There was an unquenchable quantity of curiosity about our Soake pool – and I get it, it’s not a traditional pool. So I hope you might be thirsty as a result of immediately you’ll see and examine each element. It’s right here, put in and completely superb, exceeding our expectations which have been very excessive. We’ve used it virtually each day because it’s been completed, and lots of, many nights, too. If you’re out there and wish to know deeper particulars concerning the set up and design course of be certain that to take a look at half #1 HERE). In the present day you’ll get the afters and all my ideas, emotions, and something I’d have achieved in a different way.

We put in in February and needed to end all of the landscaping round it earlier than we might use it, however when June rolled round it was achieved and prepared for us. And now that we’ve shot it it’s time to share it with you. Summer season #1, Soake pool info coming at you. All of your questions answered 🙂

However first a enjoyable little teaser video for the total lengthy type YouTube model! (Simply look ahead to the quick advert to play)

Soake Pool

Why Did You Get A Soake Pool As an alternative Of A Large Regular Pool?

Sure, that is the primary query and I’m blissful to interrupt it down. Our Soake pool could be very particular for the next causes:

1. We will use it yr spherical. That’s proper, it’s a pool in the summertime and is usually a sizzling tub within the winter. This was the one purpose we even thought-about a pool – one which can be utilized yr spherical.
2. It’s a smaller bodily footprint – ought to that be what you need. It’s filling a gap (ha) for lots of us who both don’t have the true property for an enormous pool or don’t wish to use the true property for one thing so giant that you simply may solely use a couple of months of the yr.
3. It’s sufficiently big for us to play in through the day and but sufficiently small to warmth up shortly and effectively to change into a sizzling tub at evening. Let that sink in a bit. Which means that the youngsters (and us) can play through the day (temp stays between 75-85 levels with out heating as a result of it’s so heat proper now) after which ought to we wish to say, have adults solely, it heats up 10 levels an hour. I truthfully didn’t predict that we’d be so obsessive about this pool. I assumed this was extra for our youngsters or the recent days that we wish to cool off with associates between pickle ball units. I’m dreaming of so many fall nighttime events with associates and sure, even winter sizzling tub nights.
4. It’s designed and constructed off-site – which means you don’t want a pool contractor and it’s shipped to you on a truck. On it’s personal it’s a easy, high-quality design and building, and nails its principal jobs (with actually tasteful and classy tile choices). It’s not plug and play like a free standing sizzling tub – which I’ll get into later – however should you’re like me and designing an enormous pool feels daunting (perhaps since you’d make it so costly like I do every part) it’s a superb choice.
5. With a smaller footprint there’s merely much less threat and price – A buddy of mine was telling me horror tales of their big pool – how lengthy it takes/costly it’s to warmth, how costly it’s to keep up, how when the pool doesn’t work neither does the recent tub, rendering the entire big factor moot. He joked that he desires to farm Tilapia in it as a result of it simply sits there empty now that the youngsters are grown! They noticed this and mentioned they wished so dangerous that that is what that they had. Smaller is simply simpler and extra inexpensive to handle in each means.

How Large Is This Pool?

Our pool is 7′ broad and 13′ lengthy, and the depth is round 60″ (water depth a bit decrease). There are another choices which are smaller. I inform most individuals it’s like the dimensions of a big lounge rug, however there’s nothing “kiddie” about it.

Do Children Actually Play In A Pool This Dimension?

Sure. Our children are 7 and 9 they usually adore it, particularly when associates are over. They will swim, however may also bop off the underside and simply attain the perimeters. They will bounce in (however clearly no diving). They’re nonetheless supervised and may’t uncover it with out us being on the market, however level is it’s sufficiently big for them to have a whole lot of enjoyable. We’ve had eight youngsters in right here, like a playpen, lol. We knew that we have been getting a small pool, so it’s a special expertise than a giant one clearly. This has to make sense for you and it did to us.

Does It Have A Pool Cowl?

