Designing a Waterfall for Your Swimming Pool
Looking to add value and sophistication to your swimming pool? Your swimming pool is not complete without a beautiful waterfall feature. A waterfall is a perfect addition to any swimming pool as it allows homeowners to customize the design, easily install it, and admire its elegance each swim season. Pool owners should be familiar with the variety of waterfall design options and unique features available before installing one. This guide will help you best select a waterfall to profoundly enhance your entire backyard space.
Rainforest Waterfalls
The rainforest waterfall mimics the sounds of the rainforest with its tranquil and soothing sounds as water enters your swimming pool. Homeowners typically arrange the waterfall along a stack of rocks and stones from which the water exits the waterfall at a downward slant. The rainforest waterfall is ideal for lagoon shaped pools due to its customizable design. Also, you can build the rainforest waterfall in any size to proportionally fit the scale of your pool. Furthermore, install this type of waterfall on any side of the pool.
Arch Pool Waterfalls
For homeowners looking for an elegant and streamline waterfall, look no further than an arch pool waterfall. Try arranging the waterfall coming out from a stone spout so that a thin stream of water propels into the pool. This type of waterfall is perfect for a swimming pool situated on a hill because the arch waterfall can beautifully sweep into the swimming pool. The flow of arch pool waterfalls narrows out as the water approaches the swimming pool’s surface. To find the ideal spout you can purchase a waterfall setup kit.
Water Curtain Waterfalls
A water curtain style waterfall offers pools a contemporary and sleek appearance, streamlining your backyard’s aesthetic. Basically, a water curtain waterfall describes a waterfall that enters the pool straight down from its entrance point, hence the name curtain. Be sure to place the water curtain waterfall at the end of your swimming pool to ensure safety when entering the pool since this type of waterfall emits a gush of water.
Installation
The two main factors pool owners should consider prior to installation are the size of the waterfall and water pressure. Depending on the depth of your swimming pool, you must check the dimensions of your pool and pool area to ensure your water feature will have enough space. As a general rule of thumb, waterfalls are normally low and wide or tall and narrow. To put this in perspective, a 40-inch tall waterfall is proportional to the swimming pool when it is 40 inches or less above the swimming pool.
As for water pressure, you will need to purchase a water pump to keep the consistent flow of running water. You can determine the ideal flow rate for your waterfall from the units of size rather than by the power of the pump. Standard flow rates typically range from 130 to 150 gallons per hour per inch wide of the swimming pool. A waterfall looks most pristine when operating at a high volume and low-pressure flow of water. Before installing a waterfall be sure to create a property plot plan and check for necessary permits.
Sound
It is important to consider your environment when determining how you want your waterfall to sound. Moreover, how the water enters the swimming pool impacts the sound of the waterfall and overall appearance of the swimming pool. Waterfalls built on rocks or stone such as the rainforest waterfall may create a louder gushing sound, while water curtain waterfalls barely make any noise allowing swimmers to relax and have conversations. The arch pool waterfall makes strong white noise to drown out any ambient noise. Keep in mind that the size of the waterfall and speed of the flow influences the sound your waterfall will have.
Lighting
Pool experts recommend lighting strips for all waterfalls to create a beautiful ambiance during nightfall, which homeowners can enjoy both in and out of the pool. A LED lighting strip is an easy installation to your waterfall costing approximately $700 to $1000 based on available features. Placing spotlights or up-lighting to showcase your waterfall add another dimension of beauty. In addition, shedding light on waterfalls increases pool safety and avoids injuries during nighttime use. When installing lighting hire a lighting specialist to avoid any amateur mistakes.
Make Your Swimming Pool Special By Adding a Waterfall
Perhaps your pool gets daily use with active children splashing and swimming? Maybe your pool provides a way to de-stress and relax floating on a raft? To determine which type of waterfall you should install consider your pool’s use, pool size, and pool structure. Contact Shoreline Pools to begin installing a waterfall to your luxury swimming pool today! Make sure to subscribe to Shoreline Pools on HOUZZ for more pool design inspiration.
