Swimming pools

The swimming pool

The word "piscina" derives from the Latin piscis, meaning fish, and defines a pool, a reservoir, a water basin that can have a variety of uses: a fish pond, an open tank, a notary tank. The latter is the most recent meaning with which the word pool is used today. The term is used both to indicate the pool alone, and to indicate the complex of works attached to the pool (such as the beach or equipment). 

As well as renovating exteriors, over the years we have also dealt with the sale of swimming pools in the province of Vicenza and Verona, taking care of the coverings. Incorporating a swimming pool into your outdoor space is definitely a gem that you should think about before depriving yourself of!

The swimming pool in history

The term "pool" in ancient times indicated a basin for collecting water, which could be used as a cistern, a fish pond or a place for swimming. When we find the word "pool" written in the plans of the Ville venete, we should not think, therefore, of its current meaning. 

At the beginning of the 17th century this definition changed, but we are still far from its current meaning. The style of the times envisaged enriching the splendid gardens with water features, including the swimming pool, which was usually placed in the middle of a garden.

These pools served mainly aesthetic functions: to delight the senses of those in search of a source of inspiration and reflection.
The passion for classical things had, in this case too, revived the aesthetic use of the pool that the ancient Romans made of it.

So the swimming pool evolved from a place of gathering (in Roman spas), to a functional space (cistern/fish nursery in the Middle Ages), and finally to a decorative purpose (Renaissance) in dialogue with outdoor spaces and avenues. 

Residential pools today: advantages and characteristics

The meaning we give to swimming pools today includes some of the old meanings and takes on new ones: a swimming pool enhances the exteror of the home, increases prestige, serves as a backdrop for parties and banquets, has sporting and relaxation functions, becomes the perfect space for a children's birthday but also for a company party.

In short, it plays a role in sports, recreation and aesthetics.

A swimming pool will make the sultry summers softer and more bearable, allowing you to use the outdoor space even in the scorching heat. The facility, as we have just said, gives us the opportunity to train and benefit our bodies: in the absence of the normal weight of gravity you can splash around in the water toning up and doing your cardiovascular system a favour. And let's face it, we all feel good when we are afloat in the water: something magical happens, we are suddenly carefree and much less stressed!

The swimming pool: romantic by night, sporty by day!

A swimming pool - especially in the evening when it is lit up - is an exciting setting. The water plays with the light and the blue reflections wave on the walls of the houses and in the garden. If you are lucky enough to have a large panoramic window, the magic of the pool can be enjoyed at any time of the day. 
This is a perfect example!

Obviously, we must take into account the need to properly light the pool and the outside of the house, so that we can reach it in peace (and avoid falling in when we go out or come home at night!). 

On this subject, I leave you with our article on outdoor lighting: lighting exterior floors

Types of pools

Swimming pools take on different shapes, colours and sizes depending on their intended use and the space available. We therefore have:

• Indoor or outdoor pools; 
• In-ground, semi-underground or above-ground pools;
• They can be outside or inside the building (an indoor pool allows you to enjoy the benefits of water all year round);
• Pools attached to buildings with different uses (such as private villas, hotels, summer residences, clubs, etc.);
• They may have a recreational bathing function, in others a sporting function (when, for example, the pool is part of a facility for the practice of water sports such as swimming, water polo, diving, synchronised swimming), in other cases the two functions are mixed and it depends on the individual the use made of it. 

In this regard, for competitive activities, pools will have dimensions of 50 x 21 metres or 25 x 10 metres with pool characteristics established by international regulations. 

How are swimming pools built?

The choice is wide today. Swimming pools can be of many types, such as in-ground or elevated; made of masonry or reinforced concrete. In all cases, the main aspect to pay attention to is the capacity to withstand water, which is achieved with bituminous or resin-based waterproofing. 

The main technologies for building residential swimming pools are:

• Concrete construction
• Prefabricated pools in polypropylene reinforced with glass fibre
• Prefabricated steel pools

Concrete pools are among the most popular, despite their higher overall cost, but they offer the advantage of being customisable in size. Construction times are longer because a company must be involved to excavate and pour the concrete. 

