Venice: Is there anything you can learn from it?

I just returned from a two week tour of Italy.

I didn't see any above ground pool decks, or any decks really, while driving around the countryside and catching a glimpse of Italian towns.

Then again, I spent most of my time in coastal towns and cities like Rome or Florence. Locals may or may not agree, but a city like Florence doesn't need much "improvement" in my opinion.

Also, from what I could tell it seems like many Italians live in apartments so naturally there would be little reason for people to add something like a pool deck. Now that I think about it, I didn't see that many residential swimming pools at all.

"Ah, Venice."

One of the cities I visited was Venice. There is no other place like it in the world. If you like art and architecture then it's a city you must visit at least once.

If you're a DIY'er who loves to analyze the contours of a bridge, the craftsmanship that went into a door, or the artistry that goes into a marble floor or column then Venice, like the rest of Italy, would strike you as a marvel.

People say one of the best things to do in Venice is to "just get lost". Pick a side street or alley and just wander. Go and see what you stumble across. I did this.

As wonderful as the city is, while I was wandering I couldn't help but notice the problems Venice is having with its buildings.

As you probably know, Venice is a very old city. Most of our American cities are babies by comparison. Many of the buildings and homes in Venice were built hundreds of years ago. One person told us that his walls were a thousand years old.

The city was built on a swampy archipelago, 118 islands if my information is correct. And now after centuries of use the buildings are sinking.

Water levels appear to be rising but this strikes me as more of an illusion because some old homes along the canals - and I mean old - are teetering. Towers are leaning not unlike the one in Pisa. I looked closely at the water line and water is seeping underneath first-floor doorways in some places.

But Venice is still standing and the people who live there appear happy as they move about on their boats, water taxi's, and water buses. Unfortunately though, power boats are part of the problem.

Visitors from around the world still want to go there and their tourist dollar is still welcome in most areas, even if locals complain about trying to "get their city back".

How long can Venice stand? I don't know. I hope it stands forever but based on what I saw that's not a realistic possibility.

Across the city skyline I could see many cranes. When I asked what was going on, the answer I got was that they're installing some sort of "metal plates" along the canals that will hopefully help control water levels.

I don't know much about that sort of engineering or Venice's foundations, but I was immediately skeptical of this plan. It seems to me that the mother of all levee projects might be necessary to save a city like Venice.

They are installing floodgates at each of the three major inlets. A controversial project costing an estimated $6 billion Venetian planners are hoping this prevents flooding when tides rise. But there is still the issue of their soft, swamp like soil and how some buildings are just sinking.

What can you learn from this?

The most obvious lesson to be learned is to only build on good soil. The last thing you want to do is build a pool deck and then watch it sink or lean over the years because of weak soil or erosion.

That said, your pool deck won't be as heavy as a Venetian home but depending on where you live the soil might be something you'll need to consider.

As always, enjoy your pool!

Regards,

Paul Ottaviano
Createyourdeck.com - How to Build a Deck Around Your Pool