Which is best for you, an indoor pool or an outdoor pool? If you have the choice, this article looks at some of the pros and cons of each.
Under a roof or under the sky?
If you have the budget and the space to choose between an indoor and an outdoor pool, how do make that decision?
Both types have benefits and drawbacks although either one will be a fantastic addition to your property and your lifestyle.
Apart from being fun and relaxing, regular swimming is one of the best forms of exercise that you can take. Invest in your own pool and you are investing in a healthier heart, a fitter and stronger body and a calmer mind.
Both types of pool will provide a focus for entertaining your family and friends. After a season of having your own pool, you will find it hard to imagine life without it.
Indoor pools: The pros and cons.
Swimming pools are a lot of fun but they also need a certain amount of time and effort spent on maintenance to keep them in tip-top shape.
With an indoor pool, it is probably easier to keep the water crystal clear and sparkling. You aren’t going to have to worry so much about leaves, bugs and general dirt getting into the pool and so you’ll have to spend less time getting any debris out.
Obviously the main attraction of an indoor pool is that it isn’t weather dependant in any way.
You can swim 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Even if it’s the middle of the night and snow is falling outside, if you fancy a swim then you can just dive in.
On the other hand, you are indoors. For some people sunbathing next to their own pool is the greatest luxury that there is and even with a glass-sided poolroom, you do lose that connection to the great outdoors.
Indoor pools are generally more expensive and if you are going to keep the pool and the poolroom warm then that will have a running cost implication.
There can be issues with condensation in some poolrooms and you should take care that your indoor pool has proper ventilation and the right equipment to manage the heat and humidity in the air.
Outdoor pools: The pros and cons.
On a perfect summers day, there isn’t much that beats swimming under the blue sky and then sunbathing by the poolside.
For some people, an outdoor pool is more social and sociable. It’s perhaps easier to invite a lot of people to an outdoor pool party, you have the whole garden to use as well as the pools decking and of course you can barbeque.
Keeping the water clean takes a little more effort with an outdoor pool as debris is continually being blown in by the wind. A good pool cover such as a DEL slatted cover will minimise that while the pool is not in use but, if you do have a lot of guests on a regular basis, the higher bather load will mean that you need to use more chemicals and clean the pools filter more often. A pre-filter such as the Multi-Cyclone unit can significantly reduce filter maintenance.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of an outdoor pool is that you will have a swimming season. When the weather is bad or it gets particularly cold, you aren’t going to want to use the pool. However, whether you just want to extend your swimming season or swim all season in a warm comfortable pool, the DURA heat pump can pay for itself in just a few years with the operation costs savings which can be as high as 80% compared to other heating methods.
Outdoor pools can be cheaper than indoor ones. A good aboveground pool can be bought for a few thousand pounds but, of course, there is no upper price limit on a custom designed, in ground pool with all the luxuries.
‘Do I have to choose between the two?’
Large pool enclosures do provide an option that is somewhere between an indoor and an outdoor pool with many of the benefits of each.
A pool enclosure is a transparent structure that slides over your pool protecting it from the elements, keeping in the warmth and extending the use you can get from your pool to potentially year-round enjoyment.
Because the enclosure protects your pool from the elements, less dirt and debris gets in and so you need to spend less time cleaning and maintaining your pool.
High-sided pool enclosures create a large, usable space that can be considerably larger than the pool itself giving plenty of space for lounging by the pool as well as swimming no matter what the weather.
These high-sided enclosures sit on tracks at the edge of your pool and so, on warm, sunny days the enclosure simply rolls back and allows you to enjoy swimming al fresco.
If you would like some specific advice then we can help you find a pool professional with the appropriate skills and experience right for you.
There is a link at the top of this article that can get that process started.
We hope this article has been of use to you. There are many more articles on this site that will give you information on almost every aspect of your pool.
If you would like to add to this article or share your opinions on indoor v outdoor pools, then please use the reply box below.