"Pool" barn

[s219]

We're looking at putting in a pool for my daughter, something fairly simple where I do most of the work (wife vetoed my "backhoe and a tarp" idea so it will be a couple steps above that).

A big expense will be the safety barrier, which my county is very strict about. If we go with an in-ground fiberglass pool, the barrier would have to be an approved 4' tall metal pool fence that is 5' away from the pool edge. Or a power safety cover, which looks cool but is expensive and complex. Both have some associated baggage and end up being a good chunk of money compared to the cost of the pool itself, which gives me heartburn.

After looking at the options and costs, I am wondering about just building a pole barn over the top of the pool. Building inspector says it would satisfy safety barrier requirements. I've built several pole barns now, and they are such a good value. I know I could build a basic one for a little more than the cost of the fence and at least half the cost of the power cover. And if we decide to put more money into the barn, it could be a nice looking deluxe pole barn that improves the use of the pool and extends the season.

All of this is in the brainstorming stage, but I'd love to get some input from the brains here. My main concerns are about dealing with moisture and seasonal temperature changes. I envision the barn having several sets of 10x10' slider doors or rollup doors that we could open up when desired.

 

[RNeumann]

If you want a covered and or indoor pool I get it. But if you think you can build a building for about the same cost as a fence you have bad info. The county specs for fencing can’t be that restrictive- find those and shop around. Fencing is “real” safety. A building ends up with door left open etc- not as secure.
If an indoor pool is the goal- brace yourself. The design and equipment need to keep the building mold at bay is pricey and technical.....but it can be done.

 

[CobyRupert]

"Approved 4' tall metal pool fence"? Why wouldn't any 4' fence do? In many jurisdictions the key is it needs an "approved" self closing lockable gate. In most jurisdictions, the walls of a 4' above ground pool is the "barrier" itself, as long as the ladder is removable or lockable.

Will pool in a barn be warm enough? Removable/retractable roof panels? There's the ticket! (Let's spend your money!)

Maybe in Virginia you have the temps and the season length, but up here a pool needs to be in the sun as much as possible or you're going to have a lot of "shrinkage" problems when using it.
That is, around here, even in the sun, pool temps only make a pool usable from late June, July and some of August. And many people try to maximize the season (and water temps) by using solar covers and heaters.
The flip side is, once water is warm, it would probably retain a lot more heat at night if in a barn.

 

[Diggin It]

I have a small 10' diameter by 30" deep pool intended for 'above ground' but I've dug it in to be surface level, then added a small deck around it. No legal or zoning requirements out here in the sticks. It is behind a 6' wooden privacy fence though. NO ONE comes on my property unescorted

I've toyed with the idea of covering it somehow, maybe a Pergola/tent type thing. But then I think about trapping mold/mildew, bugs, and so on, plus you lose the solar heating. I would not want a permanent roof of metal, fiberglass or wood over it.

 

[s219]

If you want a covered and or indoor pool I get it. But if you think you can build a building for about the same cost as a fence you have bad info. The county specs for fencing can’t be that restrictive- find those and shop around. Fencing is “real” safety. A building ends up with door left open etc- not as secure.
If an indoor pool is the goal- brace yourself. The design and equipment need to keep the building mold at bay is pricey and technical.....but it can be done.

The barn entry door needs to be self-closing and self-latching, just like a gate would have to be on the fence. As for the fence cost, it took my breath away. If it's poolside it needs to be metal and bonded, and then to satisfy the rules about nothing under 4" being able to get through, it becomes a very specific type of pool fence with vertical pickets and horizontals spaced far enough apart to prevent climbing. Chain link acceptable if the holes are smaller than a certain size (to prevent a toe-hold for climbing) but that's not a standard fence either. Both options become nuts with pricing. I could do a cheaper wood fence (again it needs to meet all the access issues) if it's farther away but that runs into other issues so it's off the table.

 

[s219]

"Approved 4' tall metal pool fence"? Why wouldn't any 4' fence do? In many jurisdictions the key is it needs an "approved" self closing lockable gate. In most jurisdictions, the walls of a 4' above ground pool is the "barrier" itself, as long as the ladder is removable or lockable.

Will pool in a barn be warm enough? Removable/retractable roof panels? There's the ticket! (Let's spend your money!)

Maybe in Virginia you have the temps and the season length, but up here a pool needs to be in the sun as much as possible or you're going to have a lot of "shrinkage" problems when using it.
That is, around here, even in the sun, pool temps only make a pool usable from late June, July and some of August. And many people try to maximize the season (and water temps) by using solar covers and heaters.
The flip side is, once water is warm, it would probably retain a lot more heat at night if in a barn.

