River Oaks Pool Remodeling Project

We would like to add several new features to our back yard and would like to enlarge our swimming pool as part of the overall landscaping design. We are wondering if this can be done without having to replace the entire pool.

It really depends on the size and location of the pool, and how much you want to invest in this portion of a landscaping project. A pool remodel can be very destructive to any nearby trees the pool may be located near to. If the pool is relatively removed from the surrounding landscape, you may still want to opt for an alternative to pool enlargement. There are ways that we can remodel your swimming pool that will create the appearance of a larger structure without actually increasing its vertical and horizontal dimensions.

This is what we did when remodeling a pool in River Oaks recently. This pool was located on a patio just outside the back door of the home. When we were called in, it was rectangular in design and flush with the patio surface. The homeowner wanted the pool to appear lower than the patio itself, so that everything would look more proportional in relationship to the rear entrance to the house.

Of course, we could not tear up the entire patio and risk killing several large trees to replace the pool, or even enlarge its dimensions. What we had to do instead was create a new internal structure within the pool that would create new, partly separated spaces for people in the water. We also wanted to create the optical illusion that the pool was lower than the patio deck. This required some very creative remodeling techniques that proved both aesthetically pleasing and completely environmentally friendly to the surrounding landscape.

First, we added a coping to the perimeter of the pool that was slightly elevated above the patio deck. This then made the water surface lower than the cement surrounding, and created more of a sense of stepping down into the water. In a normal pool remodel, this coping would be at the same elevation as the patio, but as we have already noted, altering the patio was out of the question.

We then turned our attention to Phase II of the remodel: reshaping the dimensions of the pool itself. Since we could not add to the cubic feet of the interior, we actually reduced the cubic volume strategically by piping in special concrete to the inside of the pool. This was not ordinary concrete, but rather a highly compressed form of dry cement that softened when water was applied to it, allowing us to sculpt it into new shapes. We added steps at one end of the pool, and created a spa at the other. We then filled in the corners to create a more contoured appearance.

At the end of the day, even though now there was more concrete under the surface of the water than before, the pool actually looked larger due to the addition of new structures within it. To add functionality to décor, we installed new pool jets that maintained consistent water pressure and flow between the spa portion and the swimming area in the newly remodeled pool.

Please email us photographs of your landscape and swimming pool and we can propose some ideas along similar lines specifically suited to your overall outdoor aesthetic and lifestyle. You can also call us at (713) 827-2255 to schedule an onsite appointment if you prefer a face-to-face.