Sure. We opted for the electrical security pool autocover which opens and closes with a toggle change off the facet of the pool home (too excessive for youths to achieve for now). The duvet itself is housed below the wooden planks behind the pool. You’ll be able to see all of it within the video:) The electrical one does price considerably extra, FYI, between $10-$12K relying in your installer. It’s great and feels very secure.

What Kind Of Pool Is It? Salt Or Chlorine?

Blue Floatie | Pink Floatie

This pool is saltwater however a saltwater pool truly remains to be a chlorine pool as a result of you generate chlorine from the salt by way of the app (sure, there’s an app). That’s a typical false impression with saltwater swimming pools typically. It’s simply that with a saltwater pool you retain the chlorine ranges low which we love.

It additionally has jets, that are enjoyable to take a seat subsequent to when it’s warming up. One factor I didn’t suppose I’d take pleasure in is that Brian modified the sunshine shade from the app on his cellphone whereas we have been partying in there the opposite evening, which was a enjoyable little shock. We additionally had glow at the hours of darkness pool balls so…

Can It Be A Chilly Plunge In The Winter?

Sure, as a result of should you don’t warmth it and it’s chilly outdoors it is going to drop to the out of doors temperature (they advocate it at 52 levels Fahrenheit for a really perfect chilly plunge:)). We’re seemingly not going to make use of it for that as we’re getting a separate chilly plunge and suppose we’re going to use this extra as a sizzling tub through the winter. However even in freezing climates, it’s completely tremendous to make use of all yr lengthy! Soake simply recommends preserving the pool at 70° minimal throughout freeze temps and naturally at all times preserving the water shifting. In the event you’d moderately not use it within the winter you’ll simply drain and winterize like a conventional pool.

Do You Sit, Stand, Swim Or Float On this Pool?

All the above. There’s a step and a bench that three folks might sit alongside, however because it’s below 5′ deep it’s simple to face and it goes as much as my neck (I’m 5’3″). It’s simply far more enjoyable to hang around in right here than a giant sizzling tub. Clearly, I additionally float round on floaties and browse or hang around with associates. My entire workforce got here up and we sat in right here for 2 hours, all of us simply on pool noodle hammocks and it was SO FUN.

Who Installs This Pool? Can You DIY This?

Until you might be extraordinarily within the know on building stuff (or a contractor your self) you’ll want to rent out and have a contractor assist you to. We employed our panorama contractor to execute it as a result of he’s achieved a whole lot of on-site sizzling tubs and water options. You want somebody to e-book and handle the digging of the outlet, again filling it, electrical energy, gasoline, filter, and so forth after which set up the hardscape and pool cowl. It comes on a flat mattress, then will get craned in – all stuff you possibly can handle if that is your wheelhouse. I used to be grateful that Dan’l was dealing with all of it (he runs Northwest Native Landscapes which generally does landscaping however now that he’s achieved this as soon as he’d be a terrific useful resource in Portland). So sure, you’d be paying a contractor and subcontractor along with the price of the pool. The whole lot provides up in building tasks, which I at all times suppose is useful to remind us all:) However you don’t want a pool contractor, simply somebody who understands mechanicals and has contacts with subcontractors.

Umbrella | Chaise Lounger | Lumbar Pillow | Towel | Facet Desk

How Lengthy Does It Take To Order And Set up A Soake Pool?

In the event you time it proper and don’t have a ton of different panorama work, the set up is usually a matter of a pair months. Our undertaking was big, as we have been doing the complete property without delay, so we opted to drop it in throughout winter, with the concept to complete every part round spring in order that the entire area might be achieved by summer season. That labored and by June we have been swimming fairly. If you’re simply carving out a spot for Soake and also you aren’t doing a undertaking of our scope it might go a lot quicker. As an example, should you had a big garden close to the again of your own home, already flat that was simple to entry for digging, trenching and craning, it might be fairly darn simple.

Chair | Pillow | Towel | Blue Floatie

How A lot Does A Soake Pool Price?

