A pool with water feature is the ultimate in home luxury. It enhances the appeal of your pool in a number of important ways, enabling you to gain maximum enjoyment from the time you spend in the water. But if you are going to include a water feature, it is important to select one which caters for your own unique needs and complements the design styles of your pool and the rest of your property.
So, what is so special about water features? How do they enhance your pool experience? And what are the main water feature design options to choose from? Here we discuss everything you need to know about pool water features, so you can discover for yourself the huge difference they can make to your pool and your lifestyle.
The benefits of water features
1. They make your pool more attractive and increase its value
A water feature is something associated with luxury and style. It makes your pool extra special as it adds a unique touch, so your pool will be unlike any other. Nobody could fail to be impressed by the sight of water cascading into your pool from an attractive water feature, whichever type and design you choose.
There are also numerous ways to highlight your water feature even further, such as adding lighting to make it really stand out after dark. It is now possible to purchase pool water features with integrated lighting, but it is also relatively easy to design your pool lighting so it makes the most of your water feature. This is especially effective with LED lighting, which can be programmed to change through a sequence of colours, giving your water feature an appearance which constantly shifts and changes, and making the water sparkle even more spectacularly.
As pool water features look so impressive, they add value to your pool and your property. If you decide to sell your home, it will appeal more to prospective buyers if the pool looks stunning and well-cared for, and the landscaping and lighting are thoughtfully planned. Your water feature grabs attention and shows the care you have taken of your pool, so it might just get you a higher price for your property. This is important, as your pool is something you will have spent a lot of money on, so you want it to be a worthwhile investment.
2. They create a more relaxing pool environment
The sight and sound of running water are known to be extremely relaxing. Adding a water feature to your pool ensures that your pool is never completely still or silent, as the water is constantly cascading back into your pool, so it makes it easier for you to relax and feel calm in the water. A pool with water feature offers the perfect way to escape, as it takes you back to nature and makes you focus more on the water instead of thinking too much about other aspects of your life while you are swimming.
This has a number of important benefits for your health and wellbeing. It helps you to reduce stress and anxiety, which is a vital benefit in today’s fast-paced, highly pressured world. It can also lower your blood pressure and improve the quantity and quality of your sleep, making you feel healthier and equipping you better to face the stresses of daily life, knowing that you have a wonderful relaxing pool to return to at the end of the day.
3. They increase the usage of your pool
When you buy a swimming pool, you want to think that it will be used as much as possible. But when you and your loved ones are used to it being a part of your home and your lives, it is sometimes easy to forget to enjoy your pool as often as you should.
A water feature can solve this problem, as the sight of the water moving and the sound it makes can act as reminders that your pool is there, grabbing your attention and encouraging you to go outside and get into the water.
This has important health benefits, as spending time outside in the fresh air is good for you, and swimming is one of the best forms of exercise you can take. It also helps to strengthen the important bonds between you and those you love, as you can spend quality time together in the pool.
If you have young children, water features can be even more beneficial, as they provide a way for you to introduce the kids to the water before they are confident enough to use the pool. Spending time splashing and playing in the water while on safe ground will show them that the water is fun, and encourage them to learn to swim, which is an important and enjoyable skill that will stay with them for life.
The different types of pool water features
Water features come in many different shapes and sizes, catering for all tastes and preferences. However, there are a few water feature design ideas which are particularly popular and stand the test of time, ensuring that you are installing a feature which will never look tired or dated. Here are some of our favourites:
1. Fountains
You really can’t go wrong with a fountain. It is the ultimate classic water feature design, with water shooting up from the pool itself and falling back into the pool, creating some spectacular visual effects along the way.
Fountains range in design from chic and elegant to opulent and ostentatious. Whether you choose a few simple jets or a large sculpted structure, or anything in between, is entirely up to you!
2. Waterfalls and water walls
Australia boasts some breathtaking natural waterfalls, but most of us don’t think of creating one in the backyard. However, when you think of the feeling of peace and tranquillity that comes over you when you are close to a waterfall, it makes sense to incorporate one into your pool as a water feature, to create the ultimate calm and relaxing environment.
A pool waterfall feature is usually created using rocks and boulders, sometimes with ferns and other plants added for decoration. It makes your pool feel like part of the natural landscape, and provides soothing sights and sounds to melt your cares away.
However, if you want something which has the same relaxing effect, but coordinates better with a contemporary pool and home design, you might consider a water wall feature instead. Wall water features work in a very similar way to waterfalls, except that instead of cascading over rocks, water is pushed through a tiled wall-like structure which is constructed next to your pool.
A water wall feature provides the same sense of relaxation and tranquillity as a waterfall, while looking much more modern and effortlessly stylish. It instantly makes your pool look more luxurious, and there are a huge range of water feature wall ideas to choose from, so you can easily find something to suit your tastes.
3. Deck jets
Deck jets are the ideal way to inject some real fun and excitement into your pool. The jets are installed around your pool area, so the water appears to be shooting directly up from the ground and arcing into the pool. This adds plenty of visual impact and movement to your pool, and it is also great fun for kids and adults alike to run through the jets and enjoy the feeling of the water.
Deck jets come in many different designs and can be installed in different ways to make your pool completely unique and suited to your needs.
4. Sunpod
The Sunpod has been created and designed by Compass Pools Australia, manufacturers of super-strong fibreglass pools with ceramic cores. This exclusive water feature design is only available with Compass Pools. It is a stylish and subtle addition to your poolside area, or to separate your pool from your spa, with a series of bubblers which make the water gurgle up gently. This creates a highly attractive design feature and gives you the motion and sound of water to provide the ultimate relaxation, without being too obvious or taking up too much space.
There are numerous ways that Sunpods can be fitted and styled to suit you. As a licensed Compass Pools dealership for Nowra and the South Coast of NSW, Nowra Local Pools can supply and install Sunpods along with the full range of Compass Pools.
More information about water features
If you are looking to install a pool water feature, or want more advice about the different options available, Nowra Local Pools are always happy to help. We can consult with you to find the ideal water feature design for your pool and your property, ensuring that the feature adds maximum value to your pool in a wide variety of ways.
Please contact our highly experienced team for more information.
