Imagine you’re sitting in your new backyard oasis, gazing at the beautiful, custom pool of your dreams. The breeze is blowing, the sun is shining and you’re relaxing with a cold drink. However, you look over to your right and there it is, the pool equipment. One thing you may have not considered when building your new pool is all the pool equipment that has to have a home in your backyard as well. Filters, heaters, pumps, plumbing, and PVC pipes are all necessary equipment for a pool to function properly, but you’d probably rather not have to look at them. So, what are the options for hiding these necessary, but not exactly attractive, pieces of equipment?
Ideas for Hiding Pool Equipment
Landscaping
- Bushes: The denseness of bushes make them a great option for hiding pool equipment. They are also able to grow thick and tall enough to create a pseudo wall, which also helps with filtering out noise! When selecting bushes for concealing equipment, make sure you choose ones that don’t grow too fast or drop a lot of debris. Stay away from any that flower or drop fruit – the berries can stain your deck and also attract insects.
- Trees: Here in Central Florida, palm plants are ideal. There are so many varieties available that are short and full, perfect for hiding pool equipment. Palms are generally low maintenance and you won’t have a problem with fronds shedding into your pool. Same with bushes, stay away from any trees that flower or fruit to save you from winged insects and a stained pool deck.
- Ornamental Grasses: Tall, ornamental grasses are another great way to hide your pool equipment. Though not as dense as bushes, grasses can also grow tall enough to hide any filter, plus they’re low maintenance. Ornamental grasses will give a whimsical feel to your backyard and complement any other landscaping around the pool. When selecting, look for hardy grasses that don’t seed or become invasive.
Enclosures
- Privacy screens: There is a vast selection of different vinyl screen options that you can purchase from almost any home improvement store. They are durable, won’t fade in the sun, rust from the rain and are also very easy to clean. You can find screen options to match your house – anything from a traditional white picket fence to vinyl that is molded and textured to replicate bamboo sheets or real wood panels.
- DIY structure: If you have the time, resources and ability, you can build your own enclosure to hide your pool equipment bringing a personal and unique touch to your backyard pool/patio area. With limitless materials at your fingertips, the sky’s the limit when you build something from scratch.
Walls
- Wood: Always a go-to material for outdoor enclosures, wood blends in well in outdoor spaces and is a great option for a wall to block your pool equipment. It can be left natural, painted, stained, or even be wood that was rescued from other projects or structures.
- Concrete: Walls made of concrete require special tools and skills. If you have the ability and knowledge to construct a concrete wall, you will have a very durable, unique looking option to conceal your pool equipment. If you don’t have the skill and want a concrete wall, consider hiring a professional. Concrete can also be painted, or you can choose to use pre-stained or colored concrete.
- Stone: With the limitless variety of stone sizes, colors and shapes, using stone will create a wall that is unique to any other of its kind. Creating stone walls also takes a special set of skills, but done correctly, you will have a durable, natural looking enhancement to your backyard that also hides your pool equipment.
- Vinyl: Vinyl board-like planks are also available for purchase and provide you the ability to create whatever type of enclosure you’d like. Vinyl boards can also be found made from recycled materials or molded to mimic real wood grain, color and textures.
Sheds/Pool Housing
- Pool box: Pool equipment boxes not only hide your pool pumps and filters, but also protect the equipment from the elements. Depending upon your set up, you may only need a 3-sided enclosure with a hinged lid or access door panels if your pump and filter sits up against the wall. With any enclosure, make sure you leave plenty of room and adequate ventilation for the pump motor.
- Pool shed: You usually think of a shed as a place to store your lawn mower and yard maintenance tools, but you can house your pool equipment in them too! A pool shed becomes a multi-purpose place to hide pool equipment as well as store your yard tools, pool floats and toys among other things.
- Pool house: Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a place where people can go to change and towel off that’s not in the actual house? Pool houses are a great way to do this, but you have to have the means, budget and the yard space to build one. The size and functionality of pool house can vary wildly, so the options are endless!
As you can see, there are many fun and unique ways to hide your pool equipment. Whichever way you choose, remember to make sure the “disguise” allows plenty of access in case any part of the equipment needs serving.
Questions? Pools by Bradley is Here for YOU!
Please reach out to us if you have ANY questions about the different ways or creative ideas on how to hide your pool equipment! Whether we built your pool or not!
All of us here at Pools by Bradley live and breathe our mission of designing and building your ultimate outdoor pool atmosphere. We also want to provide as much education to our clients as possible! We intend to inspire you to improve the recreational time you spend with your family and friends in your new outdoor environment. Our motto is “take care of the customer and everything else will take care of itself”. When you choose Pools by Bradley to help you build your dream pool, you can rest assured that you’re choosing the very best. As a local family owned and operated company founded in back 1996, we have received numerous design awards and honors. Pools by Bradley is rated as one of the top 50 pool builders in the U.S., plus recognized as the “Best Pool Company” in Orlando by Orlando Magazine several years in a row! We offer custom built pools and spas with additions ranging from water features and lighting effects to rain curtains and water slides…the sky’s the limit! Contact us online or call us today at 407-323-7946 (Lake Mary) or 386-410-7946 (NSB) to see how we can help you build the pool of your dreams!
