Eating outside
If you are looking forward to eating outside, how often and with how many people? Will your family regularly eat outside? How large of a table will you need? Will you want some optional cover? A covered patio, sometimes called an open porch, is a great option for making sure you can still eat outside in extreme sun or some inclement weather. A roofed structure does not have walls so it’s open to the rest of your yard creating seamless flow from your covered to your uncovered outdoor living area. Another benefit of eating under a covered porch is that lighting and other creature comfort such as a sound system or TV can be installed within the ceiling of your porch making outdoor living as much of an evening option as a daytime option.
Outdoor entertaining
How often will you entertain poolside? How many people will you regularly entertain? This may indicate the type and amount of seating space or seating areas you’ll need. Will your entertaining include eating? Watching TV? Playing cards? Enjoying beverages? Really think about how you will entertain. This will help you plan what type of space and how much space you need. If you plan on entertaining larger groups, you may want to consider both a deck and a patio. Your pool surround can be made of pavers or stone with additional space on an adjacent deck.
Lounging or sunbathing around the pool
How many people will be frequently lounging around the pool? Will you have teenagers with their friends regularly sunning poolside with your not-so-favorite music playing? Will your entire family frequent the poolside loungers for some quiet after-dinner time? Will you enjoy lounging poolside at a table enjoying the zen of the pool while enjoying meals close by?
Stealing away from it all
There’s a reason you see pictures of pergolas and pavilions at the far side of pools. While these are very attractive structures, their remote placement affords a different type of poolside living. Being on the far end of the pool from the house, the noise and distractions are minimized creating a quieter and serene getaway in your own backyard. You may want to consider extending your patio pool surround to incorporate a pergola. If you are looking for some more substantial cover from the sun and rain, you may want to consider an open roofed structure. Options include a freestanding roofed structure open on all sides. You may want some enclosed side for privacy or to provide some more protection from the elements. There’s a lot to be said for having some great outdoor living outside your back door – but on the far side of the pool.
Start with envisioning how you want to live poolside. We can help you determine the best outdoor structures and spaces to make your poolside living dream a reality.
Above Ground Pool vs In-Ground Pools
Decks for above ground pools can be expensive, especially if you surround the pool, because they require so many footings while only creating very little useable space. The under structure of your deck construction must be strong enough to be very long lasting, built correctly to pass code, and engineered to make a safe structure. This requires more perimeter footings and deck supports than your typical square or rectangular deck.
Alternatively, building a deck on one side or around a portion of the pool is much more economical. While we all dread constantly reminding the young ones to stop running laps around the pool’s exterior, there are obvious advantages to be able to walk all the way around the outside of the pool. These include cleaning the pool and having space for entertaining.
While you’re considering your options, be sure to include the maintenance of your pool deck. Different materials require different types of maintenance and range in cost not only now, but over the lifetime of the deck. After comparing the cost between an above-ground pool with a surrounding deck and an in-ground pool with a patio surround, you may likely come to the same conclusion I did. When considering the total cost, maintenance, and integration with our own outdoor living style, the in-ground pool with a patio made the most sense for our family.
Reach out to the Archadeck team today at (847) 250-4100.
Poolside Living FAQs
Do you build the pool, or just the area around it?
We build everything around the pool — the part that turns a pool into a place you actually want to spend time. That's the decks, paver or stone surrounds, patios, pergolas, pavilions, covered areas, lighting, and the seating and dining zones that make poolside living work. The pool itself is typically a pool contractor's job, and we're glad to coordinate alongside one. Here's the thing most people don't think about until they're living with it: you spend far more hours sitting beside the pool than swimming in it, so the space around the water is where the experience really happens.
Should I do a deck or a paver patio around my pool?
Often the best answer is some of both, and it depends on your yard and how you'll use it. A paver or stone surround right at the water's edge gives you a solid, low-maintenance walking surface, and then an adjacent deck adds a raised area for dining, lounging, or entertaining. If you're hosting bigger groups regularly, pairing a patio surround with a deck gives you separate zones so everything isn't piled on top of the pool. We'll look at your space and lay out what makes sense rather than pushing one over the other.
Is a deck for an above-ground pool worth it?
Be ready for the honest version: decks for above-ground pools get expensive, especially if you wrap the whole pool. They need a lot of footings and supports to be safe and pass code, and you end up paying for all that structure while gaining surprisingly little usable space. Building a deck along just one side or part of the pool is a lot more economical and still gives you a real spot to sit and a place to climb in and out. A fair number of people, once they price a full above-ground surround against an in-ground pool with a patio, land on the in-ground option. We'll give you the straight comparison so you can decide.
Do I need a deck or patio all the way around the pool?
Not necessarily, but there are upsides to being able to walk the full perimeter. It makes cleaning the pool easier and gives you more room when you're entertaining. The trade-off is cost, since more surround means more material and, on an above-ground pool, a lot more structure. It really comes down to how you use the pool and your budget, and that's a good thing to talk through before you design anything.
What materials hold up best around a pool?
You want something that handles constant wet feet, splash-out, and sun without becoming a maintenance headache. Pavers and natural stone are popular right at the waterline because they're durable and easy to live with, and low-maintenance composite works great for an adjacent deck. Every material has a different upkeep story and a different cost, both now and over the years, so it's worth weighing the long-term maintenance, not just the install price. We'll walk you through how each option behaves poolside.
Will a composite deck get too hot for bare feet by the pool?
It can, and that matters more by a pool than just about anywhere, because everyone's barefoot. Any decking heats up in direct sun, and darker colors get hotter. The fix is mostly in the design and color choice — lighter shades stay cooler underfoot, and you can position shade where people actually walk and stand. If your pool area bakes in full afternoon sun, tell us up front and we'll plan around it.
Can I add shade or cover by the pool?
Definitely, and it's one of the smartest poolside upgrades. A covered patio — basically a roof with no walls, sometimes called an open porch — lets you eat or relax out of harsh sun or a passing rain shower while staying open to the rest of the yard. You can build lighting, a sound system, even a TV into the ceiling so the space works at night too. If you want something lighter, a pergola gives you filtered shade and a great look. We can match the cover to how much protection you actually want.
What's the point of a pergola or pavilion on the far side of the pool?
There's a real reason you see those in so many photos. Putting a pergola or pavilion across the pool from the house creates a little getaway — far enough from the back door that the noise and activity drop off, so it feels quiet and separate even though it's in your own yard. It's perfect when one group wants to lounge in peace while the action stays closer to the house. You can extend your patio surround out to it, and add partial walls or a roof if you want more privacy or weather protection.
Is a pool deck safe and up to code?
It has to be, and that's not a corner anyone should cut around a pool. The structure underneath, especially on an above-ground pool, needs the right footings and supports, has to be engineered correctly, and has to pass code. That's a big part of what you're paying a real builder for. We handle the permits, build to local code, and make sure the thing your family is standing and walking on is genuinely sound.
How do I figure out what I actually need poolside?
Start with how you want to live out there, not with the structures. A few honest questions help: How often will you eat outside, and for how many? Do you entertain a lot? Will people be lounging and sunbathing, and do they need shade? Does anyone want a quiet spot away from the crowd? Your answers point straight to whether you need a dining area, extra seating zones, a shaded cover, or a tucked-away pergola. We do this exercise with you at the consultation so the design fits your actual life.
How do we get started?
It starts with a phone call so we can hear how you picture using your pool area, then we set up a free in-person design consultation. Set up your free consultation or call (847) 250-4100. You can also browse our decks, patios and hardscapes, and pergolas pages for ideas.
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