Making A Splash: Considerations For Installing a Pool

Installing a swimming pool at home is a luxury addition to your home. Andy Carr of Guncast talks to us about it.

If you are looking to buy a new home, what’s important to consider if you want to add a pool?

We often receive enquiries from clients looking to buy a home and wanting to know whether they can fit a pool in, or wanting to check the standards of the existing pool and see how easily it could be upgraded.

There are two major points to consider; the creative element and the practical element. Does the style, look and feel of the pool you want fit in the space, and is there the necessary technical capacity to deliver that pool?

Typically should a client be looking for an outdoor pool, there is a solution which will work for every home. We’re very happy to look at garden plans and give an idea of what will work and a guide budget, so clients can factor that into their home buying decision.

If clients are looking for an indoor pool, then this often forms part of a more major extension or annexe, prompting a wider conversation with other professionals such as an architect, structural engineer and interior designer. We’re always very happy to meet with the rest of the team to discuss the options and come up with the right plan.

How do you work with developers?

Every project is different, and we are brought in at different stages of a build to deliver our market-leading swimming pool and spa facilities.

Often, we’ll be involved at concept stage to give our expertise on the best solution for a particular development. On other occasions, developers know exactly what they want and we work in line with their vision.

With our knowledge and expertise, we can come into the project and look at it from a different perspective to the developer. For instance, a developer may have planned for each component, be that a pool, hot tub, steam room and sauna, but not considered how they interact together and what experience that gives the end-user. We might recommend adding a lounging area or cooling element, so that residents can enjoy the full thermal journey.

Are there any exciting new projects you have been working on?

We recently completed a fantastic pool for Baobab Developments in Tongdean, Sussex. In keeping with the austere, minimalist design of the house, we installed a rectangular concrete & tiled pool measuring 9.2m x 3.6m, with an in-built automatic cover. The traditional shape sits beautifully with the elevations of the house, whilst the length creates unity with the landscaping.

Another exciting development we’ve recently finished is Lincoln Square with Lodha Group. This high-end development, around the corner from Covent Garden, features a 25-metre swimming pool, vitality pool, sauna and steam rooms and treatment rooms, giving residents the complete luxe spa package.

Any major new trends for new developments?

The biggest change in the past 15 years has been the movement towards the spa experience in individual homes. Whereas a pool used to be the only request, it's now the new norm for high-end properties to have the whole range of pool and thermal spa facilities, so residents and owners can fully detox at home. This is down to the greater understanding of the health and wellbeing benefits of these facilities; clients want to have access to these every day, not just when they go on a mini-break.

Another area we have really championed is bringing commercial-standard water purification methods to the residential market – standard filtration and chlorination is no longer good enough. We will always specify and install a first-class filtration system, often medium- to low-rate filtration with a less than four-hour turnover rate, guaranteeing better water clarity. We’re also recommending the latest and most appropriate UV and ozone disinfection systems for plant room based disinfection, to reduce chlorine levels required in the pool itself, while the automatic dosing system is constantly monitoring and controlling chemical and pH levels in the pool.

Guncast has become a one-stop shop for wellness, and have now launched KLAFS UK, delivering spa products to the UK market. Originating in Germany in the 1950s, KLAFS is a leading brand in the design, manufacture and installation of thermal rooms.