Swimming pool enclosures: Guide with the 4 best solutions

More and more people are interested in swimming pool enclosures. This growing trend is due to the fact that water architecture tends to make spaces as functional as possible, so that the surroundings of the house are not only aesthetically beautiful, but also useful and practical.

Currently there are two types of situations:

• The house has a limited number of m2 in its surroundings, with which you would have to choose between a swimming pool, a garden or a terrace.
• The house does have many exterior m2, but you want to cover the pool to avoid unnecessary dangers or to give another use to the pool area when it is not being used, for example to use that space as a terrace or garden.

In all situations, the main objective will be to provide functionality to the exterior of the house.

4 Best Swimming Pool Enclosures

There is generally a great deal of confusion between the types of pool enclosures. A fixed pool cover is not the same as a walkable cover or a movable floor.

Here below we presento to you the 4 best solutions to cover your design pool, leaving apart fixed enclosures (which cover the pool with a roof all year round) and focusing on mobile enclosures.

Rigid walkable flat cover

This swimming pool enclosure is based on a retractable cover, generally made of synthetic wood and aluminum or galvanized steel. You can find it with both manual and motorized operation.

Regarding its opening mode, you can choose between the longitudinal opening, so that parts of the cover remain along the pool, on one side or on both sides; or transverse opening, in which the cover is at one end of the pool.

In these images you can get a better idea:

There is also the possibility of leaving the cover raised, for example attached to a wall or building a space where it is hidden.

In either case, you should know that this type of mobile pool enclosure has both advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages of the walkable rigid flat cover:

• They protect the water from dirt and you do not need to use another type of protection such as pool covers
• You can place light terrace furniture, such as chairs or sun loungers, on top, but you must not forget that they are not made to walk on, but to cover the pool. Therefore it is not 100% safe.
• They avoid unnecessary risks such as the danger of children or pets falling into the water.
• They are available in different finishes, either natural or synthetic coating with elements in galvanized steel or aluminum. This variety allows you to find a tone or finish that matches your terrace or pool.

Disadvantages of the walkable rigid flat roof:

• As much as it is called a flat roof, it is not really flat. As you can see in the images above, it is about 15 cm above ground level, so it is not fully integrated.
• In order to be able to move the cover along some rails when it is opened, a bearing system must be installed. As a consequence, the aesthetics of the pool surroundings are not completely clean.Enclosure with movable rigid lid cover

Swimming enclosure with movable rigid lid cover

It is a type of swimming pool enclosure that works like a lid, on top of which there is garden.

So when the pool is uncovered, that cover is moved to the side and the garden is seen to one side of the pool. Hence, it is also called a Mobile Garden. There is also the possibility that the cover can open on both sides, leaving a garden on each side of the pool.

Advantages of the mobile garden

• Its opening is done with a remote control.
• The materials and finishes can be customized so that the pool and the mobile garden are very integrated.
• Its intelligent travel system stops if it encounters any obstacle on the way, avoiding accidents.

Disadvantages of the mobile garden

• You cannot walk above the deck as it is a garden.
• Within swimming pool enclosures, it is the type that needs a larger area, at least twice the surface of the pool, to be able to open the cover without problems.
• In order not to break the aesthetics of this design, you must have the mobile garden in perfect conditions. Can you imagine leaving it unseeded and that a space full of earth looks like above the pool? It wouldn’t be very pretty!

Movable pool floor with pulley system

Contrary to the rigid walkable cover, in pools with a liftable floor, it is the pool floor itself that raises and lowers, in this case, by means of a pulley system.

It is the ideal solution to cover the pool when you do not have much space, you want to make better use of the rooms (either the terrace or the interiors of the house) or you are looking for maximum security.

Movable swimming pool floors can be covered with any material, be it porcelain stoneware or natural stone. In this way, it is very aesthetic to cover the movable floor with the same material as the terrace so that, when it is closed, everything is very integrated.

However, there are other options, for example: playing with natural stone cladding in shades of different intensity or making patterns in mosaic. You can get an idea of ​​the effects in these images:

Advantages of movable floor with pulley system

• It is somewhat cheaper than the hydraulic pillar system.
• It is 100% safe and provides a lot of functionality to spaces.
• You can play with different depths for the bottom of the pool, depending on the moment.
• It is compatible with all types of water treatments.
• It can be finished with any material.
• There are no size and shape limits.
• They keep the water hot and clean for longer.

Disadvantages of movable floor with pulley system

• This lifting floor system requires more maintenance than the system with hydraulic pillars.

Movable floor with hydraulic pillars

Among the different swimming pool enclosures, it can be said that this is an improved version of the movable floor with a pulley system.

Also called System of endless pillars or Pools with variable depth movable floor.

Advantages of movable floor with hydraulic pillars

• It is the safest movable pool floor on the market.
• You can play with different depths, for example: use a depth of 20 cm. when there are children inside;  set the bottom to the middle for exercise; or put it to its maximum bottom for swimming. It is absolutely versatile.
• It does not have electric motors, but the entire system works hydraulically.
• The safety is such that when the pool is open, there is only 8mm of space between the pool floor and the pool walls, so it is impossible to get trapped.
• Installation is simpler, stronger and requires less maintenance than the pulley-based movable floor system.
• It is compatible with all types of water treatments, be it salt, chlorine or more advanced treatments such as Pure Pool Technology.
• It can be covered with any material (mosaic, porcelain stoneware or natural stone).
• The structural and mechanical parts are made of the highest quality stainless steel and they do not have any type of welding.
• There are no size and shape limitations.
• The water remains hot and in optimal health conditions for longer.

Disadvantages of movable floor with hydraulic pillars

• The only real downside we could mention is the price. It is not an economic system, however it is a constructive solution that, in the long term, is more than amortized.

Conclusion: Among swimming pool enclosures, which one is the best?

It is evident that both for their aesthetics and for the versatility of use, pools with movable floors and hydraulic pillars are the best option on the market. They allow you to expand the functionality of the pool space, while being the safest option.

If you are thinking of making a design pool and you are looking for the maximum functionality of the spaces, we can help you. At GodoPools we include movable pool floors to our designs, guaranteeing optimal aesthetics and functionality. Ask for a budget!