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Media Matters

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Selecting the right filter media for a particular pool can save time and maintenance headaches down the road.

 

Water   clarity is a crucial aspect of pool maintenance, whether a job site involves   a small family pool or a huge commercial vessel.

But experts agree that there’s no “magic bullet” when it comes to filter   media — each type has its ups and downs, and is ideally suited for some   situations while potentially disastrous in others.

Here, veteran service technicians and scientists share their perspectives on   selecting filter media, and walk through the process of assessing a pool’s   filtration needs.

Sand
As many service techs know, sand is the oldest type of filter media in the   pool industry — but what’s less well known is that it’s the oldest filter   media in human history, dating back to the baths of ancient Egypt.

Like many tried-and-true technologies, sand filtration works as well as ever   in a limited range of circumstances — but as today’s pool circulation systems   have grown more complex, and filtration expectations more stringent, it’s no   longer the most efficient option available.

Still, sand is widely used in commercial pool systems — particularly those   with relatively slow circulation rates. In the 1950s, when the pool industry   was still in its infancy, many public pools used rapid-rate sand filters,   which filtered water through a bed of sand with a gravel substrate. This   system was soon made obsolete by high-rate sand filtration, which uses much   smaller sand particles and no gravel. Thus, most of today’s “sand filters”   are more precisely termed “high-rate sand filters.”

These filters typically use sand particles between 0.018 in. and 0.022 in. In   size — often called “#20 standard silica sand” — though some operators   substitute other media such as zeolite, or a mixture of crushed glass and   gravel. Material at this level of fineness can usually entrap particles   between 20 and 100 microns in size.

This might sound tiny, but sand actually misses many particles that would be   caught by more modern filters.

Operators who choose sand filtration are often motivated by the desire to   keep costs down, or simply by the knowledge that the pool’s bather load isn’t   particularly high. In some cases, this is a sensible decision.
However, a sand filter can bring along other costs that might not be as   obvious. As the top bed becomes caked over with debris, its sand will   sometimes start to form vertical channels, experts explain. These channels   can reduce the area where optimal filtration is taking place because the   water is mostly flowing through the channels that have formed, instead of   diffusing evenly through the filtration media.

Another inconvenience of sand filters is that they must be backwashed   frequently — the exact timing varies according to factors such as bather load   and flow rate, but most systems require a backwash approximately once per   month. In addition, the effectiveness of a sand filter can drop drastically   if the sand isn’t replaced at least once every five years. This process can   get fairly involved — it entails scooping large amounts of sand out of the   filter, finding a place to dispose of the material, then refilling the filter   with an even layer of clean new sand.

In short, sand filters are best suited for applications where low cost is a   top consideration, bather loads are fairly limited, and yearly “refreshes”   are acceptable to both the site operator and the service tech.
 
A   traditional sand filter is composed of a large central chamber — filled with   sand and/or gravel — through which water is circulated. A diatomaceous earth   filter’s overall design is similar, but its central chamber is more cylindrical,   and is filled with grids specially designed to be coated with DE.
Diatomaceous Earth
A significant step up from sand in several ways, diatomaceous earth (DE) is   composed of the skeletons of microscopic prehistoric organisms. The complex   structure of these skeletons results in much finer filtration — down in the   range of 3 to 5 microns — than #20 sand can achieve. This fine texture,   combined with high permissible flow rates, has made DE the filter media of   choice for many of today’s service technicians.

This effectiveness comes with a price, though. First, DE is toxic to humans,   which means it’s crucial to wear facial protection to prevent anyone from   accidentally inhaling or swallowing the substance. Care must also be taken to   ensure that the powder doesn’t contaminate nearby chemicals or equipment,   where it can cause corrosion or other unwanted reactions.

Because of concerns like these, many cities and counties also have   regulations against disposing of used DE in the street, or even down public   wastewater lines.

These restrictions have led many techs to develop workarounds. Supporters of   DE recommend disposing of used media in the customer’s yard (after securing   permission, of course) where it acts as a fertilizer for plants. Another   option is to use catch basins, which allow water to drain away from the DE,   which can then be thrown into the trash.

Still, cleanup and disposal of DE can be nearly as messy as cleaning a sand   filter — or, in a way, even more so, given the media’s toxic nature. And DE   filter’s require more backwashing, experts say.

DE is ideally suited for pools with high bather loads where pristine water is   a major priority. Maintenance won’t be a cinch by any means, but proper care   will ensure effective filtration of most particles, even at high flow rates   and temperatures.

