3 Ways to Make Your Home’s Backyard Pool Even Better
Fun fact: as of 2022, Florida is the state with the highest number of residential backyard swimming pools installed with a whopping 1.5 million pools in homes statewide. That’s an average of 14 people per residential pool! It should be no surprise that one of the greatest benefits of the sunshine state’s tropical climate is being able to enjoy your home’s swimming pool nearly year-round; while the beautiful beaches on the coast are nice, sure, nothing quite beats your own private getaway. However, if you count yourself amongst one of the 1.5 million Florida pool-owners, you might have noticed some issues that crop up with regular pool-time. Fortunately, in this blog post we’ll detail some additions you can implement in your backyard pool setup to solve the problems that people tend to associate with residential pools in Florida!
Solving a (Solar) Glaring Flaw: Retractable Pool Awnings
Possibly the primary frustration a pool-owner may experience in Florida is the intense solar glare, particularly during the summer months. While the sunshine state’s eponymous sunlight is a boon during the winter months, during the height of the summer season, one couldn’t be blamed for considering the severe heat and constant direct sunlight an annoyance at best — and a potential danger at worst. Not to mention how direct sunlight hitting your pool heats it up considerably!
This is why it could be prudent to consider implementing something in your pool’s design to mitigate or outright block the effects of the intense sunlight during these summer months while maintaining your pool’s core design during the winter. Thankfully, the perfect tool to fulfill this job exists: a retractable pool awning! With a retractable awning, you can extend a shade covering over your pool to block out the sunlight during the summer — keeping both you and your pool cool — while retracting into its housing during the winter when it's not needed. Additionally, its ability to retract naturally protects the awning from the elements and stray debris for those times the notorious Florida weather starts and doesn’t seem to let up.
Make your pool design truly complete with an Eclipse retractable awning!
As though this wasn’t enough of a reason to consider a retractable awning already, another perk of adding an awning to your pool’s design is its potentially to actually improve the stylistic design of the pool by adding a unique flair; many awnings come in several colors and designs, allowing you to give your pool an aesthetic that surpasses that of a pool alone. For instance, our Eclipse Awnings come in five distinct valance styles (the pattern of the end of the fabric) as well as 22 colors, ensuring that no matter your personal taste and home design, the retractable awning can fit right in.
Setting the Ambiance: Plants & Landscaping
An often-overlooked aspect of a residential pool’s design is the landscaping; technically, it’s not part of the pool at all, but we can’t emphasize enough how crucial a well-designed landscape is in ensuring your pool not only looks great, but stays cool as well. Much like retractable awnings, the design of the landscape around your pool can assist immensely in protecting your pool from direct sunlight — which not only heats up your pool, but can potentially cause harm to you over an extended period of time. Adding larger Florida-native flora such as plumeria shrubs or bougainvillea plants are a surefire way to obscure the sunlight coming in at an angle while at the same time ensuring that your pool design stands out amongst your neighbors.
However, if you do decide to go this route, we recommend selecting plants that thrive naturally in the humid Florida climate so as to ensure they grow safely with minimal maintenance. For example, Hamelia patens — also known as fire bushes — are native to South Florida and are biologically designed to grow beautifully despite the unpredictable, oftentimes harsh weather. Or, if you struggle to choose the right plant for your pool’s landscape, you can never go wrong with the Florida classic palm trees! Regardless of the plants you choose, we’re positive that any ecological diversity you add to your pool setup will improve both its form and its function.
Keeping Your Private Getaway Private: Privacy Motorized Screens
Another concern one might have when it comes to their backyard pool is privacy, or in other words, ensuring that no curious neighbors can take a peek at you and your family during your aquatic leisure time. Fortunately, Privacy Mesh screens are designed from the ground up to block visibility from the outside to anyone who may be trying to look in while still maintaining visibility to the outside from within — meaning you can still enjoy your outdoor space in peace without worrying about any nosy neighbors. Beyond simply blocking visibility from the outside, however, Privacy Meshes also tend to be the most effective screen and mitigating solar glare and UV rays from the sun due to their low level of openness. So, with both a Privacy Screen mesh and a retractable awning, you can enjoy near-total protection from the sun while still enjoying the warm South Florida temperature in your pool year-round.
All in all, there are plenty of ways to improve a South Florida home’s pool setup. From retractable awnings, to landscaping, to pool screens with a privacy mesh — there is no shortage of ways to keep your pool cool, your secluded paradise private, and your sense of personal aesthetic stylish. If you’re interested in a retractable awning or a Privacy Mesh screen, contact us today for a free estimate! Our Eclipse Awnings are perfect for keeping your pool separated from the sun when you’d like it to be, and retract into its aluminum housing when you don’t. In the same vein, our Phantom Privacy Meshes allow you to easily see outside your pool enclosure while obscuring views inside — perfect for your private poolside rendezvouses.
