Landscape Ohio Spring Summer 2024

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Ohio Landscape Association

President Cameron Maneri, Cleary Bros. Landscaping

Executive Director

Sandy Munley

Associate Director Rick Doll

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Image courtesy of Shaun Kanary, Green Impressions/ Blue Impressions

Diving Into Design

Exploring the 2024 Trends in Pool Projects

In 2024, you might be interested in creating a luxurious oasis in your backyard or seeking innovative ideas to revamp an existing pool. Pool projects are more than just blueprints and water — they are enticing experiences that blend technology, sustainability and personalized style. From smart features that streamline maintenance to eco-friendly solutions that minimize environmental impact, the possibilities are as limitless as the depths of your imagination. Dive into the latest trends that are making waves in the pool industry and discover how you can transform your outdoor space into a breathtaking aquatic retreat that embodies the very best of contemporary design and functionality.

The Ohio Landscape Association could play a vital role in helping with pool project design through its network of landscape professionals, designers and contractors. Members of the Ohio Landscape Association are willing to provide expertise in integrating pool designs seamlessly with outdoor landscapes, ensuring peaceful tranquility and functionality.

W hether you're a homeowner, architect, designer or pool enthusiast, this is your passport to inspiration, innovation and practical insights into creating the pool of your dreams in 2024. Let's explore together and unlock the secrets to designing a pool project that not only meets your expectations but exceeds them in every way imaginable. Get ready to make a splash with creativity, innovation and style!

Respectfully,

Cameron Maneri, 2024 OLA President

Make a S lash

“Everybody wants to be the house that people want to go to — a beautiful space where you can entertain and make people feel very comfortable.”

- Jim McCaskey Owner, McCaskey Landscape & Design

Local experts share how dynamic pool projects are helping local families vacation in their own backyards.

By Chrissy Kadleck

Envision taking a few flip-flopped steps out a sliding glass door, making your way across a travertine patio leading you to a refreshing in-ground custom pool. Just before you plunge into the inviting waters, you pause to soak in everything about this lushly designed space, from the nearby tanning ledge to the covered entertainment area to the thoughtful landscape adding seasonal color and greenery for privacy.

Manifesting this type of stunning backyard oasis in Northeast Ohio is not only

possible, it’s a reality that’s becoming more popular than ever say local professionals, who are creatively constructing these resort-like havens year-round throughout the region.

We turned to three busy pool design professionals for their expert guidance on everything to consider prior to diving into this large-scale outdoor project, and they offered their best practices on the art, science and functionality behind creating the perfect pool oasis and the dream staycation for years to come.

Dreamscape First

Before you even buy a pool noodle, you need to clearly define your goals, says Jim McCaskey, owner of McCaskey Landscape & Design, who added pool installation to his company’s portfolio in 2018.

“What do you want to get out of the pool and what do you want to have for maintenance,” asks McCaskey, whose company installed nearly 20 pools in 2023. “That is really the first question. How do you want to use the pool? How many people are going to be using the pool? We did one project in Perry where the whole 40 feet was a lap pool for the daughter who was on the swim team and wanted to exercise every day. So, everybody’s just a little bit different.”

Steve Moore, owner of Outside Design, Custom Pools & Spas, which solely installs custom concrete pools, agrees.

“People need to consider the size of their family. Is this going to be a pool for two people, a husband and a wife, or is it going to be for a family of five or eight? That’s a huge consideration as well as the ages of the kids,” he says. “How do they want to enjoy the pool? If there are three to four kids in the family all under the age of eight, they’re going to use it differently than three to four kids in the family from 16 to 21 years old.”

A pool with younger kiddos in mind may sport a small slide or a diving board or bubblers compared to a teen-focused space with tanning ledges and entertainment spaces for when they have their friends over.

“We’ve done an indoor pool for an older couple who was handicapped and they wanted it for exercise purposes when their physical therapist came over,” says Moore, who has been in landscape construction and design for 25 years, but started his poolfocused Outside Design in 2019. It grew exponentially during COVID.