Cartridge
A major leap forward in filtration technology came with the development of   cartridge filters. Rather than using a chamber filled with loose filter   media, these filters strain water through a compact array of pleats that   catch particles down in the range of 5 to 10 microns in size — about a third   the width of a human hair.

Though they don’t catch particles quite as tiny as those caught by DE   filters, cartridge filters are more efficient, especially in pools with   relatively low bather loads and flow rates. In these conditions, a cartridge   filter with a footprint of a few square feet can filter a volume of water in   the range of 500 square feet; far more than a sand filter of the same size.

Techs also report that these filters tend to be resistant to breakdowns and   serious clogs, and are much easier to clean than sand filters.

And unlike sand and DE, cartridges don’t require backwashing or regular media   replacement. Instead, all a tech needs to do is remove the cartridge from the   filter tank and hose it off; or, in some cases, dip it in a mild muriatic   acid solution to remove particularly stubborn particles.

The downside is that if this cleaning isn’t performed regularly, cartridge   filters have a tendency to clog, especially in pools with high bather loads,   techs report.

Thus, cartridge filters are best suited for applications with low to moderate   bather loads and water volume, such as residential pools that see usage a few   times a week. If simplicity of maintenance is a high priority, a cartridge   system may be ideal.

Source: Ben Thomas- Pool and Spa News | 1.27.2012

 

Liquid chemical feeders

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Liquid chemical feeders can simplify pool maintenance — but an awareness of their workings is crucial for effective use.

For much of the pool industry’s history, chemicals have been added to the water in two basic ways: By pouring solutions into the pool, or by placing tablets in a feeder of some sort. These techniques are both simple and time-tested, but they’re not always ideal — especially for pools with high bather loads, or those that require rapid chemical adjustments.

This has led some manufacturers to develop new types of mechanical feeders which add precise doses of liquid chemicals to the water as needed. Though many of these feeders work in conjunction with automation systems on large commercial sites, they’re also growing in popularity for residential applications.

Here, we talk with experts on liquid chemical feeders to get a sense of how the main types work, where they’re most useful and how they should be maintained. A working knowledge of these devices will enable more effective service practices and promote clearer dialogue with those clients who use chemical automation.

 

Mechanics
An understanding of liquid feeder applications begins with a grasp of their workings.

Many of today’s liquid solution feeders fall into the category of positive displacement pumps, which means they rely on mechanically applied pressure, rather than suction, to push liquid chemicals — such as solutions containing chlorine, muriatic acid or soda ash — through their lines. The category of positive displacement liquid solution feeders includes peristaltic pumps, diaphragm pumps and piston pumps.

Peristaltic pumps move chemicals through a flexible feed tube, squeezing the tube with a rotating set of rollers and producing an output-side pressure that usually falls between 25 and 100 psi.

The mechanical simplicity of these pumps offers several advantages. “A peristaltic pump is completely self-priming,” says Kevin Boyer, COO of Aquasol Controllers Inc. in Houston. Boyer adds that a peristaltic pump also works quite well with gassing liquids like bleach, because its design simply pumps any gas, along with the liquid, right through the tube and into the line.

Diaphragm pumps move chemicals by rotating a cam or solenoid against a flexible membrane, displacing liquid while its egg-like shape applies varying pressure. As the diaphragm expands and creates a vacuum, a spring-loaded check valve at the pressure side of the membrane’s chamber opens, allowing fluid to flow in. As the solenoid compresses the diaphragm, the pressure forces a check valve at the chamber’s pressure-side out-port to open, allowing the chemical to flow into the feed line.

 
 

Piston pumps work in essentially the same way, except that the cam or solenoid pumps a piston, which compresses a similar flexible membrane.

Some diaphragm and piston pumps used to develop issues with gas buildup, which would cause the pumps to lose prime. However, many of today’s have designed their products to be self-venting. “Some of them are now built with a mechanism in the head that vents the gas back into the bleach tank,” Boyer says.

As designs of liquid feeders have improved over the years, their reliability and consistency have risen, and the amount of repair they require has decreased. Even so, a chemical feed system must be sized correctly, and matched with the right application, if they’re to be most effective.

Applications
Throughout the past several years, automation systems have become more advanced, and chemical feeders have grown less expensive — allowing a much wider variety of customers to incorporate chemical feeders into their projects. Today, some builders urge all their residential customers to incorporate automation.

“I myself will always recommend automation for residential pools,” says Troy McGinty, product manager at Hayward Commercial Pool Products in Rockville, Md. “And I’d say that every commercial body of water should absolutely have a chemical automation system on it.”

It’s also worth noting that many commercial clients will have already done some research into chemical feeders, and may have detailed questions about how these technologies can meet their needs. In short, it’s more critical than ever for pool professionals to understand which devices are most appropriate for each project.