They sometimes run $45-$48 (if the autocover is concerned) and relying on what dimension you select, tile and add ons, that worth can go greater. This doesn’t embody the hardscape, contractor/sub contractor charges. Oh, and transport can add a further $10k. If you’re nearer to New Hampshire (the place the corporate is) it is going to be extra like $2k, however far west like us in Portland, it’s extra like $9k-$10k. Nevertheless, IF they will get two on a truck going to your space, the transport price is shared. So relying on the place you reside it’s seemingly rather more inexpensive and quicker than an enormous fancy pool, however once more it’s not an affordable fiberglass product. It’s nonetheless a top quality, luxurious product, and priced accordingly. So if what you might be actually wanting is a giant outdated pool for youths to play in you may simply wish to get a giant fiberglass pool (which I believe are cheaper). We particularly needed this yr spherical product, so I reached out and negotiated a partnership, leveraging images, video, advertising and PR companies, which is a typical a part of my enterprise. We incurred all of the labor prices in fact, and now that I’ve skilled it for a summer season I’m so blissful to say that this may be completely value it.

What Would I Do In a different way?

1. If I might return and do all of it once more I’d have began the method earlier to keep away from the wet climate/mud which set us again. Had we ordered it in early summer season (2022) to reach and be put in in fall, we’d have prevented the 30″ of mud that we encountered on the hill as much as the pool space, (attributable to weeks of extreme rains within the winter). The mud and hill mixture made the set up tougher than it will have been another season. We had to make use of a smaller crane to make the activate our property and the smaller crane couldn’t crane it far sufficient from the underside of the hill to plop it in. So sometimes you possibly can crane over a home from the road – it’s fairly darn unbelievable.
2. Our tumbled bluestone hardscape conducts a lot warmth that we are able to’t sit or stroll on it on actually sizzling days (within the afternoon). This isn’t Soake’s product, that is what we selected to work with our blue flagstone pathways. It’s VERY fairly, however y’all it holds a lot warmth. This is the reason we have now three umbrellas to create shade not just for the youngsters within the pool, however to allow them to sit round it.
3. I’d select a bigger stone that would cowl the pool cowl motor. I didn’t know that the fabric wanted to be 24″ deep and our stone wasn’t, so we needed to make a game-day choice. The stone simply didn’t come sufficiently big (however I might have waited and shopped round to search out one thing that built-in higher). Dan’l and his workforce troubleshooted and constructed this wooden cowl which could be very properly achieved and works completely, however it’s actually darkish and extra orange than I’d like. Now that it’s all achieved with a whole lot of different picket components, it bothers me a lot much less.

How A lot Do You Love It?

WE LOVE IT SO MUCH. It’s merely great and so good for our wants and desires. It checks extra packing containers than I assumed doable, plus it’s actually fairly to take a look at! It’s such a beautiful, pleasing visible characteristic and mixed with the farm vibe, with the wild grasses and break up rail, nonetheless feels appropriately understated. We adore it a lot and really feel so grateful and grateful to dwell right here.

It’s simply so enjoyable for the entire household and maybe even the neighborhood. Since swimming pools are means much less of a factor right here than they’re in lots of different components of the nation we get to be the home that individuals collect at which makes us VERY HAPPY. After working so laborious on this property for thus lengthy (with so many great groups of individuals) I actually need it to be loved so much, by many, for years and years. Particularly these teenage years – “Hang around right here!” says this massive sizzling tub:)

Oh, and I do know I didn’t actually discuss concerning the decor/furnishings as a result of it’s not the official styled reveal however I’ve to shout out these teak chaise loungers from Neighbor. We reached out to see in the event that they have been inquisitive about gifting and man am I glad they have been. We love them! They’re so properly constructed, cool with out wanting fashionable, and simply actually snug. Extremely advocate.

Don’t neglect to observe the total devoted video HERE the place you possibly can see our Soake pool in motion. And if in case you have any questions we’ve requested a Soake customer support individual to reply them within the feedback.

My Swimsuit | My Shorts (Previous Free Folks)

*This put up was delivered to you in partnership with Soake Swimming pools – a product I really like and really feel proud to share with my readers.

*Photographs by Kaitlin Inexperienced