Having a great looking above ground pool only to be spoilt by its surrounding landscape can take away from your investment and reduce the aesthetic beauty of your residential pool.
Keeping the surrounding of your above ground pool clean and aesthetically pleasing can add to the overall look and feel of your above ground pool. Materials like stones, plants, wood, and even rocks can add to the aesthetics and beauty of your pool.
To make your life easier, we have spent several hours researching the best stone for around above ground pools and here are our findings.
The Best Stones To Place Around Your Above Ground Pool
They are several stones that look simply amazing encircling your above ground pool that also offer several unique benefits. We look at some of the most popular choices for stones that can be placed to enhance the landscape around your pool area.
River Jacks
River jacks are rounded stones that have a smooth surface and are comfortable to tread on when walking bare feet. These stones come in an array of beautiful colors that blend in nicely with any landscape or garden. These stones are by far the most popular choice of stones for placing around above ground pools as they are comparatively inexpensive and readily available.
Brown Landscape Stone
Brown landscape stones are similar to river jacks in the sense that they are also smooth and barefoot-friendly. These stones come in creamy colors and are also a popular choice for homeowners looking to add some style to their existing pool area.
Pure Red Landscape Stone
This form of stone is great if you don’t plan on walking on it with bare feet. The stones look great and compliment most landscaping theme with their reddish tinge that sets them apart from other more common stones. However, these stones can be small and sharp, so its best to place them a distance from your pool to avoid treading on them accidentally.
Steps To Take Before Placing Stones
Before you can have you stones all lined up the way you want around your above ground pool it is important that you first place a layer of landscaping plastic down to prevent weed growth which can severely damage the structural integrity of your pool.
When placing stones make sure that the stones are several inches above the ground and at least a foot or two away from your above ground pool. It is always best to consult with a landscaping or pool service company before placing a layer of stone around your above ground pool.
The Benefits of Stones Apart From Just Aesthetics
These stones offer much more than just a beautiful landscape around your pool. They also offer much in terms of functionality and practicality. Crushed stone acts as a shield preventing your above ground pool from sustaining damage caused by natural elements like water and air.
The crushed stone layer acts as a barrier that prevents rainwater from seeping underneath the ground near the pool area that can cause damage to the base. It also protects the wall against debris and dirt and allows for faster dissipation of water that prevents oxidation which can lead to rust damage if left unchecked.
What Not To Place Around Your Above Ground Pool
While stones and different materials like plastics and plants can add to the overall beauty of your pool they are some stones, materials, and practices that should be avoided at all costs.
Placing mulched plant life too close to the pool liner or water area can seem like a great idea but can have severe adverse effects on the integrity and durability of your above ground pool.
Pool liners are made from cellulose and mulch plantation is known to attract insects like termites and carpenter ants that can eat away your pool liner requiring you to constantly replace it which can be quite expensive.
Mulch plant life can also get tracked into your pool water that can lead to more maintenance and upkeep which any pool owner can certainly do without.
Long grass around your above ground pool is also not a good idea as the soil that the grass grows on is generally acidic and can damage the bottom track on your above ground pool over time. Trimming the grass with a weed whacker too close to your pool can also cause accidental damage to your pool wall.
It is also not a good idea to use grey or white stones around above ground pools. These stones are more common in driveways and are generally made from limestone that can corrode the metal liner around your above ground pool.
These stones are also generally not barefoot friendly and are not as aesthetically desirable as compared to the more popular choices of stones listed above.
Furthermore, white stones also contain calcium that is notorious for eating away at the metal ring and the aluminum side walls located at the base of your above ground pool. Calcium can eat away at the base of your pool if left unchecked and cause the pool walls to eventually collapse which can be a real disaster.
Alternatives To White Stones
If you are insistent on wanting white stones to compliment your landscape theme a better option would be to use marble chips that can be found in bulk quantities in most big box retail stores. These stones are calcium-free and are much more comfortable to walk on barefoot.
Conclusion
An above-ground pool is a popular and affordable solution for most residential homeowners but they are still quite expensive. If you are spending that much money you would want the most durability and use out of your pool and using materials like plastic, rocks, and stones can help you do just that.
If you are not a pool or landscaping expert it is always best to consult with the professionals as they are likely to provide the best advice on what stones would look best around your above ground pool and in what manner.