As with electrolytic chlorine generators (ECGs), the ideal way to assess a pool’s chemical feeder needs is not by gallonage, but by the system’s demand for adjustments to chlorine, pH and so on. Environmental conditions, peak bather loads, and water loss or leakage issues are all major contributors to chemical demand. So it’s important to investigate these factors with the customer before making a feeder recommendation.

After establishing the pool’s chemical demands, the next step is to assess which type of feeder will most efficiently meet them. For many residential and small commercial applications, peristaltic pumps are sufficient. They tend to be less expensive than diaphragm and piston pumps, and a variety of size options are available — many manufacturers offer several tiers of motor size, and several feed tube diameters as well.

 
 

Diaphragm pumps are often better suited to large commercial applications because they’re typically designed to deal with more sizable chemical flow. Thus, they tend to be somewhat larger and more expensive than peristaltic pumps.

Also, instead of size variations, they typically deal with varied chemical needs by electronically limiting their output — a limit that may be imposed via an automation controller, or within the pump’s own circuitry, depending on the design.

In fact, automation controllers form a crucial component of many systems that involve liquid chemical feeders. Though some lower-end systems may simply use feeders to add scheduled doses of chemicals to the water, the preferred technique is to use sensors — such as ORP and pH meters — to communicate to a feeder array what chemical adjustments are needed. This sort of setup requires some automation components.

There’s also another impact of these automated adjustments — one that may be closer to home for many customers. “The biggest advantage of a chemical controller is that it’ll save you money on chemicals, because it’s not feeding you chlorine all night long,” says Gus Dabney, owner of Florida Chemical Laboratories in Largo, Fla.

Automated chemical feeders are particularly useful for customers who have electrolytic chlorine generators. Effective real-time monitoring control of the water’s pH and the chlorine levels will ease the burden on the salt cells, increasing their effectiveness and longevity.

Service
Though liquid chemical feeders can do their work without daily input from the user, they’re still subject to their share of potential issues. Frequent system checkups and adjustments — and part replacements when necessary — will go a long way toward keeping these devices efficient and trouble-free.

For a peristaltic pump, the most common issue is wear and tear on the feed tubes. This isn’t caused by any specific flaw in design; it’s simply due to the fact that the pump works by squeezing plastic tubes.

Another potential problem — especially with older peristaltic pumps — is clogging in the lines. Clogs can create back pressure that may damage the pump, so it’s also important to investigate this possibility on a regular basis. Thus, most experts recommend thoroughly checking the tubes of peristaltic pumps for leaks and clogs at least once per week.

In addition, it’s critical to test water chemistry regularly with a manual test kit, instead of trusting a readout on the feeder or controller. Over time, a film can build up over metal chemical probes, and this often skews their readings. Though a soak in muriatic acid or a scrub with a toothbrush will usually remove this film, the easiest way to know it’s become a problem is to “test the tests,” by comparing the system’s electronic readout with other test kit results.

Although some customers might hope that an automated liquid chemical feeder will bring an end to the days of constant maintenance, the fact is that any pool is a constantly changing system, and requires regular checkups and adjustments if it’s to stay safe and efficient. With that in mind, an understanding of chemical feeder mechanics will make it easier to anticipate issues, fix them before they become real problems, and keep the whole system running smoothly.

Source: Ben Thomas- Pool and Spa News | 10.28.2011

Lighting a Pool For Safety

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A commonly overlooked aspect of safety is proper lighting. Here are some tips.

 

When talking about safety-specific products, something that’s often taken for granted in the whole equation is lighting.

But this component allows swimmers to see where they’re headed and how far they can swim or dive before bumping into the walls and floor. In a commercial setting, lighting becomes even more important, as it illuminates signs and helps lifeguards identify when people are in distress.

But in the HMAC sector (hotel, motel, apartment and condo), this part of pool design is often done incorrectly. First, the owners of these facilities often have cost concerns.

“They’re the worst, because they don’t want to spend any money,” says lighting designer Jim Weathers, president of Engineering Associates in Alvord, Texas. “They don’t want maintenance items. They don’t want to spend $700 for a pool light; they want to spend $350 on a pool light, and they’ll put on the bare minimum. That’s all a cost game.”

A number of facilities also mistakenly use low lighting to set a mood.

But some counter that mood-setting shouldn’t be the priority. “It’s safety, not just paint it pretty,” says Kent Williams, president of the Professional Pool Operators of America in Newcastle, Calif. “It has to do with the survivability of the people who swim in your pool.”

