Adding a pool to your home is a great way to make your time at home more enjoyable. One of the fastest rising pool design trends today is having a pool with a Baja shelf. Also known as a tanning ledge, this is a large area on your pool where you can have a chair for basking in the sun. Incorporating a tanning ledge into your pool design is an excellent option if you enjoy lounging in the pool. Most Baja shelves are large enough to accommodate a couple of chairs and a small table. Here’s what to consider when designing a Baja shelf for your pool.
1. Decide on the Depth and Size
Traditionally, a tanning ledge is large and shallow, usually set between 3 to 6 inches in water depth as the first step of the pool. However, there are Baja shelf pool designs that are even deeper and set as the second step of the pool, roughly 14 to 17 inches in water depth. Therefore, you need to pick how deep you want your Baja shelf to be. On the other hand, how large do you want your tanning area to be? You can make it as large as a “beach,” like what you can find in resorts, or small in size to accommodate only one or two people. You need to settle on what size tanning ledge you want. Keep in mind the space available around your pool when deciding on the size of the Baja shelf.
2. Mounting Points for Umbrellas
If your tanning ledge will be in a shaded area, you don’t have to worry about umbrellas. However, if it’s not, you have to think about having mounting points for umbrellas. If you decide to have mounting points for umbrellas, the pool contractor will install them directly into the Baja shelf floor. This will let you install umbrellas when you want and remove them when they aren’t needed.
3. Custom Tiles on the Ledge’s Border
Baja shelves allow for endless customization opportunities. One of the simplest customizations you can do is on the border tiles around the perimeter of the ledge. Having custom tiles on the ledge’s border will be a great way to add a touch of style to the tanning ledge. Additionally, this is an excellent safety feature as it will clearly mark where the tanning ledge ends and the pool begins.
4. Water Features and Lighting
Contemplate installing a water feature to your Baja shelf design. This will provide a beautiful aesthetic and add amazing ambient sounds to your pool. Moreover, you can add unique lighting to the side of the ledge to increase the Baja shelf’s aesthetic appeal and provide extra lighting to the pool at night.
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A swimming pool isn’t always just a swimming pool—slides, jets, fountains and other add-ons make each pool unique. One of the more popular add-ons these days is Baja shelves. A Baja shelf in Los Angeles, CA is basically a long and wide step that leads into your pool, and it’s typically submerged between eight to 16 inches. Baja shelves originated in huge resort pools, but have become increasingly popular in residential pools over the past few decades—continue reading to find out why!
What are the benefits of a Baja shelf?
People across the country wouldn’t install Baja shelves if they didn’t have their advantages. Here are a couple of reasons why our customers consistently opt to put a Baja shelf in their pool:
- Good for the family: Chances are, your pool isn’t only used by the able-bodied adults in your family. Young children and elderly grandparents also want to enjoy the refreshing water on a hot day. That can be difficult in a standard pool, though, since ladders can be tricky to navigate up and down. That’s where a Baja shelf comes into play. The young and old alike can cool off without worrying about getting in and out of the water via a ladder.
- Catch a tan and stay cool: Baja shelves are also sometimes called “sun shelves,” and for good reason—a Baja shelf makes it easy to lay partially submerged in the water and catch a tan without feeling the intense heat of the sun. Just remember to wear sunscreen while you’re soaking up the rays!
- Create a hangout spot: Your pool deck is a focal point for entertainment, but where is everyone supposed to hang out once they get in the water? A Baja shelf makes it easy for everyone to gather around, share some laughs and sip on some margaritas. Just remember to make your Baja shelf big enough to accommodate your crowd!
Things to consider
There are some things you need to think about before you go ahead and add a Baja shelf to your pool. These are a few things you must consider prior to installation:
- Budget: Installing a pool isn’t cheap, and adding a Baja shelf just makes your installation cost about $2,500 more expensive. If you don’t have that money in your pool budget now, that’s okay! Our professionals can install a Baja shelf down the road once you’ve saved up for one.
- Width: How wide is your Baja shelf going to be? The wider it is, the more people can hang out on it. However, that also means less room for you to swim around in your pool. Consider how many people you think will be on your Baja shelf at once before you install it.
- Depth: As mentioned above, Baja shelves are usually eight to 16 inches below the water. The depth you choose basically depends on how you plan on using it. If you think you’re just going to sit in a lounge chair and catch a tan, a shallow shelf is probably right for you.
Don’t call just anyone to install your Baja shelf in Los Angeles, CA—hire the pros from Avanti Pools, Inc. You can trust that your Baja shelf will be installed in a timely manner, and more importantly, installed correctly. Give us a call today to get an estimate, or to learn more about all of our pool services.
