Just Add Water Dyani Van Basten Batenburg
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Pool your thoughts together and dive on in
ack in the day, those school peers with an inground pool were firm mates come summer, and it was the family member who owned a spa pool whose place we were always happy to visit. These luxuries of old may no longer be deemed exclusive but they still herald a crowd. And although the pandemic is largely responsible for major delays – globally – in manufacturing and shipping of swimming pools and spas, there’s no time like the present to float a few ideas.
Right time, right age For many families it’s not just the cost holding back the swimming pool reins, it’s the age factor of kids and pace of life – sentiments the Wilson family of Tauranga attest to. After owning homes in Australia with pools, and then settling back in New Zealand, they soon missed the social, relaxing aspect of pool ownership, but knew their second pool wind would have to wait – till now. “For us, the kids are at critical ages – we want them around, we want them off their phones, and with our new home, we want to enjoy it over the weekends – a pool centralises that,” explains Lily Wilson. “We’ve also opted for a heated pool – with solar panelling – so we can use it yearround, and because our daughter suffers from eczema, we’ve opted for a fresh water system instead of saltwater chlorination.” The breakthrough Naked System – by Aquanort here in New Zealand – is a prime example of fresh water technology, which relies on silver and copper to ionise pools, promising 46
to keep the water free from algae, bacteria and other unwanted and harmful organisms, and chemical and maintenance requirements on the down low. Whilst the Wilsons were well-versed in NZ Building Code legalisation in and around pools – i.e. height of fence must be 1.2m; a barrier to cover the pool if it’s heated; automatic closing gates; anything permanent outside the pool area that is able to be climbed on, must be at least 1.2m away from the fence – it was the extra costs that caught them unawares.
“We opted for fibreglass instead of concrete to keep the budget down, but it’s the concrete around the pool, the fencing, the underground cover that sits in the concrete, the heat pumps – that have added an additional 40K to the job,” explains Lily. “We’re stoked with final outcome but wished we’d added an additional 20% to budgeting, and if we did a pool again, we’d also do our own Geotech report and ensure our pool company was onto it when booking inspections.”
Swim for your life For those keen to join the growing number of Kiwis who are now proud