Give It Six Months to a Year

With some pool installation companies carrying a backlog of a year or more, the

general advice is to plan for your pool project the summer before you want to make the big splash.

McCaskey tries to encourage homeowners to consider starting their projects in the fall. If his team is able to dig out the pool in October or November, they can conceivably install the utilities, gravel and base material, as well as some of the equipment before having to pause for the winter weather.

“Anyone we start in the fall, they’re going to be swimming by Memorial Day,” he says. “If we start a project in the spring, you may not swim till the 4th of July.”

Those six weeks are precious and prime time to be out enjoying the fun and sun in your backyard retreat.

“If you’re willing to live a little bit longer with a mess, it’s better to start in the fall and then you’ll be the first one to swim in the spring,” McCaskey says.

While Moore says his team has worked every month since October 2019, they have a year backlog, so planning ahead is critical.

“We’ve never stopped,” he says. “In fact, we just dug out a pool in Gates Mills two weeks ago and that was right around the first week of February. We usually have three projects under construction at a time and we’re installing pools every month of the year.”

Deep Dive on Funds

Determining a realistic budget that includes not only the pool installation but also additional features, landscaping and ongoing maintenance, is next on the docket.

Things to consider, the experts say, are whether you’ve been in your house for a long time. If it’s your forever home, don’t be afraid to invest in creating your backyard oasis. That being said, if you think you’re going to be out of this house in five years, or there’s a chance you may have to relocate for a job opportunity, cater the project costs to that timeframe.

“People need to consider the size of their family.... How do they want to enjoy the pool?”

- Steve Moore

Owner, Outside Design, Custom Pools & Spas

“I do find when our phone rings, 90% of the time that person on the other end of the phone has done a little bit of research and they know what they’re getting into,” says Moore, whose company does both residential and commercial projects. “Most people know when they’re calling a pool contractor, they know they’re into these for usually six figures. And if they don’t, they have a rude awakening.”

The budget talk is usually the longest conversation with a homeowner, Moore says.

“Most homeowners don’t care about the brand or horsepower of the pump or the lumens on the lights. They want to know, ‘What’s this thing going to cost me?’,” he says.

Things are starting to even out after the peak of home renovations that followed the stay-at-home era of COVID when it wasn’t unheard of to have a $300,000 plus pool project with a hot tub, fire pit and threeseason room with an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and TV.

“People are definitely tightening their belts and projects are getting a little bit smaller at times,” says Joe Schill, owner of Blue Impressions, the fiberglass pool division of Green Impressions, his landscape and design company. “Homeowners are still doing a big master plan, but then they are breaking it into two or three phases to space out the costs.”

Everyone Has a Type

Going hand-in-hand with budget is understanding and selecting your pool type — be it concrete (also referred to as gunite), fiberglass or vinyl. Each type has its own advantages and considerations, which can impact your overall budget.

If you want to customize your pool, then vinyl or concrete are your two best options, says Schill.

The drawback to vinyl, the most economical of the three choices upfront, is you’ll likely need to replace the liner.

“No doubt, no question, it will have to be replaced,” Schill says. “That could be three years or could be 12 years depending on how well the water chemistry is maintained and how it’s kept up.”

A concrete pool will also, at some point, need a new plaster shell, which is a costly endeavor.

“Fiberglass is probably middle of the road in terms of cost entry point, but its disadvantage is that you are stuck with a 16-foot-by-40-foot shell as the largest pool you can have,” he says.

The upsides of a fiberglass pool are that it is easier to put in, requires less maintenance and will last forever, says McCaskey, whose company installs exclusively fiberglass pools.

“They’re going to be perfect in this weather in Northeast Ohio, but they are not custom,” he says. “You pick out a model that you like — and they’re all a little bit different — but you have to fall in love with one of the models.”

For a homeowner looking to design a pool with walk-out platforms, swim out ledges or sun decks, concrete pools are a

great choice, says Moore, who only installs custom pool projects.

