The sun shelf or tanning ledge, as it is sometimes referred to, can be a focal point of any design. Coupling this modern approach to the traditional shallow end with either bubblers or strategically placed lighting below the water line on the walls, the sun shelf creates a resort-like feeling and enhances the esthetic appeal of the entire project. By incorporating additional lighting options such as waterfalls, bubblers, and 25.4 mm (1 in.) accent lights throughout the pool, builders can turn a cookie-cutter project into a centrepiece that will not only get the homeowner compliments but can also create a stream of referrals and leads for the installer.
Light-emitting diode (LED) is not fibre optic
LEDs have allowed lighting manufacturers to create new products and improve on existing ones that were once unavailable or did not perform to adequate standards. Strip, or linear lighting is now a realistic, consistent product that adds personality and character to any project.
Before, with fibre optic, there were concerns of brightness, longevity, and controllability. Modern LED strip lighting no longer relies on equally sizing lengths of lights or the usage of colour wheels. With the addition of four-wire lights and control systems that have been borrowed from the lighting industry, strip lighting seamlessly integrates into any design and syncs with existing in-pool lights. These new four-wire drivers/transformers give the designer the ability to separate lights into different zones of the pool/backyard and display different colours simultaneously, or even have one zone on and another off.
LED strip lighting opens the door not only to lighting the pool, but to the surrounding areas as well. Since four-wire LED technology “runs cold” and does not need to be water cooled, the lighting options become endless. This advancement has made it possible to create out of water accent lighting that can be combined with in-pool lighting to recreate the resort type atmosphere and the crisp high-end look many discerning homeowners crave.
Synchronizing features
Once again, with the introduction of four-wire technology into the pool industry, the ability to synchronize lighting features around the backyard in conjunction with traditional pool lights is now a daily occurrence that is as simple as swiping one’s finger across an app. Landscape lighting is quickly becoming its own category within a category. Subtle placement of a singular light or small groupings around the backyard can add the fine-tuning that will tastefully highlight a builder’s hard work and provide the homeowner with the opportunity to enjoy their backyard sanctuary long into the evening.
