Sitting out in the sun on a beautiful day enjoying the view of a pool in your very own backyard is a dream come true. You are finally installing your dream pool in your very own backyard and are counting down the days until you can soak up some sun and enjoy swimming from the comfort of home.
Installing a pool is an exciting and fun project but also takes a lot of preparation and manual labor to make sure it is done right. Learning about the details of proper installation and maintenance is important to ensure that installation is done safely and successfully.
A major component of pool maintenance and care is maintaining a proper pool deck drainage system. The drains around your deck are what will help to keep harmful water and debris out of your pool. There are a variety of options and materials available when choosing the drainage system you prefer for your pool. Take some time to learn about the options so that you can choose what works best for your backyard pool.
Why A Drainage System Should Be A Priority
You have spent a lot of money and time installing the pool in your backyard and want to make sure it lasts so that you can enjoy it for years. Maintaining a pool can feel like a lot of work in the beginning and might even feel a little overwhelming at first, but once you get a cleaning routine in place it isn’t so hard to keep a pool clean with proper drainage. Part of keeping an effective and efficient cleaning and maintenance routine is having the proper items in place as the pool is installed.
Installing a deck that has the right drain system and materials will save you a lot of hassle over time. Sloping the deck away from the pool will help prevent rainwater runoff from entering the pool. Believe it or not, rainwater can actually be harmful to the quality of your pool. Rainwater seems harmless enough, but a pool’s filtration system is designed to filter chlorinated water, not rainwater.
If you don’t protect your pool from rainwater, the pH will change over time and can cause some serious issues for your pool if not addressed quickly. Keeping rainwater and other debris out of the pool is why a proper and working drain and a sloped deck are so imperative.
Slope Matters
One of the first questions most homeowners ask about installing pool drains is which way the deck should slope to help with splashing and water runoff: towards the pool or away from it? Instinct may make you think the slope grade should fall towards the pool, but building a deck that way means your pool will always be filled with debris as dirt, leaves, and twigs will simply tumble down the slope and make an unwelcome home in your pool.
When installing a pool deck to help drain water, you want the slope to be away from the pool. It is important to measure the slope exactly, and most experts recommended a ¼ of an inch per foot. This means that for every four feet of deck you should have a 1-inch slope. When you slope the deck away from the pool you are installing a natural drainage system to help with splashing and debris.
Choosing the Right Materials for Pool Drains
When pools were first being built for individual homes, many builders used plastic drains for the drainage system. As pool technology has improved over the years, experts now suggest using stainless steel for your drains to ensure quality and durability.
It is possible to use other materials such as concrete or plastic for your drains and both are good options as well but may not hold up as well over time. Whichever option you end up using, it is important to clean your pool drains regularly to prevent buildup over time. Many pool owners also find that hiring a pool cleaning company to check on the drains and the water quality is an investment worth making.
Spot Drain vs. Strip Drain
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Just like many things in life, you have a few options when it comes to choosing a deck drain for your pool. Choosing between the two types of drains available ultimately comes down to the location of your deck. If your pool is located near the house, you will want to install a strip drain. Strip drains, also called trench drains, are long narrow drains that divert water away from a house or structure usually.
Strip drains tend to be the first choice for many because it is an efficient and effective way to drain water. But if you don’t have space for a strip drain, spot drains work just as well. Spot drains are smaller and you will need more of them. But they connect underground to a pipe and still divert the water away, the same way that a strip drain will.
Permeable Pavers
Depending on the climate where you live and the amount of landscaping you do or don’t have in your yard, each drainage system and the options available will be unique in what you need for the features of your specific location. One option that works for the majority of locations is designing your pool deck with permeable pavers.
Permeable pavers have become a popular option for many pool owners since they are environmentally friendly. Permeable pavers are the use of materials that allow rainwater to naturally flow through the material and act as a natural drain to keep the water from entering the pool. You will still need to install a drain system, but it can be on a smaller scale since the permeable pavers do some of the work in helping to drain rainwater.
Your Well-Drained Pool Deck
Choosing and installing the proper pool deck drainage for your deck, pool and backyard takes some time and research to figure out what works best for your specific situation. But once the drainage is in and working properly, that means you can enjoy your pool and know that it will stay clean while you soak up the sun and enjoy swimming in your own backyard.
Feature image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/manor-house-sri-lanka-hotel-pool-2359884/
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