View Full Version : that south facing pool?
can i have some opinions on this please
i know in the UK a south or west facing garden would be seen as desirable when buying a house
but how important in florida is to have that "south facing pool" and is south facing better?
i'm not a sunbather as such and the our majority of time in the pool would be morning and then later at night
this next florida holiday i would love to sit on the pool deck with drink to hand and watch the sunset
am i right in thinking the pool would need to be west facing for this?
Presumably west or south wests I would have thought.
ShirleyD
14-04-2007, 14:11
Hi Mizzy, yes the sun sets in the west.... and is south facing better?..... I would say like anything else, it is personal choice, some would say yes and others no. I would tell owners that you want a view of the sunset from the pool as that is what is important to you
[msnsmile2]
You're going to get two very distinct sets of answers here Mizzy [msnsmile2]
Those owners who have a south facing pool are going to tell you that a south facing pool is best.
Those owners who don't have a south facing pool are going to tell you that it really doesn't matter.
Might I humbly suggest, and subject to the gaffers agreeing with it, that villa owners don't post on this thread and leave it to the real people to discuss.
On the one hand, Mizzy is going to get an unbiased opinion.
On the other hand, us owners get to learn what our guests believe is important.
It's a win-win for all of us.
Mizzy - do feel free to either agree or disagree with this idea. If you agree I am sure that Blottie could 'vanish' any owners' posts. If you disagree I have no doubt that you will get heaps of opinions [msnwink]
LiesaAnna
14-04-2007, 14:43
i am not bothered personally what way the vill/pool is facing, just to be out in florida relaxing is good enough for me!!! cant wait till we go again not sure what way the house is facing that we're renting from next time!
South or south west for me every time not so critical in mid summer as the sun is high but later in the year it would be a must[msnwink]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Snapper
You're going to get two very distinct sets of answers here Mizzy [msnsmile2]
Those owners who have a south facing pool are going to tell you that a south facing pool is best.
Those owners who don't have a south facing pool are going to tell you that it really doesn't matter.
Might I humbly suggest, and subject to the gaffers agreeing with it, that villa owners don't post on this thread and leave it to the real people to discuss.
On the one hand, Mizzy is going to get an unbiased opinion.
On the other hand, us owners get to learn what our guests believe is important.
It's a win-win for all of us.
Mizzy - do feel free to either agree or disagree with this idea. If you agree I am sure that Blottie could 'vanish' any owners' posts. If you disagree I have no doubt that you will get heaps of opinions [msnwink]
[/quote]
this is a public forum so i'm quite happy to hear anyones opinion on this Steve[msnsmile]
orchidvilla
14-04-2007, 16:18
Hi... i know someone asked villa owners not to post but thought i would;)
Ours is south faceing and so sun comes up and over the villa and sets to the front of the villa( our estate is Sunset Ridge and our road is Sunset View Drive very apt...).
I think a south faceing pool is better as it allowes sun to come up and over the pool during the day giving more warmth to the pool and more sunbatheing time if you were to, but then in the evening sitting by the pool you dont get the great view of the sunset unless like we often do and that is to have the double garage door open and sit on the front and watch it having a drink with some of the locals and any others who happen to be in our cul-de-sac...
Malcolm
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by orchidvilla
Hi... i know someone asked villa owners not to post but thought i would;)
Ours is south faceing and so sun comes up and over the villa and sets to the front of the villa( our estate is Sunset Ridge and our road is Sunset View Drive very apt...).
I think a south faceing pool is better as it allowes sun to come up and over the pool during the day giving more warmth to the pool and more sunbatheing time if you were to, but then in the evening sitting by the pool you dont get the great view of the sunset unless like we often do and that is to have the double garage door open and sit on the front and watch it having a drink with some of the locals and any others who happen to be in our cul-de-sac...
Malcolm
[/quote]
The original post is referring to a south faceing pool, by the sound of it Malcolm your is not, otherwise you would be able to sit and watch the sun go down from your pool.
Ours is a kind of East faceing pool, so we get full sun in the morning, but then lose it during the afternoon, when the house cast shade, we do however get limited sun in the evening. From an owners point of view i would say it not that bad, but from a rental point of view, the tourists may want to sunbathe at different times, so having sun all day gives them that option.
