Having an in-ground pool is the ultimate luxury — until it isn’t. As every pool owner knows, having an in-ground pool can easily be more of a hassle than it’s worth. A pool requires constant cleaning, especially if you have trees nearby that drop their leaves. The water has to be tested almost constantly to make sure that the chemicals are properly balanced. The pump and filters need maintenance, too. Keeping up with the needs of the pool is so time consuming that most people hire other people to do the job. Read on to learn more about home improvement ideas if you are considering pool removal.
Expense Of Owning An In-ground Pool
The expense of keeping a pool clean and well-maintained might be worth it if you use it often, but many of us are finding that we spend less and less time in the pool with each passing year. Whether we’ve simply stopped enjoying swimming as much, or kids and grandkids have moved out of the home and farther away, the pool spends most of its time sitting there, unused.
Common Home Improvements After A Pool Removal
Pool removals can be a big project, and they can be expensive, too. Unlike maintaining a pool, though, a pool removal is a one time expense. Once the pool is removed, you aren’t paying for it anymore. One of the best reasons to have your in-ground pool removed is all the money you’ll save once you no longer have to constantly pay for pool maintenance. With all the money you save, you can afford to begin other home improvement projects.
Here are some of the best home improvement projects to use all that extra money on:
Adding A Patio Or Deck
Pools take up a lot of space in your yard. With the pool gone, why not replace that space with a nice patio or deck? This way, you replace one form of outdoor entertainment space with another that’s more suited to your lifestyle.
It would be easy to get an early start on this project while the pool removal contractors are working. Part of the pool removal process will involve filling in the spot that held the pool with fill dirt and grading it out. You can easily have the contractors grade out the area you’ll need for your deck while they’re at it. Once that’s done, you can probably handle the rest of the project by yourself. You can even find or purchase plans online that will help you understand exactly how much material to buy and how to build it.
When you’re done you’ll have a great area for outdoor entertainment or just soaking up the sun in peace and quiet.
Building An Outdoor Kitchen
If you’re already building a deck, why not take it a step further and build an outdoor kitchen? It’s more expensive, of course. It’ll require some plumbing work, too, since you’ll need running water. However, since you’re saving money by removing the pool, that’s less of an issue. In fact, you could even consider having a gas line run out to the outdoor kitchen so you’ll never have to buy propane tanks for the grill.
The possibilities are endless here. You can add multiple grills, smokers, and sinks. You can even turn it into an outdoor living room with TV and comfortable seating so you can watch your favorite sports team while you grill.
Adding A Water Feature
Maybe you’ve gotten rid of the pool but you still want a watery centerpiece in the yard. A fountain or even a small pond is perfect. These require far less maintenance than a pool. Put fish in the pond, and it’ll practically maintain itself.
Putting a pond in is simple, too. Dig out the area you want to have the pond in and line it with waterproof material. Add a source of running water — usually a small fountain — to keep it circulating so it doesn’t get stagnant.
If you’re planning to add fish, you’ll need to do some research on the needs of the specific fish you want. Once the pond is in, you can add a small garden or rock path around it, and maybe even a secluded seating area. It provides a much more serene area than a pool does. Perfect for relaxing at the end of a long day.
Building A Screen House
The ultimate warm-weather hangout spot, screen houses are a great way to enjoy summer weather without having to deal with mosquitoes. You often see screen houses functioning as a poolside cabana, but there’s no reason that a screen house has to go next to a pool.
In fact, a screen house can be whatever you want it to be. You can make into an outdoor study if you like a quiet room to read in but want to enjoy the warm weather. It can also be an outdoor game room or dining room, where you entertain your guests all summer long. Some people use them for art studios. The key is knowing what you’ll use it for before you start building so you can be sure to build with enough room and in the right location. A screen house is less intimidating to build than it sounds — it’s really little more than a roof, floor, and screen walls with some support columns.
You’ll want to build a solid foundation, which may require fill dirt and grading — again, this can be done by the pool removal contractors if you know in advance that this is what you’ll be doing.
Contact A Pool Removal Contractor Today
As you can see, there are all sorts of exciting things that can be done with your home and backyard once you have free room and you’re no longer constantly paying for pool maintenance. If you’re convinced now that you need to get rid of your in-ground pool, the next step is finding the right contractors for the job.
At Dirt Connections, the staff are experts at pool removal. If you are interested in having your in-ground pool removed, contact Dirt Connections today to find out more about their pool removal services.
