Above-ground Pool Deck Plans
How Mike expanded his deck and renovated his backyard with Endless Pools®
What could a backyard transformation do for your home? For Mike's home outside Austin, Texas, he wanted a convenient space to swim, relax more, and have a showplace in his backyard. With those goals in mind, Mike turned to Endless Pools to create his dream pool.
Mike drafted above-ground pool deck plans to extend of his existing backyard deck. He selected an Endless Pools Performance model to abut the deck for easy access and an integrated look. He shared these detailed photos of how he brought his above-ground pool deck plans to life.
These before and after photos show the amazing transformation at Mike's home. He now uses his Performance pool to swim in place with the Endless Pools current. He also uses the pool to relax on a floatie and even sets up a television on the porch to watch soccer from the water!
Choosing an Above-ground Deck Pool
Mike initially wanted a traditional in-ground pool with an Endless Pools Fastlane® Pro current to swim in place. That plan ran into some problems. "I had a soil test done," he recalls, "and unfortunately, about 13-feet down, it's the equivalent of Jell-o. It was cost-prohibitive to put in an inground pool."
He wanted to swim because, "I used to be a long-distance runner, and I got burnt out. I decided that swimming would be my next obsession."
March 11: It's an exciting day when the crates arrive from Endless Pools! Mike's porch was then simple, efficient, and about to get expanded for fun, fitness, relaxation, and swimming. He used images from the Endless Pools Photo Gallery as inspiration to sketch out his above-ground pool deck plans.
Laying the Groundwork for the Above-ground Deck Pool
As soon as Mike ordered his pool, he contacted an Independent Service Provider. In retrospect, he's glad he got the ball rolling, even though delivery was six months out due to pandemic-related delays.
"Right away, I asked who my local installer would be. That's one of the better things I've done." Mike and his pool installer had plenty of time "to scope it out [and] then start envisioning what I wanted to do. My installer is so busy, so I started that relationship and kept telling them what the latest update was, so I was on their list."
The strategy worked. "As soon as the delivery happened, they were here in the next 24 to 48 hours. They were able to get someone to pour concrete within a week."
March 13-16: Goodbye, deck steps! The concrete slab gets poured to support the Performance pool, while the deck begins to get built out on the other side.
March 17-25: The pool's steel-panel framing is assembled. Mike then installs the Automatic Pool Cover that he opted for, as well as the Endless Pools current system, the internal components that make it possible to swim in place. As the pool begins to fill with water, the deck build-out continues.
March 27: The pool's wood skirting integrates it into the deck for a rustic, seamless look. The Performance pool's core components can fit within the cabinet, so Mike designed two access points for routine pool maintenance.
April 5: When the weather warms and Austin, Texas, enjoys a sunny spell, Mike lays down sod to complete the backyard. "Couldn’t be any happier with how my Endless Pools install and deck expansion turned out!!" Mike said.
Another before-and-after look: You can see by where the rug ends that the deck has considerably more space. Besides adding the Performance pool and the new lawn, Mike refreshed the deck furniture with bright new cushions. The pool is 14 feet by 8 feet with a 42-inch depth. The deck is 15 feet by 38 feet.
Tips for Future Pool Owners
"I love my pool," Mike declares. With hindsight though, he might've done things differently. He customized his Original Series pool to 14 feet by 8 feet. Now, he says, "two feet wider would've been nice and might as well go another foot or two longer; but again, that's coming from the mindset of someone who wanted an inground pool to begin with." At the current size, he laughs, "My girlfriend calls it a cocktail pool!"
He also recommends the Endless Pools Fit@Home® app. "I'm glad I got it. I like the fact that you can preprogram different workouts and go from one pace to another. It's fantastic! It saves me tons of time."
He's also glad that he chose our Automatic Pool Cover, which resides below the pool deck and closes with the turn of a key. "Everything's great about it! I love the fact that it's clean. To be able to lock it and bring the key inside – that's fantastic. I have a lot of trees so being able to cover it up" helps keep debris out of the water.
June 10: Mike notices that grass around the pool isn't as lush as he'd like. It's shaded by the pool and it's getting walked on more than the rest of the lawn. So, he surrounds the pool skirting with stone pavers to stop grass erosion and mud pits. "As much as my lovely girlfriend doesn’t believe me, I really am done with all heavy lifting landscaping projects until cooler temperatures return," Mike insists.