When planning your new gunite pool project you are faced with numerous options. You could add a natural rock waterfall? Do you want accent boulders? Would you like a more linear pool with a modern feel? Do you want some bubblers or water spillways of some sort? And of course you’ll be faced with the big question, do you want a gunite spa?
A gunite spa is built either on its own as a stand alone structure, or as a part of the pool in a pool spa combo. Gunite spas will most often have six or eight jets, but sometimes will have more depending on your desires. Maybe you’ll want to add some calf jets in the footwell of the bench, or stack some jets so you can get the whole back all at once.
Benefit Of A Gunite Spa: Customization
By building out of gunite you have the freedom to customize just about everything. Don’t hesitate to ask your designer what’s possible. Often a pool designer will get complacent and just think of a spa as a circle or square with 6 or 8 jets, and that’s all there is to it.
There’s much more possibility out there. Maybe you want to add some bubblers in the floor so you can have air bubbles cascading throughout the spa. Maybe you want to create a spillover effect with the pool so when the spa isn’t in use it’s a water feature.
Whatever you do, adding a gunite spa is a huge benefit to your pool ownership. It will increase your use of the pool area measurably. Once fall arrives, those with a pool only generally stop using their pool area for the season.
After Labor Day has passed, the pool is forgotten about until next year. By adding a gunite spa, you can gain 4 season use of the pool area. If you live in a cold northern climate it is possible to keep your gunite spa open year round. However, you will spend quite a bit on keeping it heated.
How Much To Heat Gunite Spa In Winter?
It’s not uncommon to spend $500-$1000/month. This will keep your spa from freezing in the coldest months of the year. If you live in an area where ice and snow are rare or never occur, then you typically don’t need to keep your spa heated all the time. You can just heat the spa up for each use. This reduces the heating costs down to a reasonable level, depending on use.
How Gunite Spas Work
Expect your spa to heat up in approximately 20-45 minutes depending on the size of your heater, and the starting temperature of the spa. Gunite spas are typically not kept at operating temperature (104 F) at all times unless they are installed at hotels or resorts. This means you’ll need to heat up the spa for each use.
By installing an automation system as a part of your gunite spa you can make this process less of an encumbrance. You simply open an app on your phone, put the spa into ‘spa mode’. Then go get changed to get in and grab a drink plus a towel. By the time you’re ready to get in, the spa will be ready for you.
Gunite Spa Summary
A gunite spa in your backyard is one of the important pieces of creating your own backyard resort. To be able to use your own private gunite spa while looking at the city light view or the starry skies makes your blood pressure drop and the stress melt away.
We always recommend adding a spa as a part of your pool project. Yes, even if you plan on closing the pool and spa for the winter. By having the spa available for the cool summer nights and the shoulder seasons, you create one more reason to use your backyard resort.
