<p>Just wondering. We have a large deck that juts out over a gently sloping yard. It’s a natural for one of those pools that sit flush with the deck. Have always wanted a pool but don’t want the investment or time involved in an inground. Have never gone down this road before. Any advice?</p>
<p>They’re much more common every place I’ve lived than inground. I never knew anyone thought they were tacky. But, I think overall the ones which line up with a deck, so they’re not out by themselves in the middle of the yard, would probably be considered less so by those who might otherwise think so. I’d say go for it; inground seem to be much more time and money intensive.</p>
<p>I guess your definition of tacky would be helpful… my family has a standard above ground pool and I would never have thought it was tacky, but it’s nothing special. I only think they’re tacky when they’re dirty. We have our filter set on a timer, I vacuum it every few days, spend a minute or two every time I go outside skimming any leaves, and it’s clean as a whistle. It’s not gorgeous but it’s not an eyesore… in my mind that’s just what an above ground pool is. </p>
<p>My neighbors across the street have a gorgeous deck built around one side of their above ground pool-- the side that is visible. It makes her pool look like it’s REALLY something. The other side, less visible, looks just like my pool. </p>
<p>Maybe I’m wrong, but I think an above ground pool is an above grould pool no matter what way you look at it. It’s the deck that makes a difference. A yucky looking deck would be tacky. A pool is a pool.</p>
<p>I think it’s how you blend it in. If you just sit an above ground in the middle of the yard with pool toys strewn out around it, it could be tacky. But blend it into your deck, landscape around it, keep it presentable and I will hope that you will invite me over!!!</p>
<p>I never realized that some people thought they were tacky until I learned that some “exclusive” communities have ordinances prohibiting them!!</p>
<p>Where I grew up, they were quite tacky, it was in ground pools everywhere and only the odd situation had an above ground pool. I think it would really be a regional thing.</p>
<p>On a hot day, I bet you won’t worry about whether people think it is tacky. :)</p>
<p>Not necessarily a regional thing but a neighborhood thing. Because above-ground pools are less expensive that in-ground pools, in some affluent neighborhoods they are looked down upon. But if it’s customary in your neighborhood, then it’s not tacky – in your neighborhood.</p>
<p>If you completely surround an above ground pool with a deck I think it can look pretty good, especially if the deck is attached to the house. Our neighbors have an attached deck which only surrounds about half the pool and then they put large plantings around the rest of it. It looks better than most, but not quite as good if the deck went all the way around, in my opinion.</p>
<p>I think a freestanding pool in the middle of the yard, looks tacky, or at least lower-class. Perhaps unfairly. :)</p>
<p>Wow. </p>
<p>Tacky. Less expensive (like it’s a failing). Lower class.</p>
<p>this is fascinating, in a grim kind of way.</p>
<p>I’m really kind of surprised. And glad I live where I do.</p>
<p>When we were shopping for a house in 2010 we passed over a number of houses with in ground pools because they were in disrepair and the technicians we consulted said it would be expensive to give them a face lift. I actually like the above ground pool concept much better. There aren’t any in my neighborhood though. </p>
<p>The older I get the more I just want to have some fun. So I’m really longing for this!</p>
<p>go for it, sewhappy! Summer’s just around the corner! :)</p>
<p>Kind of my feeling, too, garland. </p>
<p>We had an above ground pool for about 10 years when the kinds were younger. It was in the middle of the yard. We have a deck on the main floor with a full walkout basement and an acre of back yard. My instructions to the installation guys were to put it far enough out in the yard so that no one would ever be tempted to try jumping off our deck into it. One side of it was buried about half way in the sloping yard to make it level. </p>
<p>They are a lot of work and expense. We spent approx. $1000 per year in water, cleaning supplies, pool chemicals. </p>
<p>I don’t know what the weather is where you live or if you have trees. Those are considerations. </p>
<p>We had a cover on it in the winter which had to be weighted with gallon milk jugs to keep it from blowing away. I recall a few times when all four of us were out in the yard in the middle of the night trying to keep the pool cover from blowing off. We also a solar blanket which made the water very warm in only a few days. </p>
<p>We talked about building a deck around it, but since there was no shade, we would probably not want to sit on it, and we also had small neighbor children. You really needed to be a teenager or adult to be able to get in our pool without the ladder which was removed when we weren’t using it. We had a five-ft high fence with a locked gate, but I never really felt completely safe with that keeping determined small children out. No one else in our neighborhood had any kind of pool so there was no question of “tackiness.”</p>
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<p>This seems questionable in terms of safety if any children live in your home or ever visit you. It would be very easy for a child on the deck to fall into the pool.</p>
<p>Time spent cleaning an inground pool is a misconception…Most pools built in recent years have features that limit time investment…i spend about 10 minutes a week at most</p>
<p>Sewhappy - I think where you are, it would be tacky. We used to live around your neck of the wood. We never had a pool, but when we went to someone’s house with an above ground pool once, my kids did ask what it was. If you are going to live in your house for a while, then it probably wouldn’t matter, but if you are looking to sell the house in the near future, then I wouldn’t do it.</p>
<p>We have had an above ground pool for years. Ideally we wanted an inground pool but since we have ledge everywhere, it would have required blasting at $1000 a pop (15 years ago) with no guarantee of how many blasts would be needed. That coupled with the fact that we have well water meant the possibility of damaging our well plus others in the neighborhood convinced us the above ground pool was a better choice.</p>
<p>1000 per pop?? That is a ripoff…we had a stipulation in our contract(12±years ago) and it was 1000 per day , and our recent pool had 2 days free, if rock were encountered…</p>
<p>DH and I have put our ginormous house on the market and, in downsizing, i wouldn’t mind an in-ground pool. What are the costs of maintaining one?? What is the time commitment?</p>
<p>Costs:Opening and closing of pool, though it is easy to open yourself…depending on your method of sanitizing, chlorine or salt, and other chemicals…time committment for me is less then 10 minutes a week…we have built 2 free form pools in last 10 years, and each time it gets easier and easier</p>