POOL STORAGE IDEAS FROM STORAGE BENCHES TO POOL HOUSES

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1 POOL STORAGE IDEAS FROM STORAGE BENCHES TO POOL HOUSES Tips And Trends For Storing Unattractive Pool Equipment

2 Excitement builds as you work through the initial planning stages of building your backyard pool. It s a labor of love that will lead to making a dream come true. And, while the idea of pool maintenance storage might not strike you as exciting, this initial period of pool planning is the best time to contemplate those important storage needs. Your backyard becomes a blank canvas while you figure out the right location for the perfect pool, select the design and choose customization options, from mosaic tile finishes to water features. The thrill increases as you dream about the luxurious getaway landscaping that plays to your sense of adventure. So how does storage fit into this pool lover s daydream? Fortunately, when you take stock of new pool storage options, maintenance equipment storage can become another fun and exciting element of your pool design and planning process.

3 WHAT EQUIPMENT? Regular care is key to keeping your pool beautiful, clean, and safe. To maintain your pool properly, you ll need a range of products: + + Pool vacuum, skimmer, and other cleaning implements to remove floating pool debris + + Chemicals to treat and adjust your water PH + + Testing supplies to guarantee that your treatment process is accurate + + Removable pool covers that help keep your pool clean and free of most debris Once your pool construction is complete, you should have settled on a way to store your equipment that s landscape-friendly and doesn t clash with the backyard getaway you ve created. If you do a little research, you ll find a wide range of beautiful, contemporary, or fun storage options that fit perfectly with your backyard dreamscape. LOOK ONLINE FOR STORAGE IDEAS You ll find a wide variety of storage ideas online, but when you re looking for trendy ideas Pinterest is one of the most useful sites for design ideas. It s a visual site where thousands of DIY savvy artists, crafters, homeowners, and professionals use virtual boards to post design ideas from across the web. With so many contributors, the site provides an endless stream of different ideas. Houzz is a similar idea-sharing site which focuses strictly on home designs. Homeowners, architects, and construction professionals share their best ideas here. Contributors use ideabooks and post photos of completed home projects. The pool houses and storage units you find on Houzz.com are unique and often showcase a flair typical of contemporary, high-end home designs. 3

4 TINY HOUSE STORAGE Instead of a plain outbuilding or shed, build a tiny house with as much personality as your main living quarters. The tiny house movement has changed the way homeowners think about living, and it can change the way you think about storage. While those tiny buildings might not be right for a growing family, an increasing number of individuals are making tiny house living a lifestyle choice. Those versatile little homes can also move your thinking away from the idea of backyard pool maintenance storage as boring or strictly functional. An architect can design your tiny storage house, and you can have it built as a mini version of your own home. Yours can be constructed to include living, guest, changing, or entertainment areas with appliances for serving or even preparing poolside meals. Your tiny home can include storage spaces that are large enough to accommodate the equipment and supplies you need to service your pool. Your tiny house can have a contemporary look with clean lines and simple details, or it can be a miniature cottage with colorful, ornate trim reminiscent of a Swiss chalet. For a wide range of tiny house design ideas, links to resources and photos, search Pinterest using the keywords tiny, house, pool, storage. If you don t have the resources to fund a construction project with an architect and a construction crew, you can rely on your DIY skills. Search Pinterest using keywords tiny, storage, house, plans to find user photos of tiny storage houses with links to free downloadable DIY plans to build your storage house in a variety of architectural styles 4

5 DESIGNER POOL HOUSES Create an outdoor space that s perfect for storage but is also wonderful for living, working, and entertaining. Houzz.com has photos and on-site resources for designing and building elegantly executed pool and storage buildings. Pool house and storage combinations on the site include units constructed in traditional, contemporary, and artsy styles. The site offers a variety of interior and exterior ideas for finishing your designer pool house. Exterior examples include trendy color combinations, glass, cedar, natural wood, paint, and wall sculpture. In addition to storage, these pool house interiors offer work, food preparation and play areas. CEDAR SHEDS Design a storage shed that looks right at home in a rugged outdoor setting. When you prefer a storage structure with a more rustic look, a cedar unit may be best option for your backyard. You order cedar storage shed kits online. Your package comes with all the materials you need to build a themed beach house or pool storage shed. Many of the units come with pre-cut floors, windows, pre-assembled wall units, and roofing panels with pre-laid wooden shingles. Before you can turn your kit into a finished storage unit, you ll still need to hone your carpentry skills or locate a local expert to assemble the pieces for you. 5

6 PREFABRICATED STORAGE SHEDS DIY but build a storage unit with components that come pre-assembled as much as possible. Like cedar sheds, you can purchase many tiny houses and home-style storage sheds as prefabricated units. The kits include all the materials you need. Windows and doors are pre-cut. Some designs have planter boxes, shutters, and old-fashioned railed porches. You can have many of the details you d select if you d designed a custom shed with your own architect but at a much lower cost. You ll just need basic DIY skills to assemble the prefab components. Once you ve constructed your prefab storage shed, you can personalize it any way you choose. You may paint the trim, add decorative hardware and artwork, or opt for a color style that won t detract from main attraction of your pool and landscaping. You can even give your prefab unit its own landscaping as a finishing touch. SMALL OUTDOOR STORAGE SHED You prefer basic storage, no fancy designs. When you want to channel all of your pool-building energy into designing and landscaping, you might not want to invest a lot of time into selecting maintenance storage options. If basic storage will do, you have a number of choices. Houzz users post mostly high-end storage shed ideas, but you can find quite a few basic designs on Pinterest. Basic storage units are often simple vertical boxes or horizontal chests with a door for easy access. Your storage space should be small enough to fit in an out-of-the-way location yet big enough to store the implements and supplies you need for proper pool maintenance. If you are a build-it-from-scratch, DIY kind of person, you can get downloadable plans online and buy the materials you need from a lumberyard or hardware store. You can customize your basic storage unit with paint, hardware, plants, and other simple design details. 6

