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enough for ihn lap swimmers and,
<br />at one end, deep and wide enough
<br />for the divers.
<br />In considering the pout options
<br />and requirements for divers, be-
<br />come familiar with the booklet
<br />"Sunnested Minimum Standards
<br />--idential Swimming Pools"
<br />'by the National Spa and
<br />.te, 2000 K Street, N V1f ,
<br />v., yn. DC 20006. (The NSPI
<br />is a association concerned
<br />with the quality of pool design and
<br />workmanship and the ethics of the
<br />pool industry )
<br />For frolickers. Many pool users I
<br />splash and play in shallow water
<br />and do little, if any, swimming For
<br />this purpose, figure a Minimum
<br />depth Of 33 inlnos, Increasing
<br />to 4 or 5 feet. Any size and shape
<br />w!ll do, even a converted wine
<br />tank (see pages 48 and 49)
<br />Though you may have small
<br />children, don't be tempted to in-
<br />clude a wading pool. The,, would
<br />soon outgrow it and be enjoying
<br />themselves in the main part of the
<br />pool with the rest of the family
<br />Build a separate wading pool that
<br />later can be converted into a garden
<br />pond Or buy a small, inexpensive
<br />plastic wading pool.
<br />For lap swimmers. Serious
<br />swi nrners need a pool that's at
<br />least 3Yi to 4 feet deep so they
<br />don't touch bottorn while swim-
<br />ming anti so they can safety nego-
<br />tiate tuns at each end The pool
<br />should have parallel rinds and be
<br />straight and long --_the longer, the
<br />better
<br />You can ex,�rcise by .;wrtnming
<br />a(lainst a current generated by a
<br />snpa►ate pumping system e
<br />page 76).._—__
<br />fl'o' rdivers. Small Pools are
<br />dangerous for (ii-Ing, as the► risk of
<br />hittii,g one's hi l on the butlorn
<br />or the sides i. Accoruing to,
<br />the minimum standards suggested
<br />ested
<br />by-WiPI. see above) Ivrng roni a^
<br />height of 0n1y2 inches above the
<br />water requires a pool at least 28
<br />Meet long, 15 feet wide, and 1':
<br />feet deep at the deep endlf ther
<br />quiremand con
<br />tours (if pools used for diving are
<br />also outlined in the NSPI booklet i
<br />If the pool will be a training
<br />center for competitive swimmers,
<br />make the length an even divisor
<br />of 75 feet---25 or 311t, feet Then
<br />they can develop a style usable for
<br />competitive meets
<br />Width is not critical ---some to ;
<br />pools in side yatds ate lust wide
<br />enough for one swimmer Keep in
<br />mind, though, that such a highly
<br />specialized pcxyl May not meet It t7_
<br />needs of potential purchasers of
<br />your home if you dw ide to sell
<br />There is an alternate cu're
<br />a serious swimmer Wilt 'r tf:e
<br />space rxx the dwore 1.. pool.
<br />16 Which Pof rl
<br />POOTsrZe
<br />Well over half the pools built in the
<br />United States in recent years have
<br />ranged from 450 square feet 115 by
<br />30 feet) to 800 square fret (20 by
<br />40 feet) In 1979, though. a continu-
<br />ing decline in the proportion of
<br />pools less than 450 square fec'
<br />was i eversed
<br />Another trend, at least in sorr e
<br />parts of the coi.intry, is to fla;-bot-
<br />tomed pouls with a water depth
<br />of 4 feet Pools with a depth of
<br />about 3 feet at each end and 6 feet
<br />in the middle are popular also.
<br />Except for diving. a deep section
<br />is unnecessary
<br />Industry men:bens observing
<br />these trends attribute them not to
<br />lower costs, t)ut rather to smaller
<br />lots, condominium and townhouse
<br />living, and economy of operation
<br />and maintenance A small pool re -
<br />quit c % less water and chemicals, is
<br />cheanet to filter and heat, and takes
<br />less of lot t to maintain And small
<br />can be beautiful, too, as some of
<br />the pools in "A Colnr Gallety of
<br />Pools" (pages 33 80) illustrate
<br />1 hough the Irend is to smaller
<br />pools, tar ge ones still don►inate t
<br />..uork.et os exper s agr"`ee at
<br />a . measuring at least 16 by 32
<br />.feet, with a (feel) end for diving, is
<br />nc,lded for a full range of swim-
<br />r►iiray activittil—__
<br />Ti►Tess your goof sitar! Strictly
<br />Ismits the pool site, one way to de.
<br />tetmine ymir needy is to allow 36
<br />squate feet for each swimrr,et ami
<br />WO square feet far each diver. II
<br />you predict that 10 people, iticlud-
<br />inua three diver s, vw Ill use your pool
<br />on a busy afternoon, figure on a
<br />pool with an area of 552 square
<br />feet or 16 by 35 feet.
<br />Pooi shape
<br />The simpler the shape of your pool,
<br />;he better it will blend Into a lai id-
<br />scaped setting and enhance the
<br />appearance of your property
<br />Shapes developed from squ-ires,
<br />rectangles, circles, ovals, and other
<br />simple geometric figures will not
<br />compete with the landscaping.
<br />Nor do such shapes require great
<br />design ability
<br />A truly nituralishc pool is also
<br />simple in shape because forms in
<br />nature are simple. But making it
<br />so much a part of nature that there
<br />is hardly any dci-neation between
<br />pool and nature usually requires the
<br />skill of a top landscape architect A
<br />naturalistic pool is not easy to inte-
<br />grate Into a residential lot and will
<br />pribably be more expensive
<br />Unusual shapes are difficult to
<br />landscape well because they cum-
<br />pete with :he other elements in
<br />your landscape But sometinies
<br />an unusual shape is the best choice.
<br />If your lot is small and wedge.
<br />shaped, your pool may also have to
<br />be wedge-shaped Or to save a tree
<br />or other natural feature that s valua-
<br />ble to you, you may decide to bend
<br />in one side of a pool. You may even
<br />want a pool shape that relates to
<br />a special interest, suet-, as the one
<br />on page }I uy ire shape of a music
<br />Space around the pool
<br />`since your pool will become the fo-
<br />cus for outdoor activities and enter-
<br />tainrnent, you'll want to matte sure
<br />you, design provides enough space
<br />around the pool for swirtimers
<br />nonswimmers alike
<br />xcept in the case of a natural
<br />istrC }ii1Ta pay (
<br />avea of ckat least 3 fe t wede
<br />sides of the pool s der k irrl
<br />lkwvs swi ►t accetis
<br />to the pool, keeps mud and dirt twit
<br />17'
<br />t►revents the► gard[� _
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