David Domoney: Hot Tubs and Swimming Pools in the Garden
14 May 2024
Choosing paving for gardens with pools and hot tubs.
Ensuring your garden is perfectly equipped to suit your needs is one of the primary priorities to consider when designing your outdoor space. If having a swimming pool, hot tub, or an endless pool to relax in on a sunny summer’s day is of high importance for you, making sure your garden is properly equipped is essential.
Find out some of the best paving slabs to use for your garden so you can enjoy your swimming pools, hot tubs and more in safety and style.
Privacy
One of the first things you may be considering when deciding to have a hot tub in your garden is making sure it is a private space, where you can relax without worrying about your property being overlooked by the neighbours . There are a few ways you can keep this space quiet and isolated whilst maintaining a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Fences and framing
Firstly, positioning your hot tub next to a fence or existing structure is one simple and easy way to add some privacy and shelter. Not only does this make the hot tub less visible from outside the garden, but it also protects from cold winds and other changing weather conditions which may impact your hot tub experience.
Similarly to this, you may choose to construct a bespoke shelter for your hot tub, which blends in with your existing fencing. Whilst this has all the benefits of fence positioning, it also guarantees you can make the most of your hot tub no matter the weather conditions, plus it provides a sheltered storage space for any hot tub equipment you may need, including towels, beverages, and more.
Plants to separate the space
Another option is some clever planting methods. You can make this work regardless of your garden design, whether it be cottage, Mediterranean, tropical, or more. Raised beds around the edge of your garden can offer a great deal of options, from aromatic Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) or fragrant Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender) with its tall, light purple spires for cottage or Mediterranean gardens, to Buxus sempervirens (Common Box) cut into perfect rounds or boxes for contemporary gardens.
You may also choose to bury your hot tub in the ground, to help it to blend seamlessly into the garden without taking up a large amount of space. This also makes creating privacy shelters much easier, with smaller shrubs being able to do much of this without the need for them to be raised or 6 feet tall. Perhaps plant around these hardy palms such as Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan palm) so you can look up through the fronds to the bright blue sky.
Stylish Safety
Being safe in your garden around your hot tub or swimming pool is, of course, very important, and can help you enjoy your garden all the more without the concern of slipping with wet feet.
All of Pavestone’s porcelain range have a minimum slip resistance of R11, giving them each a very good ability to ensure you can travel to and from your hot tub or swimming pool with ease.
Not only this, but Pavestone’s porcelain paving is resistant to the chemicals used to keep your pool or hot tub clean, such as water conditioners like chlorine. The porcelain paving can even withstand acidic and alkaline products, including neat bleach, making it the perfect paving companion for your garden. In comparison, natural stone paving would eventually stain or even degrade with regular exposure to these water conditioners.
Porcelain for every design
Safe in the knowledge that porcelain paving is suitable for gardens featuring pools and hot tubs, Pavestone have a wide range of paving styles to suit your preferences.
Creating a beach effect
One of the first classic themes when adding a hot tub or swimming pool into your garden is evoking the atmosphere of being at the beach or even a subtly coastal atmosphere. Pavestone’s Deckwood range is perfect for the task, creating the effect of timber but with a durable porcelain material.
Create the impression of walking along a wooden deck along the coast before sinking into the warmth of your hot tub, such as with Deckwood Coco, which has a warming wood effect. Or for a lighter, sun-bleached timber appearance, Deckwood Cinder or Ash are the perfect choice.
Similarly, the lighter tones of Discovery paving in the shade of Sun Grande can transport you across oceans to the sandy beaches of Europe, creating the perfect brightening paving to go around your swimming pool. The beachy shade complements the blue of the pool tiling perfectly, helping it to effectively stand out and create a holiday feel at home with simple colour selections.
Curating a cosy atmosphere
Spending time in your hot tub or swimming pool doesn’t necessarily have to evoke a coastal atmosphere. Instead, you could choose a cosier, warming paving such as Pavestone’s Dolomite paving in the shade of Sunset, a dark, molten-looking paving with a marble effect, which blends well with the dark shade of the endless pool in this garden space
Marble effect paving adds a historical feel to the garden, much like taking a dip in the Roman baths of hundreds of years ago, particularly when choosing lighter Dolomite pavers, such as Dust, White, or French Limestone.
maintenance
Wherever there is water, there’s always a chance it can attract algae and mildew. Also the chemicals used in the water of swiming pools and hot tubs, can seriously stain and ruin natural stone and concrete paving. Porcelain is the ideal non-slip, low maintenance paving product recommended for use around pools and tubs.
Take a look at the video which is featured throughout this blog:
There are many more inspirational garden videos featured here for you to explore.
I look forward to seeing you back again next month.
David Domoney, TV gardener, horticultural expert and Pavestone brand ambassador blogs monthly on the Pavestone website on all things landscaping related.
