FAQ

Natural Swimming Pools or Ponds are just that… natural. They are designed and created to mimic natural bodies of water that are inherently clear and clean. Conventional swimming pools use things like chlorine and other unnatural chemicals to eliminate microorganisms and bacteria. Natural Swimming Pools or Ponds actually harness nature’s purifying properties by allowing those microorganisms as well as plants to filter the water, thus ensuring a safe and clean environment.

A paramount factor to keeping your Natural Swimming Pool or Pond clean is to ensure nutrients are maintained at very low levels in order to maintain the balance between single-celled algae and zooplankton which ultimately prevents the growth of blanket weed also known as string algae. Inspired Pools does this through our custom biological and mechanical filtration systems, meaning your pool or pond will always be clear and clean.

Definitely! Whether it be the industry standard of 27°C or or perhaps warmer. The simple answer is yes. However, Inspired Pools suggests that you get a feel for the water ambience for at least 1 season, rather than starting out with a heating system from the get go.

The reason why we propose you wait, is that most clients discover that the water temperature does not end up being an issue as they originally presume. Our natural designs, in particular, warm up quickly in the sun on their shallow ends resulting in 24°C to 25°C of whole pool or pond temperature in the summer.

Furthermore, natural water is not as severe on the skin as water found in conventional swimming pools making your pool or pond feel more comfortable at lower temperatures (like 22°C) versus the same temperature in chlorinated water. If you decide a heating system is an option you’d like to include, our team of professionals can install the required pipework during the initial stages of construction so that your Natural Swimming Pool or Pond will be ready to accommodate a heating system in the future.

Each client’s wants and needs are different. Inspired Pools ensures a bespoke design for you every time. This means your Natural Swimming Pool or Pond costs will vary and is dependant on multitude of factors like size and features.

Inherently, natural layouts are the most straightforward to estimate. Even though the shapes of natural designs vary, their fundamental features are usually quite similar. Please see the approximate estimates below for bespoke pools that include total project costs, including design and construction for natural designs.

Please keep in mind these are estimates of a fully inclusive bespoke project. Each client’s project is different and may only require aspects of the services that we offer. Additionally we offer self build kits if you would like to build a pool yourself. Do not hesitate to contact us for more precise estimates and/or initial design consultations, especially if your design happens to be more formal or you would like to include more specialised features.

Inspired Pools has extensive experience when it comes to the Natural Swimming Pools and Ponds planning process. This includes established relationships with planning departments. Natural Swimming Pools and Ponds are included in the same official category as conventional swimming pools.

The most up to date regulation from the Town and Country Planning Act 2015, Part 1, Class E stipulates that a client will generally not need planning permission if you meet these key requirements (there are others, but these are the main ones):

• The property is not listed, and
• The site is within the curtilage of the property, and
• You are not in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

Planning permission will be required if:

• Your property is listed
• You want to build on agricultural land

Inspired Pools has found AONB is simpler to bypass without having to complete and submit a full application as a Natural Swimming Pools and Ponds inherently enhance their surroundings rather than diminishing the natural magnificence of the environment.

The beauty of Natural Swimming Pools and Ponds is that they require a fraction of the maintenance compared to conventional pools. There is no need for the addition or regulation of chemicals, plus the water does not need to be drained for any maintenance. Nature is employed for the cleaning of your pool or pond and does the majority of the work. However, as a multifaceted and living habitat, it does require regular attention like any garden feature.

We do recommend that the pool surface be cleaned. Removing leaves and keeping ducks away will help keep the water’s nutrients low, guaranteeing “gin” clear water. In the summer, plants can be pruned although this is not an essential piece of maintenance, but will help with aesthetics.

We do recommend an automatic robot cleaner or hand held pond vacuum to assist in those duties. Our cutting edge filtration system requires a 4 Minute Clean. Just turn the handle! Many of our clients do enjoy the maintenance aspect. However, we are also able provide maintenance to take the hassle away from you including annual visits to check your pool or ponds current state and equipment. Please call us to discuss any requirements that you may have for you Natural Swimming Pool and swim pond maintenance needs.

Winter, spring, summer or autumn… your Natural Swimming Pool or Pond is guaranteed to dazzle all year.

Unlike a conventional swimming pool that needs to be implied, the water in our pools and ponds are their own natural habitat, evolving as time passes. Thus creating a stable environment that develops and changes from season to season. We recommend plants, if they are being used, be pruned in the autumn eliminating the possibility for leaves to fall in and decomposing. By doing this, the water’s nutrients will be maintained at low levels throughout the winter and ready once spring arrives.

This is very much dependent on the customer and their requirements. We do everything in house, including manufacture our own filtration equipment, and stock all required products for the pools so timescales are reduced. However because many projects are part of larger developments, or clients are using their own architect, builders & landscapers’ timescales can be dependent on other aspects.

We do estimate a natural swimming pool build from start to finish will usually takes between 6-12 weeks to complete. However it must be stressed that this is very dependant on the complexity of the design.

We certainly can and it is something we do frequently. However, the majority of our international builds and consultancy is conducted within Europe, particularly France and Portugal. We have previously undertaken projects on across the globe including North America and the Middle East.