Pool Types Explained

Overview explaining the different types of natural swimming pool available

Introduction

There are several types and designs styles for natural  pools and we are often asked by clients to explain the differences. Below is a breakdown of the differences in our pool choices including outline budget for each pool and the relevant benefits and considerations for each. We hope this will help you choose which Biotop natural pool is the perfect natural pool for you but please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information.

Biotop Living Pool

A luxury natural pool that looks like a traditional swimming pool but works entirely without chemicals. The pool can have no plants or seom decorative spaces for planting

Budget:  £100k – subject to pool size and optional equipment.

Key benefits:

  1. Completely chemical free pool with no plants/filter beds required
  2. Limitless design options- from contemporary to natural pond designs
  3. Can incorporate a retractable cover
  4. Flexible building location
  5. No major service required for plant filter
  6. Existing chemical pools can be converted to the Living pool system
  7. Can have plants for decorative purposes
  8. Can be heated all year round

Construction

  1. Reinforced Concrete swimming pool shell and equipment chamber
  2. Bespoke Tailored Biotop light grey or olive green liner
  3. Natural stone paving or high quality decking around the pool
  4. Pool drainage and overflow

Biotop market leading technology/equipment

Purpose design and manufacture

  1. Stainless steel sieve skimmer
  2. Compact biological filters
  3. Filling water phosphate filter
  4. Inline pool phosphate filter
  5. UV unit

Optional equipment

  1. Solar powered pool cover
  2. Heating
  3. Auto top system
  4. Pool lighting

Considerations:

  1. Running costs in high phosphate water areas maybe more
  2. System works most effectively in soft water areas
  3. More technical equipment required

Easy Maintenance:

  1. Empty the skimmer weekly
  2. Regular use of automatic pool robot
  3. Back washing of phosphate filters 

Ongoing Running costs:

  1. Phosphate Binder material
  2. Twin low energy pump system

Pool robot and annual service

Living Pool Catalogue

Biotop Hybrid Natural Swimming Pool

Biotop hybrid natural swimming – luxury environmentally friendly pool

Purpose built vertical concrete walled swimming chamber with an adjoining but separate planted regeneration zone

 

Budget Guideline: From £98k subject to pool size, landscaping and site access

Key benefits:

  1. Pure chemical free water
  2. Highly stable water clarity
  3. Natural looking pool to blend with environment
  4. Cleaning Robot friendly swimming area
  5. Larger shallow area good for heat generation.
  6. Bespoke landscaping design around the pool
  7. Pet and wildlife friendly beach area
  8. Existing traditional chemical pool can be converted to the system

Construction:

  1. Purpose built vertical concrete walled swimming chamber
  2. Choice of Bespoke Biotop olive green liner and geo membrane underlay
  1. Natural Biological clay filter area for plants/water lilies
  2. Natural looking planted marginal area around the pool
  3. Boulders and rocks can be added  
  4. Pool drainage and overflow

Biotop market leading technology/equipment:

  1. Stainless steel sieve skimmer
  2. Compact biological filters
  3. Filling water phosphate filter
  4. Inline phosphate filter
  5. Pump chamber
  6. Auto water top up
  7. UV unit

Considerations

  1. Due to planted area, Pool heating is not possible
  2. Not suitable for solar cover due to planted area
  3. Larger filter area

Easy Maintenance required:

  1. Regular Emptying of skimmer required
  2. Automatic Pool robot keeps walls and floor of pool clean
  3. Back washing filters
  4. Autumn/Winter Cutting back of marginal edging plants

Ongoing Running costs

  1. Phosphate Binder material
  2. Periodical addition of more Oxygenator plants
  3. Twin pump low energy system

Biotop Natural Swimming Pool

Natural pond style pool with large planted regeneration filter zone.  Blends seamlessly into the natural landscape and a year-round feature in the garden.

 

Budget:  From £95k subject to site access, landscaping and sizes of the swimming chamber

Key benefits:

  1. Highly Stable water clarity with less seasonal variations
  2. Robot friendly swimming chamber
  3. Larger shallow area heats pool, good for paddling, wildlife/pets
  4. Bespoke design and landscaping
  5. Water garden and wildlife friendly
  6. Existing chemical swimming pools can be converted to the system

Considerations:

  1. Pool cannot be easily heated
  2. Not suitable for solar cover due to plants/natural shape
  3. Larger planted filter area needed

Construction:

Concrete swimming chamber purpose built with vertical walls

  1. Bespoke Tailored Biotop olive green liner
  2. Graded triple washed filter grit planted with Reeds and rushes
  3. Bio clay filter with water lilies and oxygenators
  4. Natural design can incorporate Boulders and rocks
  5. Pool drainage and overflow

Biotop market leading technology/equipment:

  1. Skimmer with stainless steel sieve
  2. Concealed Below ground pump chamber
  3. Filling water Phosphate filter
  4. Cedar/ millboard decking and pontoon
  5. Galvanised steel pool edging

Easy Maintenance:

  1. Regular emptying of skimmer
  2. Major service of plant filter beds every 5 years
  3. Pool robot in swimming chamber
  4. Seasonal cutting back of plants in filter beds

Ongoing Running costs

  1. Low energy twin pumps
  2. Oxygenators and filler plants
  3. Pool robot

Swimming Pond Catalogue

Poolscape Entry Level Swimming Ponds

Looks like a natural lake/pond, simple classic design and the most cost-effective natural pool solution

 

Building Budget: From £60k subject to access gardens landscaping and swimming chamber size

Key benefits:

  1. Lower entry level budget
  2. Blends into natural landscape
  3. Mirror Pond and wildlife friendly
  4. Water gardens

Considerations:

  1. Seasonal variations in water clarity due to temperature etc
  2. Smaller shallow area
  3. Not suitable for auto pool robot due to shape
  4. Level site required
  5. Only suitable for clay soil
  6. High water table areas not recommended

Construction:

  1. Organic earth wall and bowl shape swimming chamber
  2. Firestone rubber liner and heavy duty underlay
  3. Wash Granite filter grit biological beds with Reeds and rushes
  4. Biological clay filter areas with water lilies and oxygenators
  5. Geo membrane sandbags
  6. Boulders and rocks
  7. Gravel French drainage around the pond

Equipment:

  1. High quality skimmer
  2. Filling water Phosphate filter
  3. Low running cost Twin 12v pump system
  4. cedar pontoon /decking
  5. Galvanised e steel edging

Maintenance:

  1. Emptying Skimmer and brushing of walls
  2. Major plants filter beds service every 5 years
  3. Regular vacuuming
  4. Seasonal cutting back of plants

Ongoing running costs:

  1. Low energy twin pump system
  2. Top up oxygenators and filter bed plants
  3. Professional vacuuming

Useful Links:

See our   Image  and   Video  gallery for some recently commissioned examples.

Biotop Website

Swimming Pond Catalogue

Living Pool Catalogue

Services

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Contact Us

Services

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Contact Us

Poolscape
Tillington Business Park
Tillington
Herefordshire
HR4 8LE

07974 390452

peter@poolscape.co.uk