Prefabricated pools are faster but offer a (limited) range of predefined shapes.

Steel is more expensive than fibreglass, but has a longer lifespan.  

What depth for home pools?

It all depends on the intended use:

• If the purpose is swimming, a depth of 1.20 metres may already be fine;
• If, in addition to swimming, there is a diving board one metre above the water surface, a depth of 2.5 metres is recommended;
• If the springboard is more than one metre high, up to 2 or 3 metres, then a minimum depth of 3 metres is recommended.

Personally, we recommend a depth of 2 metres in the deepest area: this depth allows us to save a lot of water, treatment chemicals and heating costs. 

In addition to this, we can also have different depths in the same tank, as we show you in this image:

Which floor for swimming pool beaches?

We have a lot of experience in this area. The advice, for the floor for the pool surrounds, is to take some basic requirements into account: 

• The floor must not be slippery (non-slip both with stockinged feet and bare feet);
• But it is also no good if it is "sandpaper";
• It must be frost-free;
• It must not get too hot, as you are barefoot;
• It must not be dazzling (i.e. not white).

Here too, there is a wide range of products: from WPC, to bamboo, to wood species suitable for outdoor use, to porcelain stoneware in normal thickness or in thick stoneware (which allows us to work the edges better).

OUTDOOR FLOORING

Tiling a swimming pool

In this article, we have documented the installation of a tiled pool interior lining with photographs of the various stages. Starting with the waterproofing and ending with a photo of the finished pool.
 

photostory of the tiling of a swimming pool in Vicenza

Porcelain stoneware tiles are the product that guarantees a longer-lasting pool lining. Compared to canvas or other materials, porcelain stoneware is acid-proof, can withstand considerable temperature changes, is resistant to cuts, scratches and wear... 

It only has two weak points:

• The first is the quality of the laying;
• The second is the joints. 

Installation must be carried out with great care, with suitable levelling compounds and adhesives. Bear in mind that the covering must also withstand the difference in pressure created when filling and then emptying the pool.

But the main problem are the joints, which can be damaged by time and become weak points from which water infiltrates and, over time, undermines the tile. In a swimming pool, the ideal solution is to use an epoxy grout or to minimise the joints by using large tiles, as in the gallery below: 

7 tips for building a swimming pool for your home

1. Training or leisure?

   If your pool is going to be your daily exercise area, choose a rectangular shape. If, on the other hand, you prefer the scenic or emotional aspects, then a free-form is for you. 

2. Where should the pool be installed?
   Choose the sunniest spot in your house. If you have the possibility of having a very spacious house, choose an indoor pool: you can use it all year round and with far fewer cleaning and maintenance problems. 

3. Which recirculation system? 
   The skirted system guarantees functionality and ease of use, while the infinity-edge pool gives you more scope for customisation. The pool with an overflow edge is more evocative, it is more popular with architects and with those who favour scenic aspects.

4. What materials do you use for the pool deck? 
   We mainly deal with surfaces, so this is a subject we are very good at. At the moment the most beautiful surface (perfect for the infinity edge) are the large stoneware slabs, with formats up to 120x240, 2 cm thick. But we can also use mosaics, natural stone... 
   large porcelain stoneware slabs

5. Accessories 

   What swimming pool accessories are essential? If you love hydromassage, you can provide a pool area with hydromassage seats and jets. Or you could install cervical waterfalls. Your children will love the diving board, while if you want to turn your pool into a gym again, you should consider the new counter-current swimming systems. 

6. Pool lighting
   The lighting of the interior of the pool and the surrounding areas must be properly studied because it will make a fundamental contribution to the beauty of your outdoor spaces. And it will allow you to swim at night too!outdoor floor lighting

7. Minimum dimensions for a home pool 
   Many people dismiss the idea of a swimming pool because they think they don't have enough space. But nowadays there are even very small pools that allow you to enjoy a relaxing space and save on costs: they're easy to clean and heat up in no time. And thanks to the counter-current swimming technique, you can still train! The minimum space you need is about 4x7 square metres.