Christi, congrats on doing the pool. We're in PHX too and same as you got tired of going to pool parties at others houses and realizing how much fun we had. So we are building now too. Should be done in about 2 weeks. I can't wait. I think your idea is great for the sun shelf. I am sure it will look good and I think 18" is perfect for the shelf. Good luck with the build. Just remember that even with a PB you'll have to keep track of the work since with my experience I found a bunch of errors during a few of the steps and had those fixed before they moved forward.

Sam

We just finished our pool this spring and our shelf is 5 feet deep. I'm happy with it, but I would consider adding another foot or two. When you consider that it's up against the edge, and then if you sit a foot out from the edge ....

I have to say that so far the kids don't use the shelf much, it's mostly adults for relaxing near the kids who are swimming like crazy.

You'll love the pool. It's been great for us to spend time together as a family and for entertaining.

Here is a link that might be useful: pool

Christi,

What about making your shelf sort of a beach entry? Step in at 6" and slope to 18". I think you would have to make your circle have a 7'diameter for the drop from 6-18, though. Could you squeeze one more foot in there?
If that is too much of a slope I would choose one depth for the whole thing. Maybe split the difference and do 12"?

Thanks everyone.

I am thinking that splitting it into two steps may not be the best use of space. We chalked it out and i'ts not as big as it was in my mind. :)

Unfortunately I can't extend the pool out in any direction (we are squeezing it in between a fence, main lines for our sprinkler system, an eight foot easement and the logical place for a pool fence).

Maybe the 12" depth idea would be good, or just do a small first step at 6" and than have the bulk of the circle radius be 18" deep. I've even thought of switching the circle to a square, just to gain a bit more space. Ahhh decsions!!! :) Thanks!

My friend's pool is very much like yours, accept the circle is their spa. On either side of the circle, they put seats. What if you had your first two steps 6", then 12", then 18" in a straight line across the pool at the edge of the circle? Just an idea.

Truthfully, my kids just loved my mother's steps when they were little. We have a small pool, too, and built a sunshelf that is hardly used. It is nice to look at, and highlights the spa, put if I could have a smaller step area I would. Maybe just making the top 6 " and the rest steps would be great. If you put it in the front right corner it would give you more pool space. I'll include a picture of our pool so you can see our circle idea. I can tell you're really working on a nice shape for your pool.

Be careful with steps and shelves though, one time I was playing with my baby (13 now) and my 3 year old (16 now)was on the step right next to me. I turned to look and he had stepped off the shelf and was underwater looking at me and reaching for me. I will never forget those eyes and how I was just a couple of inches from him. Steps are great to play on, but be so careful.

Do you have any part of the pool raised for interest? I have a spa that is raised a little, but if I could do it again I would have raise the back wall a little for more interest.

One other thing that I noticed. Your light in your deep end is just like mine. I was told that it wouldn't shine towards the house, but it does...and right at us in the spa. Yours is going towards your house and patio. You may want to put two and have them going out towards the house. That is one of my "I wish they didn't talk me out of it" things with my builder. I hate it everytime I turn it on.

Good luck!

Your pool and spa look awesome! Really cool!

You certainly bring up a good point about being careful. My daughter is just now learning to swim and I think she and I are both a bit terrified of it. When I watch her at her lessons, you see how quickly they can panic or mis-step and go down. :(

Our house is at the bottom of that drawing above. The wall of the pool closest to the house will be 18" raised bond beam. We have a slope to contend with, so that is how we are managing the slope. The three round things on it are wok pots - which I'm hoping will help discourage anyone running and jumping off of the bond beam.

Our light as shown is currently parralel to the house, but I keep wondering if I should put it on the wall of the raised bond beam, which would point it away from the house.

I do think moving it over would help with space. I'd prefer to move it towards the house/seating area (a natural place to get in the pool) but don't believe I can with the way the bond beam will wrap around (I guess I could, it could just be a bit odd).

The pool was a lot easier to design when we thought we were working with the standard 3' utility easement from the back fence. The 8' easement really took away a lot of options and space. :( I guess it's good I wasn't planning on a spa, nowhere for it to really go!

I wondered what the circles were in the back. Cool! They are going to look nice. The circle to the right does look nice, and with the woks it will repeat the pattern nicely. When I suggested the move of the the steps, I didn't know that you had the raise beam. We have a sheer arc in the middle of the back side that looks nice...but I still miss that raised look.

We have tons of space behind our house, but it doesn't belong to us! We had just 25 ft. behind our porch and house with 6 feet of that being easement! That's why we had to go small. It's really been nice, though. I have to say, we weren't going to put in a spa, but I talked my husband into it. I realized that when we go on vacation, that's were he loves to hang out. Well, guess what? It's the same with our spa. In fact, it seems like at the end of every swim, that's where everyone ends up. In the winter, we mainly use the spa. We heat the pool during school vacations...but that's it. I'm just running this by you because it was the best part of our investment.

Do make sure that your lights don't shine towards the house...I can't emphasize this one enough. I asked here about it and everyone told me to make sure, and I HAD to listen to the builder. I don't want you to have the same regrets.

You're going to love your new pool! You must be soooo excited! Keep us posted.

Kristen

Thanks Kristen!

I guess the raised bond beam may be up to 2.5 feet high, which I have a feeling is going to look REALLY high when it's in! But it beats a retaining wall (and is cheaper).

You had to deal with the small issue as well. And I think it will be nice no matter what, it will be a great place to spend time. I'd love to do a spa, but don't know that I can afford it. Unfortunately dealing with that slope is eating up money that I would have loved to used differently. I'm still going to check the prices, but I'm afraid it will be out of reach. But hey, a pool will still be awesome.

We had a pool builder over yesterday, who had an awesome 3D program (complete with the sound of water from the wok pots) and he had the lights pointing away from the house. He also felt that our semi circle wasn't going to be a great use of space, and I think I agree. I think we are going to stick to a triangle, and then just do the baja shelf at the end of the pool. Narrowing in on having to make all these choices final - nervous but so excited!

Thanks so much for all your feedback and advice, I really appreciate it. I haven't had a pool since I was a teenager, so the reality of a lot of the choices are a bit out there for me. ;)

Good luck! I'm sorry I didn't see your response until now. I was watching this week's Design Star (love it!) and I saw an ad with a pool like yours with a semi-circle on the end. It was beautiful. Good luck and enjoy!!!