Ever dreamt of turning your backyard into a resort-style oasis? If you are thinking of making a swimming pool the centerpiece of your landscaping, maybe you have considered building an infinity pool. This type of pool, also called negative edge pool, enables unprecedent views directly from the pool while creating the effect of the water merging into the surroundings. Read on to learn more about infinity pools, their popularity, construction and maintenance.
History of an infinity pool
Even though the origin of infinity pools is not quite clear, some researchers believe that it was constructed in the early 1400s in the beautiful garden at the Palace of Versailles. The infinity pool was a key fountain feature and most design ideas came from this though. On the other hand, many researchers hypothesize that it was inspired by the ‘sawahs’ of Bali. A terraced rice paddy or the ‘sawah’ in Bali would sometimes fill with water. At a certain angle, these paddies looked like they were never-ending. The rice paddies gave the impression that infinity pools give to a human eye.
The infinity pool and the environment
We build skylights inside our homes, create parks in the cities and plant flowers along our highways so that we are never too far from nature while we are living in an urban existence. We love to enjoy these reminders of nature so much that at a time we forget that they are not real but man-made. Most of us prefer the man-made replications from the real nature. Technology has been used to enhance nature and only pick the most pleasing parts from her that will aesthetically look good and be adaptable in our society. Even though having a passion for things that look like nature is essential in order to inspire the love for the actual nature, it can cause us to ignore the times when the natural world is being harmed by the artificial nature.
The infinity pool fulfills a very particular niche when it comes to the realm of aquatic leisure activities. As already mentioned, these pools are known as negative edge pools. They are swimming pools that are specifically constructed to deceive the eye. These pools look like they are flowing into the environment and they also look like they are one and the same with the landscape. The illusion is that the water from the pool is fading on the wide horizon. If an infinity pool is built next to an enormous water feature like an ocean then it will seem like the swimmer is swimming in the deep ocean waves when in reality he is still in the chlorinated water. When you go swimming in an infinity pool that is placed on the edge of a cliff, you will end up feeling exhilarated because you will feel like you are swimming at the edge of the world. Whether a background is an ocean, cityscape, forest or a beautiful landscape, the infinity pool will enhance your view and it will create a remarkable centerpiece where you can entertain your guest or just enjoy your pool.
How an infinity pool works
An infinity pool is a reflecting swimming pool that provides a visual effect or an illusion of the pool water merging with the surrounding landscape or extending infinitely into the horizon. These pools are a recreational amenity that is luxurious and is mainly featured in upscale hotels and homes. Infinity pools look like they are dropping off an edge or into the horizon, thus creating a breathtaking view of the landscape or its surrounding. If you decide for an infinity pool and your site enables it, you can enjoy beach resort-style luxury and views in your own Sydney backyard. To get inspiration, you might want to visit some luxurious resorts on Sydney beaches, e.g. Sydney’s famous Bondi beach. The simple illusion of infinity pools is created using a technique known as the infinity effect. Unlike most conventional swimming pools which have walls above a particular water level, an infinity pool usually has one or more walls which meet at the distinct water level. These walls are then sloped downwards away from the pool in order to create the illusion of a waterfall.
The overflowing water is then caught inside a trough hiding or basin which is situated beneath the vanishing edge. After it is collected in the basin, the water is pumped back into the pool. However, it’s important that the trough hiding or the basin should be deep enough so as to be able to collect the spillover water. This ensures that there will no shortage of water inside the main pool. An important part of the infinity pool when creating the infinity illusion is the essential view of the vanishing edge. The trough hiding or the basin should not block the infinity edge view, therefore, it should not be possible.
The drain is an important element when it comes to ensuring that an infinity pool works perfectly. If the drain becomes visible, the optical illusion of the infinity pool will not work. Furthermore, if a particular drain is too deep, it will collect too much water thus allowing water to settle in the drain for a longer period of time instead of being pumped back into the pool. This will make the water level in the pool visibly low, therefore, making the water edge visible and ruining the infinity optical illusion.
Maintaining an infinity pool
A green lifestyle can really be interrupted when the maintenance of a swimming pool comes into play. In order to fill a pool, you require the expenditure of thousands of litres of water all at once. And because the infinity pool needs more water than the standard one, this is a thing to consider. Thus, using less chemicals thanks to out salt chlorinators, installing energy efficient pumps, using LED lights and having the self-cleaning system in place will reduce the impact of the pool and its maintenance on the environment. Have your infinity pool turned into a smart pool with these improvements.
Infinity pools look like they are flowing into the environment and they also look like they are one and the same with the landscape. An infinity pool fulfills a very particular niche when it comes to the realm of aquatic leisure activities. They are beautiful but we should be aware of how these infinity pools relate to the environment that they are supposed to be part off. If we embrace conservation and green life sustainability in our infinity pools, then we can enjoy them while ensuring our environment is taken care off.
Looking to build an infinity pool in Sydney and Central Coast?
Compass Pools Sydney build quality Compass fibreglass pools that look beautiful, last long, come with lifetime warranty, and – can be built as infinity pools! They can feature a rib-like system thanks to which they can be built on a sloping site, thus allowing the pool builder to create the infinity edge pool effect. Thus, if you are looking for a fibreglass pool in North Sydney or thinking of installing a pool in Central Coast and West Coast, be sure to talk to us.
Call us on 1800 626 650 or click the button below to submit an enquiry.