7 POOL STORAGE BENCH Store pool maintenance supplies where you sit! Benches are another simple storage option that also serve a basic function. You can build or buy storage benches for all of the pool maintenance storage you need. When you re not performing maintenance chores, storage benches provide extra poolside seating for friends and family. Pinterest is a great DIY resource for pool storage bench ideas. When you search the keyword combination pool, storage, bench, you ll find hundreds of bench storage links, resources, and photos. Wood-constructed storage benches incorporate weathered, stained, or painted wood materials that blend naturally with your landscape. Because they are benches as well as storage, you may decide to purchase or build multiple units and place them around the pool where you need extra seating for guests. You may choose metal for durability, plastic for waterproofing, or whatever materials best fits your design scheme. You may choose from a variety of design elements. + + Bench Cushions For a more comfortable seating surface, consider topping your bench lids with colorful fabric cushions made from a durable or waterproof fabric. + + Park Bench Design You might also construct your bench with a slatted back and wooden arms that resemble a park bench. + + Wicker Bench If you prefer natural materials but don t want wood, wicker benches are easy to find online and in many local stores. Larger units provide enough storage for your pool maintenance supplies, and they provide a classic accent to your naturally landscaped pool. 7

8 GATES AND SCREENS Who needs a shed when a gate will do? Houzz.com shares a number of storage options that allow you to hide your pool maintenance equipment behind slatted fences or gates or inside slatted storage units. These Gates and Screens look just as the name would lead you to believe. They are constructed with vertical or horizontal fence-style slats. There are several colors, materials, and gap sizes for a variety of looks and styles. Options shown are natural, stained, or painted wood. You can use gates and screens anywhere you want to hide something in your pool area. You can place hinged gates around large equipment pieces where you need easy access, or build them to permanently camouflage an undesirable view. A white resin-constructed version of the gate or screen on Pinterst is low in cost and comes in four adjustable pieces. The unit can be reworked to form an L, U, or zig-zag configuration. It s adjustable feature allows you to easily hide pool equipment effectively and economically. 8

9 POOL STORAGE BINS When you don t want to spend a lot of money on storage, you still have options. If you want a no-fuss way to store your pool maintenance equipment, you might prefer the simplicity of storage bins. The bins on Pinterest vary widely in style and construction. You ll find photos and links for inexpensive plastic organizers, fabric-lined wire baskets, wooden designs, and more. A Pinterest search for pool storage will bring up a number of colorful mesh bins on wheels. The illustrations suggest that they are popular for pool toys, but if you choose that colorful open style for your pool maintenance equipment, you can roll your bin right up to the edge of your pool, perform your maintenance tasks and roll them away. A STORAGE OBELISK Unique is always better. For storage that s unique to your backyard, you may consider designing your own unit from scratch. One of the more intriguing storage ideas on Houzz is a unit constructed in the shape of an obelisk. If you re not up on your Egyptian-style architecture terms, an obelisk is a pillar that is usually square at the bottom and shaped like a pyramid on the top. One side of the obelisk pyramid opens up like a door, allowing storage for your long implements. The unit shown on Houzz was built for garden equipment, but it s an original idea for pool maintenance equipment storage. 9

10 GO GREEN WITH STORAGE FROM RECLAIMED MATERIALS You can make anything green. If you re handy with a hammer and a saw, you can consider making your DIY storage project a showcase for your awareness of the Earth and the value of its natural resources. One example of this popular storage trend relies on glass, reclaimed wood, and a simple cubed shape to give it a uniquely contemporary look and feel. Any pool maintenance shed you build with stones, wood, and aged bricks from a vintage source can inform your friends and neighbors of your desire to be green. You can build your unit from any of the plans available for download from online resources, or you can design your own unit from the ground up. Either way, your end product will be a storage unit that will hold the implements and supplies you need to properly tend your pool. 10

11 BUILDING YOUR STORAGE UNIT It s better to plan now to get the results you want. There are so many storage design ideas available, you might find it difficult to make a choice. That s why it s important to include pool maintance storage in your initial pool planning stages. Like any element of your pool project, you should think about your needs before you decide: + + How much storage will be adequate to meet your needs? + + Do you want it to blend in with the natural surroundings currently in your backyard? + + When you install your pool will you make substantial changes in your backyard landscaping? + + Do you want to use stones, wood, and other natural materials? + + Do you want a contemporary or trendy look, or will basic storage be fine for your needs? + + Do you want the added functions of a poolhouse to make your out building a party-centric unit that just happens to provide storage? It s important to know what you want and to discuss it with your pool design and construction team so that your entire pool planning process flows smoothly. You might actually find that buying your pool maintenance supplies and the prospect of storing them in a trendy storage unit might be just as exciting as getting the pool of your dreams. 11

12 POOL STORAGE IDEAS FROM STORAGE BENCHES TO POOL HOUSES Tips And Trends For Storing Unattractive Pool Equipment Latham Pool Products is the leading manufacturer of inground residential fiberglass swimming pools, pool covers, and vinyl pool liners in North America. Click here to Request a catalog or Ask a local pool builder about Latham s array of high quality fiberglass pools from one of these fine brands. Behind Every Pool. 12

13 FOR MORE GREAT POOL IDEAS VISIT OUR BLOG + + blog.lathampool.com