Swimming pool remodeling is often done as part of a larger landscaping plan. Many times people purchase a home that already has a pool built many years before. Normally such a pool was built many years before by a pool contractor hired directly by the homeowner. The intention at that time was to create a pool whose function and form reflected the immediate interests of the homeowner when it came to matters of swimming, lounging, and entertaining by the pool. Most of these pool designs were very popular at the time, and still work very effectively from a functional perspective in our time. However, few pool contractors in years past (or even today for that matter) considered the benefits of recommending pool construction styles that directly complemented home architecture and landscape elements. It was not a matter of deliberate sabotage or even neglect—simply a lack of awareness of other disciplines that play a direct role in the overall aesthetic of the property.

Because of this, most people who buy a home that already has a swimming pool on premises end up seriously considering remodeling the pool when it comes time to upgrade the landscape in general. Suddenly, what looked like a nice pool when they first moved in becomes a subsequent challenge when the landscaping contractor points out how certain outdoor structures, garden styles, vegetation styles, and ornamental statuary will clash with the pool as it appears in its present form. Rather than limiting the options of our clients and recommending only designs that will work with what they have, Exterior Worlds has a policy of offering a swimming pool remodel included in our landscaping master plans. We study the surrounding terrain and specifics of home architecture, then look at ways to reshape the old pool structure into a new aesthetic that harmoniously blends with both. We then subcontract a reputable and established swimming pool remodeling company to handle the specifics of reconstruction, carefully managing their work to ensure that it remains consistent with the thematic intention of the project as a whole.

Sometimes an old swimming pool needs only minimal remodeling to look like a completely new structure. Something as simple as adding a spa, or installing a fountain, can totally transform its appearance. In other instances, it is not the pool itself that needs reconstruction, but rather what is around the pool. Many pools built in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s were constructed with a concrete coping and surrounding concrete slab for a patio. Others were built with wooden decks leading up to the coping. Such rudimentary designs offer only limited opportunities for landscaping upgrades unless replaced with more cosmetic structures. Patios made of flagstone and coping made with more cosmetic materials can often make an old swimming pool appear completely remodeled even though the only thing that has really been changed is what surrounds the pool.

Other swimming pools require more extensive remodeling to work with new landscape designs. For these projects, we begin by looking at municipal codes that may have changed since the structure was originally built. Any new construction must be in compliance with current regulations, so this is normally our starting point any time we remodel a pool that was built more than 15 years ago. In most of these older remodels, plumbing and electrical systems have to be completely overhauled to meet with regulatory compliance. If the shell is still good, we can simply remove the concrete, redo the plumbing and electrical, and then rebuild the structure around the existing shell.

In other instances, it may be determined that the original pool shell is simply in the wrong place and built in the wrong style. For example, there was a time about 30 years ago when lagoon style pools were in high demand. This particular style, however, clashes with most modern architecture and in almost every remodeling job has to be completely transformed into something more complimentary to its surroundings. If swimming pool remodeling is managed by under the general contract of a professional landscaping company, not only will the new pool work harmoniously with its surroundings, but it can actually function as something of an aesthetic hub whose spas, fountains, steps, benches, and patio designs create special outdoor living space that is highly decorative and specifically oriented toward comfort and entertainment.