Tanning ledges
A tanning ledge (also called a sun shelf or baja shelf) is a big, shallow shelf, usually 6 to 12 in. deep, with 10 in. the popular choice, according to Latham. It's where the loungers, the umbrella and the toddlers go. On a fiberglass pool it's molded into the shell, so pick a shell with the ledge you want. One regret owners mention is a ledge too shallow to lounge in.
Spas
In a three-month season, a spa may be the most useful part of the pool. It heats fast, so it can stretch your season into spring and fall. Some Latham shells have the spa molded right in: the Astoria models, and the Deluxe versions of the Axiom, Bermuda and Cayman. Heat pumps struggle on cool nights (the U.S. Department of Energy notes they lose efficiency in cold air), so a gas or hybrid heater is the usual pick for a spa here.
Slides
A slide needs deep enough water where it lands. One common residential slide, for example, needs at least 3 ft under the exit, rising to 4½ ft over the next 4½ ft and holding that depth for 9 ft. Slides anchor to the deck, not the shell, so the footings go in with the deck. One popular S.R. Smith model lists at about $4,300 before installation and ships in 4 to 6 weeks, so order early. Check with your insurer, too: carriers vary on slides.
Waterfalls, rock and fire
Boulder waterfalls, sheer descents and fire bowls are built on the deck around the shell, and that's our home ground: MP Landscape builds boulder waterfalls, fire pits and seat walls for Salt Lake Valley yards. One rule we keep: nothing a child could climb goes against the yard fence.
Automatic safety covers: on every MP pool
Every pool we build gets an automatic safety cover. Here's what to know about it:
- Where the track goes. On a rectangular shell, the cleanest option is a track hidden under the coping, and it has to be planned before the coping goes on. Freeform shells usually use a recessed track at deck level.
- Measure the real pool. A "16-ft" shell can be closer to 15 ft inside, and its walls can bow a little under backfill. The cover is measured after backfill, not from the brochure.
- Cost. Latham's guide says autocovers typically start at $10,000 to $20,000. Freeform shapes and hidden tracks cost more.
- Made nearby. Cover-Pools, one of the oldest autocover makers, is based in West Valley City, and Latham's Coverstar cover business is in Lindon.
- It's a layer, not a guarantee. A cover helps with heat, evaporation and safety, but no cover makes a pool childproof.
Diving boards
Most Latham shells are rated no-diving under their code evaluation, which allows diving equipment only on "Type I" shells. One deep model qualifies: the Synergy Grand, at 8½ ft. For most families here, a slide or a ledge gets far more use than a board.