One of the surprising things about the cantilevered waterfall deck overlooking this backyard oasis is that the decking—which looks like wood—is aluminum. Contractor Jamie Turrentine of Southwest Fence and Deck explains that a local fabricator makes the aluminum panels used for the decking and the privacy wall behind the deck, powder coating them to give them their color. Next—in a process called sublimation—each powder-coated panel is wrapped with a thin wood-grain transfer film, and after a vacuum is applied to remove air trapped between the powder coating and the transfer film, the aluminum panels are baked to fuse the decorative coating and volatilize the transfer, forming the panel’s realistic grain and color.
Pool construction on the project was by Pool Environments, of Plano, Texas.
A pair of steel columns were installed during pool construction to support a trellis.
Another feature in the design, by Randy Angell Designs, of Plano, Texas, is the sunken sitting area situated at one end of the pool, which has a drain and built-in sump pump in case of waves. Overhead, Turrentine built a remotely controlled sliding trellis supported by powder-coated steel columns. Custom-fabricated from powder-coated aluminum, the trellis folds out of the way when family and friends want to do some stargazing.
Located at the far end of the pool over a sunken sitting area, the trellis has retractable aluminum panels.
The sitting area is warmed by a gas fire pit, and flanked by a pair of waterfalls.
Cast-in-place concrete slabs act as geometric stepping stones for access to the sitting area. Cast concrete was also used as a hardscaping element and for coping around the gunite pool, which was built by Pool Environments, also of Plano.
Photos by Jimi Smith Photography.
