The Journal · Field Notes
A pool is one of the biggest additions you can make to a backyard. On our pool projects, our crew builds everything around the water, from the patio and coping to the walls, fire features and lighting, and a pool contractor builds the pool itself. We've seen what a finished pool does for a Kansas City backyard, and here are the benefits that stand out.
Kansas City summers are hot and humid, and by July a lot of patios sit empty in the afternoon because it's too warm to be out there. A pool gives you a reason to be outside on the hottest days of the year, and a quick swim cools you off faster than any fan or patch of shade.
There's no better feeling than jumping in the pool after a long day working in the yard or coming home from an afternoon jog. Because it's right outside the back door, you can get in for a quick dip or spend the whole afternoon out there. There's no packing a bag or driving to the public pool, and no hunting for a chair when you get there.
With an umbrella, a pergola or a pavilion close by, the patio around the pool stays comfortable too, so the people who aren't swimming have a good place to sit.
A heater lets you start swimming earlier in the spring and keep going later into the fall. It's worth asking about if you want more than a June to August season.
Continue: family time
A pool gives everyone a reason to stay home. Kids will spend hours in the water, their friends tend to come over too, and you know where everyone is.
It's also something the whole family can do together. Parents can swim with the kids, play games in the shallow end or sit on the steps and watch. When the grandparents come over, there's something for everyone to do together.
Add a fire pit or a basketball goal nearby, like this backyard we built in Platte City, and the yard becomes the spot where everyone wants to hang out.
Young kids love wide steps to play on. Older kids may want a diving board and a deeper end. Think about who will be in the water most and plan the pool around them.
Continue: hosting
A backyard with a pool is an easy place to host. Birthday parties, graduation parties, the Fourth of July and family get-togethers all go better when there's a pool to keep everyone busy.
The patio around the pool is where the guests end up, so it needs room for chairs, tables and people moving between the water, the food and the shade. A dining area, an outdoor kitchen or a fireplace nearby keeps the party in one place, like this pool and patio we built in Kansas City.
It also keeps the mess outside. Wet towels, snacks and drinks all stay on the patio, and the house stays a lot cleaner during a party.
Lounge chairs take up more room than most people expect. Think about how many people you like to host and make sure the patio around the water has room for all of them.
Continue: a getaway at home
Part of what makes a vacation feel like a vacation is sitting by the pool with nothing to do. With a pool in your own backyard, you get that same feeling any afternoon you want it.
Loungers set right in the water, an umbrella overhead and the sound of a fountain make it easy to unwind. Even a quiet half hour out there after work feels like a break.
It's a lot easier than traveling, too. There's no packing, no driving and no crowds, and you can head inside whenever you want.
A tanning ledge is a shallow shelf at the edge of the pool, just deep enough for lounge chairs to sit in the water. It's one of the most popular add-ons, and young kids love playing on it too.
Continue: exercise
Swimming is one of the best ways to stay active without pounding on your knees and back. Laps, water walking and just moving around in the pool all count, and the water takes a lot of the strain off your joints.
With a pool at home, it's easy to make it a habit. You can swim before work or after dinner, on your own schedule, without a gym membership or a drive.
It works for every age. Kids burn off energy, adults get a workout, and older family members can stay active in a way that's gentle on the body.
If you want to swim laps, a longer, straighter pool works better than a curvy one. Mention it early so the shape fits how you'll use it.
Continue: the patio around it
Everyone around a pool is barefoot, so the patio around it matters as much as the pool. It needs to stay comfortable in the summer sun and keep its grip when it's wet.
Travertine is one of the best choices for this. It stays comfortable to walk on even in the heat, and its texture isn't slick when it's wet. Pavers are another good option, with a lot of colors and patterns to pick from.
The coping, the edge right around the water, is part of the design too. It's where people sit, climb out and dangle their feet, so it should match the patio and feel good to sit on.
If you can, stand on a few patio samples in the sun barefoot. It's the easiest way to feel the difference between materials.
Continue: water features
Water features add a lot to a pool. A waterfall, a sheer descent spilling from a wall, a fountain or deck jets arcing into the pool give the water movement and sound.
The sound is a big part of it. Running water covers up traffic and the neighbors, so the backyard feels quieter and more private while you're out there.
Kids love swimming under a waterfall or through the jets, and it gives the adults something nice to look at from their chairs.
A sheer descent makes a soft trickle, while a rock waterfall is much louder. Think about how close it will be to where you sit and talk.
Continue: evenings
A pool isn't just for hot afternoons. With lights in the water and around the patio, it's a great place to spend the evening once the heat breaks.
Color LED pool lights can glow whatever color you like, and lights on the walls, steps and plants around the pool make the whole backyard look good after dark. Add a fire pit or fire bowls and you have somewhere warm to sit after a night swim.
Night swims are a favorite with kids, and for adults it's one of the most relaxing ways to end the day. Our post on adding lighting to your hardscape covers more of the options.
Color LEDs look great in the pool, but around the patio, the walls and the plants, warm white light looks best on stone and skin. That mix keeps the backyard looking warm and relaxed at night.
Continue: the whole backyard
A pool means a lot of digging and equipment in the backyard, which makes it a good time to plan the rest of the yard as well. The patio, walls, steps, fire features and lighting can all be designed to fit with the pool.
On our pool projects, the pool contractor builds the pool and our crew builds everything around it, and it's all designed as one project. The patio, the coping and the walls are planned around the pool from the start, and any slope in the yard is handled before anything is built.
This backyard we built in Kansas City is a good example. The pool, travertine patio, pergola, outdoor kitchen, putting green and fireplace were all designed together.
Even if some pieces will come later, tell your designer about the fire pit, kitchen or pergola you want someday. The layout can leave room for them.
Continue: is it worth it
A pool gives you somewhere to cool off all summer, a reason for the family to stay home and a backyard that's easy to host in. With water features, lighting and a patio made for bare feet, it's a space you'll use all summer long and enjoy looking at the rest of the year.
A pool is a big project, so it's worth thinking about how you'll use it before you start. If you picture the kids in the water every afternoon, friends over on the weekends and quiet evenings by the lights, a pool is usually worth it.
If a pool is on your list, we can look at your yard together and talk through what would fit at a free design meeting. Our pool page has more of the backyards we've built around pools.
Thirty minutes on site with our designer is all it takes to see what is possible. No pressure, no hard sell.
Schedule a Design Call