It's one of those 'how long is a piece of string' questions I think.
Each individual home owner is going to be the expert here on the amount of sun/shade which their pool deck receives, no matter which way it faces, as this will depend on the height of the house (and any others around), the size of the pool deck, whether there's a lanai and how large/deep this is, etc, etc. Ours is west facing by the way.
So personally I feel it would be better for you to ask any individual home owners on your shortlist as the expert on their own home about this if it's important to you in making your decision.
Otherwise, we'll just get a thread full of answers from advertisers telling you that the way their pool deck faces is the best which is, I think, what Snapper was trying to avoid.
Our pool is south facing, the sun comes up to the left of our deck every morning(east) goes directly overhead and sets on the right(West), so we see sunrise and sunset, the house behind us, the pool faces north and is in shadow most of the day. We have a retractable awning if shade is needed. My girls and myself like to sunbathe so it doesn't matter what time of day we go out.
Houses either side could have an impact if they cause shadow, it is a very difficult question to answer.
steph_goodrum
14-04-2007, 19:39
As you know I am an owner but I think I can answer objectiveley with respect to the orientation. We have a West facing pool but being at then end of the cul-de-sac is open to the South side. However because of other houses behind, the Sunset is not especially spectacular as the view is obscured from a lower angle. So its not necessarily a case of the orientation but how clear a field of view in front.
If you walk onto Hway 27 and look across the road over the neighbouring development we have had some spectacular sights over there but close up most houses would have the same problem.
We're very rarely home by Sunset and I must admit I prefer to sit on the deck in the morning and face towards the East and watch the sunrise and the hot balloons taking off.
canarypam
14-04-2007, 21:32
I agree with Steph our pool faces south east we see the sun rise and the balloons going up. I like nothing better than to get up early in the morning and sit outside in the sun with a cup of tea. We then get sun all day until 4.00- 6.00pm depending on the time of year.
I am not an owner but I do think that when we are choosing a pool that gets the sun most of the day is best for us. I like to feel the sun on my skin and its nice to be in the pool when the sun is shining on it.
My personal opinion would be that i would not be keen to rent a villa which did not get the sun most of the day.
Thats just me though!
L
ncmurray
14-04-2007, 23:19
Well, here goes my tuppence worth!
I have stayed in a villa with a north facing pool, and I own a villa with a south facing pool, and I can honestly say that there was not much difference between them. We stayed in the villa with a north facing pool in February, and while the back of the house was in shade most of the time, the pool was at the very least partly in sun, if not completely (the villa was one storey), and there was enough decking area to allow sunbathing if you wanted to.
While we stay at our own villa, we can enjoy sunshine all day long, and this is fantastic if that is what you want. But not everybody wants that, and I can say personally that I would like to have some shade, especially in the heat of mid summer.
On balance, I would probably go for a south facing villa, but I would definitely want one that has some shaded area, probably in the lanai. Bottom line, it is all down to personal choice.
sundowner
15-04-2007, 02:38
Our's is South West, both in uk and Florida. The sun sets directly behind both houses and we have sun in the garden/pool from around 10.30-11 a.m. each day. That suits me best.
Mary
julieanne
16-04-2007, 12:41
Being a sun worshipper I have always chosen South or South West facing pools. We are usually there early or late in the year so I think it is better to have South facing however I would think in high season it would make little difference which direction the pool faced.
But as others have pointed out the height/position of neighbouring properties or trees could affect the amount of sunlight no matter which direcion you are facing!
carl mcguigan
16-04-2007, 16:33
I must admit i prefer a west facing pool, to sit by the pool in the evening watching the sun set is so dramatic, its just beautifull
gwendolinemary
17-04-2007, 14:57
IMHO the direction the pool faces is very important - one year the only way we could catch any sun at about 4pm ( the time we generally get back to the villa after a day out) was by squeezing up against the pool enclosure - very frustrating!!
Now I always make sure the pool is south or west-facing. Of course it depends how important a swim in the sun is to you - DH prefers to be in the shade ( but since it's me that chooses the villas , south or west-facing it is!!)