I grew up in CT and we had a basic above ground pool. Up there some folks built solar panels to heat the pool, but we just lived with cold water and shrinkage (we also would swim in 50F ocean water for hours at a time at the beach, so clearly we were crazy).

Down here, people actually install chillers on their pools to keep the water from getting too warm in the peak of summer. I have some other ideas to control pool temperature if necessary, such as solar to warm it or geothermal to cool it. I'd setup the plumbing so I could pipe in that stuff later on as we figure out how things go.

 

[MossRoad]

Why any 4' fence wouldn't do is probably because, for example, kids can easily climb chain link or wood. Our area says chain link is OK, but I can see how it's not.

However, an indoor pool has it's security issues as well, as in if a door or doors aren't locked, a kid can get in and be easily not noticed. But that's the case with any pool. Pool safety is a huge concern with young children, be they yours or the neighborhood kids.

You'd get a couple more months use out of an indoor pool VS an outdoor pool. But you'd also have NO sun. What fun is that?

You'd be good with no mosquitos, though, and that's a plus. And sunlight breaks down pool chemicals faster, so that would be a plus.

There's huge moisture issues with an indoor pool. Not so much in the summer if you have good ventilation, but in the off months, when you're not using it, and large temp swings at the start and end of winter. I'd still cover it in winter just for added security.

We've had a 24' above ground pool for about 20 years now. I love it, yet it is a maintenance item that has to be done each week. And it seems, the less you use it, the MORE you have to clean it. People in it stirring up the water moves the dirt around and the filter takes care of it. No use and the dirt settles. You still have to brush the walls and bottom once a week, using it or not. I converted ours to salt water about 8 years ago. That eliminates a lot of the chemical tending, as the salt water chlorine generator does all the work. But I still have to check numbers once a week, add algaecide, check water level, pump pressure, and brush and vacuum once a week. I'd say it takes about 30-60 minutes of maintenance per week, on average.

 

[s219]

Above ground is another option for us, and that is what I grew up with so I know the routine -- I remember installing the pool with my dad, replacing the liner many years later, etc. It has a lot of advantages with installation compared to a fiberglass shell in-ground pool, which takes some planning to move into place and backfill (not to mention digging out a big hole). A bonus of the above ground pool is that it serves as it's own barrier as long as the sidewalls are at least 48" high and there are no climbable structures within a certain distance. So we may go in that direction ultimately, but we like the idea of in-ground better.

 

[MossRoad]

The main advantage of an above ground is that when you tire of it, you remove it, set it by the curb, someone else hauls it away, you rake out the sand, add some topsoil, plant some grass, and no one knows it was there 6 months later.

:laughing:

 

[EddieWalker]

Before committing to building my own in ground swimming pool, we bought an above ground pool and used it for the summer. We thought it was a great idea, but had doubts as to how much we would use it, or even enjoy it. Kind of like doing something once, loving it, but then never doing it again. Building a barn over a pool kind of seems like a lot of work that defeats part of the fun of being outdoors, in the pool. Most of the time, we use ours in the evening. Just float around, enjoy a beer, and enjoy the scenery. I don't think I would enjoy having a roof over my pool.

 

[MossRoad]

We did go to someone's home that had a nice screened pole building over their pool. I felt it was kinda weird being inside in summer. They did have a rope swing in there, though. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

And pretty much all of the inground pools in FL had screened houses over them. But the roof is screened, so you still get the sun, but no bugs. That was nice. But I don't think the screened roof is a good idea in snow country.

 

[Diggin It]

Bugs and stuff blowing around (leaves, spent flower petals, grass clippings, etc.) was my reason for considering something, but the costs involved just didn't make sense.

 

[Big Barn]

"Pool" barn

A retractable cover might be a good option. The roll up mechanism on mine is hydraulically driven. The original cover lasted 16 years and was replaced two years ago. In my municipality, a fence isn’t required if you have one of these.

A cover pump is required to remove rain water accumulation. Pic taken today (April 18/19)




A summer photo showing cover retracted.

 

[tornadowatchranch]

2 thoughts....
What will the high humidity and pool chemicals do to the inside of a metal barn?

If going in ground I highly recommend a retractable cover like in big barn pics. Our chemicals are much easier to manage as rain water never enters the pool. Winter closing is a breeze. It also acts as a solar heater to some degree. Even if you don’t do the auto covers you still need a winter cover of which a good one is not cheap.

 

[Ranger Rick]

If you build pool inside a building I would recommend a pool automatic pool cover. If you have one you do not have to put alarms on all of the self closing doors that the Virginia code requires. It also keeps pool heat in the pool as most heat is lost to evaporation.