looking at the options

after all our conversations about the pool and the various options, most speficially the auto cover once again we walked into our backyard and looked around.

we still had two plans coming back that were going to accommodate the pool cover (besides the one we already got from premier)

so we decided to call Premier back and have them make us a new plan without the cover.

we also decided that in our upcoming appointments we would also go free form without the cover.

of course this was not my first choice, but clearly the auto cover and free form "pool in a pool" was going to be just too expensive.

so we could go straight rectangle with no raised spa and the cover

or we could move to the free form and lose the cover and go with a fence.

two things really got me to consider moving on without the cover.

the first was looking at the fencing web site and talking about the best way for us to do the fence. My biggest issue with the fence was it always feels so obtrusive to me. we are creating this backyard paradise and then it all gets blocked out by a fence. I still didn't feel like we solved this problem, but with placement and the fact that the whole thing can come out while entertaining made it less of an issue.

The second thing was something one of the contractors said (and I don't even remember which one it was.) He said the biggest problem with the cover is that you lose a lot of the ambiance of the waterfalls since they can only run when the cover is open. I like the sound of the waterfalls and I know Karen LOVES the sound of the waterfalls and it is true on a cold fall day when no one is swimming without the cover you can still enjoy the walls.

So with that we decided on no cover (unless of course one of the bids that hadn't come back yet was great and much lower then premier)