Water Features:
How to Make Your Pool
A Splash Hit
Pool water features are a great way to transform your residential pool into a home resort. A cascading sheer descent, elegant spouts, deck jets and rain curtains can enhance the look of your pool, promote further relaxation and perhaps create a bit of fun. Here, Sydney Pool + Outdoor Design’s Jessica Muller chats with Gavin Bazley, the director of Aquastone Pools & Landscapes, to discuss how the inclusion of water features can take your pool to the next level.
Aquastone Pools & Landscapes is a multi-award-winning company that is owned and operated by brothers Scott and Gavin Bazley. The two brothers learnt the trade of pool construction from their father, so building swimming pools is in their blood. In the years since establishing Aquastone Pools & Landscapes in 1996, the company has had the privilege of working with many clients from all over Sydney.
“The scope of our projects is varied, from small plunge pools, lap pools, suspended pools, pool renovations to large all-inclusive projects,” Bazley says. “We specialise in difficult sites and projects – so there really is no job that is too big or difficult for us to tackle.”
When designing custom-built water features, Aquastone Pools & Landscapes works closely with their clients to achieve a spectacular result. “It requires consultation with the client – trying to decide what kind of look they are trying to achieve.
Really anything is achievable with a little consultation and imagination!”
THE POOLSIDE PERKS
The inclusion or addition of a water feature to your pool offers vast benefits. “Water features can be purely aesthetic and add a touch of ‘wow’ and character to a pool – they can really enhance a pool and make it a beautiful space to relax and entertain,” Bazley says. “Water features add an element of interest to a pool – they often create a more resort feel to a pool,” he continues. The sound and sight of running water is well-known for its relaxing effects, with the ability to alter the mood of a space.
However, pool water features can also be a convenient way to keep the unsightly hidden. “They can be useful on a more practical level by hiding things such as pool equipment or something such as a fence or a view that you wish to block out,” Bazley explains.
WHAT’S HOT NOW
So, what is trending in the world of pool features? Bazley has noticed a consistent preference for water features that are built into feature walls. “Quite often they have a sheer descent waterfall style, but lately we have been doing a lot of feature walls with spouts as they are visually appealing, even when not running, and they are not as noisy when cascading into the pool,” he says.
Other popular choices trending at the moment include water walls where the water cascades down into the pool and deck jets, which shoot water up into the pool from the coping. “They add a fun sprinkler feel which is great aesthetically but also creates fun for the kids to enjoy!” Bazley says.
“We have also seen clients opt for spa jets in their ledge areas. This can be a cost-effective way to create a ‘spa’ type area, and also look great as another water feature idea,” Bazley notes. “We have also seen a few clients asking about swim jets if they have a smaller sized pool, and water slides are making a comeback,” he continues.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
When comes to building the pool water features, a range of materials can be used. “The water sprouts are done in stainless steel and need to be earthed,” Bazley advises. “Sheer descents are usually made in plastic. Both are very durable,” he continues. “We generally put them in the concrete shell or reinforced concrete block wall.”
In terms of finishes, there are many types of materials that can be chosen for water features. “A lot of clients like a rock cladding feature with water sprouts shooting into the pool,” Bazley says. “Stack stone tiles are another popular choice for water feature walls.”
LIGHT IT UP
Lighting is also a great way to enhance the look of your pool, especially when used in conjunction with a water feature. “We add lighting to the actual spouts in a water feature which looks great!” Bazley says. “It’s also a nice idea to add lights to garden beds near the pool so that it really looks amazing at night!”
It’s important to take care with placement of lighting to ensure an effective result. “We try to design the lighting so that you are not looking directly into the light source. We also design the lighting to make sure there are no ‘dark’ spots and all areas are illuminated well,” Bazley explains.
BRING IN THE EXPERTS
Whether you’re looking to build a new pool with a dazzling water feature or upgrade your current pool, it’s important to get professional advice. Aquastone Pools & Landscapes work with existing plans that clients may already have, or they can help clients come up with a custom design specific to their site and needs. “We can take care of everything including design, approvals, construction, all the way through to the handover of the pools to our clients.” Reach out to the team for an exciting and enjoyable pool building experience.
Images courtesy of Aquastone Pools & Landscapes