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RIVER VALLEY REAL ESTATE & HOME - JULY 2009 | 31

be a well-used feature of any home. J.

Lee and Joyce Didier knew from experience that to

spend summertime outdoors at their new home off

Arkansas 45, they would need one that provided a

design element without requiring a lot of time for

maintenance.

"We had built pools for them at two previous

homes," said Bob Moore, general manager for Burton

Pools & Spas in Fort Smith. "They had the experience

to know that planning was very important in

the design process."

The outdoor living space at the home includes a

living area complete with fireplace and flat-panel

television with surround sound, an outdoor kitchen,

a pool deck and a seating area off the master bedroom.

"They wanted a pool that fit into the space without

dominating the area," Moore explained. "With

all of the sizes and shapes that are available these

days, there are a number of ways they could have

gone."

Burton Pools uses tarp templates to lay out possibilities

and establish placement of their pools.

Once the size and placement are chosen, there is

an amazing array of options open to the customer.

"From the type of deck, the color of liner, pumps,

chlorination and cleaning equipment to the heating

and/or cooling system, there are a variety of choices

to be made," Moore added. "One of the unique features

they used for the decking was stamped concrete

that looks like flagstone." The decking was installed

by Ozark Patterned Concrete, but the balance of the

installation was handled in-house by Burton.

The Didiers' busy schedule made ease of maintenance

a priority, so two choices they made were a

salt-chlorination filter and an in-floor cleaning system.

"The in-floor cleaning system uses jets in the

floor to sweep the surface and circulate the water,

so it's much easier and more convenient than the

older hose units," Moore elaborated.

Technological advances in equipment also will

keep energy usage to a minimum in the pool, with a

variable speed pump that uses about 20 percent of

the power needed by traditional pumps, according

to Moore.

"They also installed a heat pump to heat and

cool the water," said Moore. "Just like a home unit, it

will adjust the temperature without using expensive

burners or compressors."

The Didiers also chose to install an auto-fill water

leveler and a remote access controller so the pool

can be readied for use by contacting it through a

computer or "smart" phone.

STORY BY JOHN SPECK/PHOTOS BY TERESA JUDKINS