What Makes A Pool Low Maintainance?

For most people, the dream is pretty simple: spend more time enjoying the pool and less time cleaning it. While every swimming pool requires some level of ongoing care, there are plenty of choices you can make during the planning stage that can make maintaining your pool much easier. From the equipment you choose to where the pool is positioned and even what you plant around it, the overall design of your backyard can have a surprisingly big impact on your regular maintenance.

At GV Unique Pools & Landscaping, we encourage our clients to think about how their pool will be looked after from the beginning, not just how it will look once it's finished.

Start With the Right Pool Equipment

Your pool equipment plays a major role in keeping the water clean, clear and healthy. Your pump, filtration and sanitation systems all work together behind the scenes, so choosing equipment that suits the size of your pool and the way it will be used is important. There are also different water systems and equipment upgrades available depending on what you're looking for. Our team can talk you through the options during the quoting and planning process and help determine what will best suit your particular pool and lifestyle. While good equipment doesn't mean you'll never need to maintain your pool, having the right system in place can make ongoing care considerably easier.

Consider an Automated Pool Cleaner

A quality robotic pool cleaner can take care of a lot of the physical cleaning that would otherwise need to be done manually. Robotic cleaners can collect dirt and debris from the pool floor and clean other areas of the pool, reducing the amount of time you need to spend doing it yourself. This can be particularly useful during periods when the pool is getting plenty of use or when wind, dust and surrounding vegetation are regularly introducing debris into the water. It's one of those additions that may not change how your pool looks, but it can certainly change how much time you spend looking after it.

A Pool Cover Can Make a Big Difference

A pool cover isn't just about keeping leaves out of the water.

Covering your pool when it isn't being used can help reduce the amount of dust, leaves and other debris entering the water, while also reducing evaporation. If your pool is heated, a cover can also help retain heat rather than allowing it to escape from the water as quickly. For anyone wanting a lower-maintenance setup, it's definitely something worth considering. Pool covers can also be incorporated into the design of the pool area in different ways, including more discreet solutions for homeowners who don't want the cover to become a prominent feature of the backyard.

Think Carefully About What's Around Your Pool

Your landscaping can have a significant impact on pool maintenance.

Large trees positioned close to the water may provide beautiful greenery and shade, but depending on the species they can also mean leaves, flowers, seeds and other organic matter regularly finding their way into the pool. That doesn't mean you need to avoid planting around your pool altogether... Thoughtful landscaping can completely transform a pool area. It's simply about choosing appropriate plants and considering how large they'll eventually grow, what they shed and how close they're positioned to the water. There are also pool barrier compliance requirements to consider when planning vegetation near fencing, including restrictions relating to climbable areas, heights and distances. This is another reason why landscaping and pool planning work best when they're considered together.

Your Wider Environment Matters Too

Maintenance requirements can also vary depending on where you live. A landscaped residential property in town may experience very different conditions to a rural property surrounded by paddocks, gravel driveways or exposed ground.

Here in the Goulburn Valley, many of the pools we install are on larger rural and lifestyle properties. During dry conditions, dust and fine dirt can travel surprisingly far and eventually settle in the pool. If your property is particularly exposed, thinking about surrounding landscaping, ground coverings and the equipment used to clean the pool can help make those conditions easier to manage. It's another reason why there isn't necessarily one perfect setup for every pool. What works beautifully for one backyard may not be the best solution for another.

Pool Position Can Affect Maintenance

Where your pool sits within the backyard can make a difference too. Before deciding on a position based purely on appearance, consider what's immediately around and above the proposed pool area. Large established trees, neighbouring vegetation and exposed areas can all affect how much debris ends up in the water... Of course, pool positioning also needs to take into account boundaries, easements, fencing, access, the house and the overall layout of the property, so maintenance is only one part of the decision.

The aim is to find the best balance between practicality and creating a pool area you'll love spending time in.

Stay on Top of the Small Things

Even the best designed pool still needs regular care! Keeping an eye on water chemistry, emptying baskets, checking equipment and removing debris before it builds up can prevent small jobs from becoming much bigger ones. Maintenance can also change throughout the year. A pool may need more attention during periods of heavy use, extreme weather, high winds or when nearby plants and trees are shedding.

A little regular attention is generally much easier than waiting until something doesn't look right before dealing with it.

Low Maintenance Doesn't Mean No Maintenance

It's important to have realistic expectations. There isn't a swimming pool that you can completely forget about and expect to remain perfect year-round. But there is a big difference between a pool that's been thoughtfully planned with maintenance in mind and one where these considerations haven't been made until afterwards. The right equipment, cleaning system, pool cover, landscaping and overall backyard design can all contribute to making ownership easier. At GV Unique Pools & Landscaping, we'll talk you through the different options available and help you plan a pool that doesn't just look great on installation day, but works for the way you want to live long after we've finished.