence of sand, we can also say the same with swimming in infinity pools, lap pools in the hotels that we stayed at during our holidays. [caption id="attachment_212138" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Small lap pool with windows and skylights[/caption] And for the many ladies out there, our bikinis have been stored way too long in the cabinet. And the swimsuits that we bought online that were on sale the past year, we can only wonder when we could finally get to wear them. Or for the guys, the Billabongs are already accumulating spider webs in the corner. At the rate of the pandemic response and mutilation of the virus with the new variants, traveling can seem too far-fetched as of now. And for us, who do not have their own lap pools or infinity pools at home, soaking in the water can be impossible. But lo and behold, even if you do not have that extra lawn space in your house, if you have a garage that is not that functional for the family, then you can now enjoy your own indoor pool. Indoor pools are generally cheaper than building outdoor pools since the indoor pools are not concrete and tend to be a lot smaller in size. Additionally, you can manage the temperature indoors as compared to the outdoors, especially come wintertime, it would be impossible to enjoy the outdoor pool. You can enjoy the indoor pool features all year round. What’s also good is that you do not need a large space for indoor pools. Depending on the garage space that you have, you can tailor the design that can fit the space--it can be a spa pool or a pool good for exercise as long as you install resistance jets to allow you to swim in place. If you have a larger space, then definitely it could be better as a lap pool or for recreational purposes that even kids will love to enjoy. Important to note though that the indoor pool must not be easy access for kids, especially the younger ones. They may be left wandering alone and might fall over the pool. Indoor pools can offer flexibility in the design. As it will be integrated inside your homes, an architect’s service is a must. Indoor swimming pools can be as creative, and not be bound by the typical rectangular or oval pools as seen in the outdoors. In many indoor pools, there can be a choice between concrete or fiberglass. Pretty sure you have seen photos floating on social media where the swimmer can strike a pose against the fiberglass. It can actually bring modern aesthetics into your home space.

And now for the more technical stuff

First, the building design. While constructing indoor pools is generally included in the permitted development clauses, it isn’t mandatory to get building permission. However, there are certain elements that should be met. For example, the garage space that the indoor pool will be built in should only be a single storey structure, the distance of the house and the placement of the building inside the property, or even the location of your property. All these and more will be handled by the professional you will be hiring. Building your dream indoor pools can be taxing up to some extent, but can be rewarding if you just employ the right people into the project. Second, you have to understand the concept of humidity and condensation. Have you ever noticed after taking a warm bath in the shower room, the glass panels and mirrors are all fogged up? Then imagine the water volume present in the indoor pool space is a hundred times more than that of the shower room. Here, you definitely need to call a professional to design this for you. If left untreated, this spells disaster not only for your health but also for the construction of your space. High humidity can irritate respiratory infections due to the growth of molds and mildew, which can cause allergic reactions. High humidity can also cause the deterioration of the building structure of the garage space. And to combat these, the professional would most likely suggest a few things. One, timber-framed structures will be the fittest for the garage and forego the steel structures and cavity walls. Two, the design of the structure will incorporate dehumidification load, fresh air introduction, circulation, and distribution. Extra insulation around the posts will also be needed. Third, the upkeep and maintenance of the indoor pool is an all-year responsibility. For you to maximize the costs and fun an indoor pool entails, research and ask the help of professionals. Regular shock treatments by raising the chlorine level in the water by two or three times the usual are needed to prevent algae from growing. Technology is advanced enough that there are already UV water treatments systems that can alleviate the algae problems. And that brings us to the next point that the ventilation system in the garage space is as important as other elements. Otherwise, the algae and chloramines will simply fall into the water again and will worsen the water and air quality in the space.

Final Thoughts

Overall, keeping an indoor pool is a great added feature in your homes that everyone in the family can enjoy and spend quality time with. Building one can be a little heavy on the wallet (but again, much cheaper than an outdoor pool), but not counting much on the financial aspect of the construction, having an indoor pool can alleviate whatever the stresses that we are subjected to. And we can make new memories to combat our missing-the-beach sickness, and oh, what a great way to model our new suits that have been hiding our closets for far way too long.