“The interior of the pool is a smooth plaster finish and it’s self-supporting, meaning it doesn’t need the ground around it to support it because it’s built so well with rebar and concrete,” he says.

Once you decide the pool type that works best for you and your budget, then you need to decide whether you want a salt water or chlorine treated pool. Each sanitation type has its own pros and cons as well.

While Moore says eight out of the10 pools he is putting in the ground are salt water, the upfront cost is greater and still uses some chlorine to clean the pool.

Schill agrees. However, he adds “your monthly chemical usage, buying chlorine and maintenance and upkeep is going to be much easier with salt than chlorine.

“But chlorine’s going to be a little bit cheaper on the front end because you don’t have to put a salt chlorinator in,” he explains. “You don’t have to have the automation system with a chlorine pool, but you are using a lot more chemicals.”

Go Pro

Always turn to a professional pool designer or architect to create a comprehensive pool design. They will be able to incorporate factors such as shape, depth, entry points, steps and any additional features such as water features, hot tubs, lighting and other structures into the overall design of your backyard.

“My advice to any homeowner who really wants to start the process of creating this backyard oasis is to interview people and find a company that develops master plans, can establish budgets and then creates a 3D plan that bring your ideas to life,” Schill says. “From there, they can guide and coordinate the process from beginning to end versus someone trying to a la carte everything through various contractors. That will end up potentially costing you more and job coordination could be timely and frustrating. When it’s done, you may not be left with a unified design.”

To see their pool project come to life on the 3-D program is a game changer, McCaskey says. “We can walk you through the backyard and you could see the kids playing volleyball in the back, somebody swimming in the pool, somebody grilling at the outdoor kitchen. You literally are able to see 100% everything completed before we even put a shovel in the ground.”

There are many moving parts and timelines with a project of this scale, so it’s important to feel comfortable and secure in your choice of professional pool and landscape design companies.

“You’re making a huge investment in your home for your family, your kids and grandkids,” McCaskey says. There are so many decisions that will impact the timeline and when the work needs to be completed from what kind of pool deck, patio or structure you want surrounding the pool to what kind of fencing (required by most municipalities) or what kind of landscaping. “As the project manager, we’re responsible for everything, and we’re able to orchestrate it all so it’s a seamless smooth process for the homeowner.”

Ambience & Automation

At this point, you’re done with a lot of the heavy lifting and now it’s time for some of the fun stuff when you start to pull your vision together. Think add-ons like water features, spa and pool automation systems. No doubt these additional features can elevate the functionality and aesthetics of your pool — sometimes it’s as easy as opening an app.

Enter one of the hottest trends in backyard — and front yard — pools: automation.

This is where a homeowner can manage their entire pool system from an app.

“People love controlling everything they have through their cell phone, right?” Schill says. “With automation, they are able to turn the filter pump on and off, turn the pool lights on and off, change the color of the lights, turn the heater on and off and raise or lower the temperature and control any water features.”

This enhanced technology allows a homeowner to create signature settings for gatherings and parties that control the landscape lights, as well as set the temperature and underwater lights to create that desired atmosphere around the pool.

Water bowls, cascade waterfalls, bubble fountains and deck jets are another way

to set the mood by combining movement, sound and visual appeal.

“It’s like Bellagio,” McCaskey says. “A little bit of splash for the kids to play with so it’s really just water jets from the deck, from the concrete or the patio splashing back into the pool. You could put lights on that to create that added ambience.”

Diving boards aren’t requested as much as they used to be, especially because they require a certain pool depth, Moore says.

“A lot of people incorporate slides nowadays,” he says. “I even have one project where we’re actually creating a lazy river. The pool is free form, about 38-feet-by-56 feet, so you can float down this curvy waterway.”

But by far, the most popular pool is 20-foot-by-40-foot with a tanning ledge or sun deck, Moore says, adding that almost all the pools he installs range in depth from 3.5 feet to 6 feet and are equipped with a heater.

