Thinking about adding a slide to your backyard pool? They can be fun for the whole family!
Here at River Pools, we want to help you create the backyard of your dreams while also staying within budget. We're big fans of pool slides, and we go by these guidelines:
- You can add a pool slide later.
- You need to plan the slide's location.
- You need enough space on your patio for the slide.
- You have many slide models to choose from.
4 Aspects to Consider When Buying a Pool Slide
1. Pool Slides Can be Added Later
When buying an inground pool and trying to work within a budget, you quickly discover that there are things that must be purchased now and things that can be added later. Luckily, with a little planning, pool slides can be effortlessly installed any time in the future.
Here's how to plan for your future slide:
- Make sure there's enough patio space (covered later)
- Make sure a water source is roughed in and capped for future use.
Pool slides use water from the pool, so have your contractor simply install another plumbing line from the filter system to the future slide location.
Note: Different slides require different pipe stub-up locations beside the pool, so try to choose your slide ahead of time if possible.
2. Slide Location Is Important
Try to position your slide so it is facing your primary congregating area. This is for two obvious reasons.
First, while your slide is running, water cascades down from the slide into the pool so you not only have a slide but it also serves as a water feature.
Second, so you can see the excitement on the kids' (of all ages) faces as they shoot into the pool. Both of these are a lot more fun than staring at the back of a slide!
It's also nice to have an exit point like a step, bench seat, or ladder pool relatively close to the slide for convenience.
Note: Many pool slides are installed at a deep end corner of the pool and enter the pool along the side. Residential pool slides almost never enter the pool at an end.
3. Allow Enough Patio Space for Your Pool Slide
Most slides need a minimum area of 7'x15'. Without enough patio around the slide, access around the patio is cut off and you end up walking around the pool deck or ducking under the slide to get through to the other side.
Even though you need enough patio around the slide, placing it smack in the middle of a large congregating area usually makes for an awkward space.
You can "bump" the concrete out just to go around the slide or widen the entire side of the patio that your slide is on.
4. There Are Many Slide Models to Choose From
Over the past 10 years the pool slide industry has really blossomed. I remember 15 years ago you had two choices for residential pool slides: white or blue. Now there are probably a dozen different models to choose from...and they're really cool!
We predominantly carry slides by Inter-Fab and S. R. Smith. Both make excellent slides.
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At River Pools, we manufacture world-class fiberglass pools for customers across North America. If you're interested in buying a fiberglass pool for your home, you can browse our pool shapes, try out our pool pricing calculator, or request custom pricing using the button below.
Up Next:
5 Ways to Make Your Pool Project More Affordable
7 Pool Extras That Won't Break the Budget
Inground Pool Slides: Costs, Types, Safety
Editor's note: This blog article was updated on September 30, 2020.