I’ve written articles before about the hate and bias that many people have toward above ground pools. Sometimes it can be deserved when you have an above-ground pool that isn’t maintained and looks tacky. So, how can above ground pools look nice?
Above-ground pools can look nice when homeowners add the proper decking around the pool with composite, wood, or concrete. Landscape their yard around the pool using bushes, trees, and the natural slope of the yard while keeping their yard clear of debris and trash that will make the above ground pool stand out as an eye-sore. Partially or fully burying your above ground pool in the ground also eliminates the field of view that above-ground pools block in your backyard.
Newer models of above ground pools in my opinion have become more stylish in the past decade and come a long way to competing with the naturally more aesthetic inground pools. If you are debating about which one to get, you can read my article here about why some people do not like above ground pools to see what you think.
Let’s discuss a bit more about how can an above-ground pool look nice.
Bury or Partially Bury Your Above-Ground Pool
This is an easy fix if you have a huge problem with the way that above-ground pools block your vision in your backyard. Doughboy pools and Radiant pools are, at this moment, the only pool manufacturer who can fully bury their above-ground pools in the U.S. but other manufacturers like Aqua Leaders who specialize in Resin pulls have a few models that can be partially buried up to 50% along the wall. This is an excellent option to create a beautiful-looking above-ground pool and it opens up the ability to add concrete decking which is an important aesthetic feature for inground pools.
I’ll show some partially and fully buried above-ground pool setups below to give you an idea of how a buried above-ground pool can look nice.
This is a Radiant Pool that has been partially buried. The outer wall being a simple tan color is really nice and goes well with the gravel the rock decking they decided to build around the pool into their yard.
On the partially buried builds, you’ll have a bit of the exposed wall as we saw with the previous example, as we can see here they decided to place stone walls to cover up the exposed pool wall. This is a popular option and I think a fantastic look. Especially with the pavers they used for decking.
Above Ground Pool Decking adds Usable Square Footage and a Good-Look.
There are some risks associated with buried above ground pools even from well-known models and brands. You might want to completely avoid that risk and go with a fully above ground pool but build decking around it as a gathering place. With my dad’s inground pool builds, we always tell the customers to build enough decking because this is where people will usually congregate, and if you have the space available the more decking the better!
This is exactly what I mean about a deck and pool that work together with your natural landscape. This home is set on a hill with a steep slope. They were able to level ground for their above ground pool and then use the deck to give them additional square footage of their yard to use by extending it out next to the pool.
Being from the midwest of America, we have a ton of flat space like this in most of our yards. I thought this pool deck did a great job of elevating the deck around the pool to connect with their front porch. This build around their inground pool adds a lot of useable space to gather that is elevated off of the ground.
I enjoy these deck builds that completely encompass the round above-ground pools. I think they are stylish and add a lot to a home’s backyard. There could be something to be said about the view from below the deck though in the actual yard space but I believe you have this issue with any elevated deck and it doesn’t have anything to do with having an above-ground pool. So if you are going to have an elevated deck, you might as well wrap it around a pool!
It might be a bit hard to tell right away from the photo above but this is another deck that is using its landscape to get some more flat square footage out of their yard. I think everything about this deck and pool setup is great including the color scheme.
Landscaping Around an Above Ground Pool Can Make a World of Difference
Adding simple things live gravel, bushes, flowers, trees, and fresh sod can take a plain above ground pool set up to the next level. With an above ground pool, we do have to be wary of the reputation that neighborhoods might have about these setups. Putting in a bit of effort to upgrade the area around the pool will bring out the design of the pool model as it was intended by the manufacturer.
This pool build above is a great example of how simple additions like rock, sod, and a few concrete pavers can make a huge difference in the aesthetics of this pool. Is this the most gorgeous pool set up I’ve seen? No, but its far from tacky! That’s the point of this article, how can we make our pools look nice? It doesn’t have to consist of blowing a huge budget but putting some effort into make the area around our above ground pool look attractive.
This is a downtown model by Carvin pool manufacturers which I think has a pleasing appearance from the get-go. What I enjoy here is the ambiance created with the fresh clean green grass and blue lighting along with the sitting area set up by the trees. It’s simple and fairly inexpensive, and you can visibly see the attention put into creating an atmosphere with the above-ground pool being the main attraction.
Conclusion
Above-ground pool haters are living in the past. Today’s models can be sleek and attractive, when a homeowner does the right things to the area around the pool, these above-ground pools can stand up to simple inground builds in aesthetic beauty.