Tanning ledges — shallow shelves of no more than 12 inches deep — span sometimes the entire width of the pool and provide “the best of both worlds” areas for play and relaxation. You can recline on a chaise lounge and still cool off in the pool water while catching some rays. And ledges can

“A lot of people like the tanning ledges to be able to throw in a couple chairs.”

- Joe Schill Owner, Blue Impressions

provide the perfect spot for kiddos to play in just enough water to cool off and stay close within reach.

“A lot of people like the tanning ledges to be able to throw in a couple chairs,” Schill says. “Some people have little babies and pets, and these ledges, especially with fiberglass pool or concrete, allow pets to get into the pools a lot easier.”

It’s also trendy to add an extra water feature to a tanning ledge that creates a cool off splash for those lounging poolside. You can really make your private oasis shine by designing a lighting plan for

both the pool and surrounding areas that includes underwater lights, landscape lighting and accent lighting. All this illumination together can create a magical mood in the evenings.

From charming string lights overhead to navigational way finding lights on pathways and outdoor structures, lighting your backyard properly is key to giving it that inviting vibe, and it’s important for safety, our experts say.

Another safety feature that homeowners should consider is an automatic pool cover, which is especially suited for rectangularshaped pools, although there are some exceptions.

A definite investment — generally around $20,000 or more — this push-button cover glides easily over a track much like a garage door, Moore says.

“Whether it’s fiberglass or concrete, an automatic pool cover keeps the pool safe while you’re not in it and it keeps the heat in and the debris out,” he says. That added security translates to less energy used to heat the pool and less time spent cleaning the pool.

Beyond the Pool

Once the pool design and features are set, it’s time to build out.

Experts say it’s important to plan for additional features around the pool, such as a deck, patio, outdoor kitchen or lounge area. As part of your comprehensive master plan, you can combine these elements to create a unified aesthetic and enhanced functionality of your outdoor space.

First, surround the pool. Whether you choose a deck or patio, you’ll have your choice of materials be it stamped concrete, limestone, sandstone, brick or pavers.

“The one thing that is really hot right now is travertine, which is almost like a porcelain tile,” McCaskey says. “It’s extremely nice

material, and you’ll feel like you’re in Cancun or Belize.”

Covered structures are incredibly popular, from pergolas to pavilions to pool houses. They often are along the scale of 20-feet-by-24-feet.

“People want these outdoor pavilion areas either attached or detached from the house with or without bathrooms that have a bar, TV and lounge areas, and gas fireplaces built in to create that additional hangout spot,” Schill says. “With some of our projects people have wanted to put extensions off the back of their house to create an outdoor bathroom area for kids so they’re not running back and forth through the house in a wet bathing suits.”

“The one thing that is really hot right now is travertine, which is almost like a porcelain tile. It’s extremely nice material, and you’ll feel like you’re in Cancun or Belize.”

- Jim McCaskey Owner, McCaskey Landscape & Design

Once all the hardscaping is done, it’s time to think about landscaping to soften the pool area and enhance its visual appeal.

Experts say to choose plants and flowers that thrive in Northeast Ohio’s climate and complement the overall design theme.

Privacy is usually a primary focus of landscaping, so people feel comfortable enjoying their backyard oasis and hanging out in their swimsuits, Schill says.

“Creating areas to make sure you’re getting blockage from neighbors is important,” he says. “And, after that, it’s about creating that resort feel here in Ohio and it’s possible with the right plants, perennials and shrubs.”

McCaskey agrees that after the pool location and grading, the plant selection

becomes the third most important part of the process.

“We usually ask our homeowners for access to their Pinterest accounts once the contract design process starts,” he says.

“Because they’ve already been thinking about landscaping and design and saving things that they like.”

At the end of the day, whether it’s a calm retreat, a family fun zone or an entertainment hotspot, all the upfront planning and preparation is well worth the effort, experts say.

Then your only job will be to carve out the most time possible to enjoy your lovely, wellplanned pool oasis.

“Everybody wants to be the house that people want to go to: a beautiful space where you can entertain and make people feel very comfortable,” McCaskey says. “We are proud to be able to help our customers create their dream outdoor spaces.” ▬