Some facility owners and operators further say they want to minimize lighting to save on energy costs. But with new, energy-efficient options such as LED lighting available, that is no longer an excuse.

“You can justify improving your lighting if you can drop the cost of doing it,” says Alison Osinski, president of Aquatic Consulting Services in San Diego.

Here, experts offer some tips on properly lighting commercial pools and spas for safety.

Know the codes — and how they don’t apply.
Virtually all codes on the books contain lighting requirements based on watts, prescribing a certain wattage per so many square feet.

But these codes can prove to be outdated. For starters, lighting technology has greatly evolved since the 1970s and ’80s, when many of these codes were written. Today’s higher-efficiency lights yield significantly more illumination per watt and don’t require as much energy. These older codes don’t consider the actual light output, which affects safety more than anything.

The Illuminating Engineering Society makes recommendations based on the number of foot candles of illumination to be detected in certain spots. For instance, in indoor pools, a reading taken 6 inches above the water’s surface should indicate a light level of at least 100 foot candles. On outdoor pools, that measurement should be at least 60 foot candles. Illumination levels can be measured using a light meter or photometer.

Some state and municipal codes only call for 3 foot candles — well below that called for by the IES. But some professionals consider that too dark. “It’s low and just so out of industry standard,” Osinski says.

Many facility designers overlook light levels on the deck, which is important to ensure that signage is readable, Osinski adds. The IES suggests a minimum of 30 foot candles be detected at eye level on the deck.

Do not use lighting directly over the pool.
Some aquatic facilities will install lighting directly over the water — not on poles around the pool perimeter, but rather on rafters, catwalks and other structures reaching across the vessel. This is a bad idea for a number of reasons.

“It creates a serious glare problem for lifeguards,” Osinski says. “What they see is the light reflecting back at them. They see a perfectly round circle [of light] in the pool and absolutely nothing below it.”

And, with the potential for a bulb to shatter and fall in the water, this placement actually causes safety problems.

Finally, this kind of configuration doesn’t promote proper maintenance. “Every time I see one of those pools with the lights over them, I look up and about five of them are burned out,” Osinski says. “I say, ‘When do you change them?’ And I hear, ‘Oh, when half are burned out.’ That’s because it’s really hard to change the bulbs.”

Rather than placing lights directly above the pool, they can be installed on the perimeter and angled toward the water. This way, the glare is reduced and it’s much easier to change the bulbs.

Light the pool uniformly.
The goal not only is to help swimmers read signs and avoid hitting the bottom of the pool, it’s also to help rescuers see when someone needs help. “You want to be able to see a body underwater, or a person who’s in distress,” Weathers says. “The biggest problem I see is probably lack of underwater lighting.”

For this reason, installers should not rely solely on local codes to establish the minimum guidelines. Codes may require a certain number of watts every so many square feet, but this doesn’t take into account the beam spread and how much coverage the lights will provide. “When you do calculations based on square footage of surface area, sometimes you have dark places between fixtures,” Weathers says. “You need to space your fixtures correctly.”

On lazy rivers and other curvy, freeform aquatic elements, space the lights closer together than normal to make sure every inch is illuminated. “You get so much coverage from each fixture,” Weathers says. “Each one’s different, so you have to really look at the beam spread on the fixture and be able to triangulate that so you don’t have dark spots.”

Getting the best possible light may require designers to incorporate new habits. Especially in HMAC pools, many designers simply place one fixture at the deep end and rely on it to illuminate the whole pool. But the light beam will fade progressively the farther it travels, so the shallow end won’t be well lit. “What they should be doing is [placing lights] on the sides, all the way to the point where it becomes too shallow to install a fixture,” Weathers says.

For the shallowest water, such as that found in beach entries and sun shelves, designers should make special considerations. Most underwater lights can only be installed in water that’s 18 inches or more deep. In these spaces, add lights nearby, such as on pole-mounted fixtures.

“You can light them overhead with flood lights and still penetrate the water,” Weathers says. (But once again, these lights should not be placed on rafters or other structures crossing above the pool. Instead, they can be on poles around the pool perimeter.)

Pay attention to key areas.
Bathers use the shallow end more often than the deep, so make sure that area is well-lit. “We used to put six times more bulbs in the shallow end than the deep end, because the deep end has much less of the swimming activity,” Williams says.

Though the deep end may have two to three times more water than the remainder of the pool, he adds, the shallow end likely will hold the vast majority of swimmers. “So the shallow end needs a lot of light,” Williams says. “Any simple state rule saying you need one illuminator per 1,000 square feet isn’t sufficient.”

Additionally, make sure that drains are well-illuminated, so they can be easily seen for detection of missing or broken outlet covers, says Tom Ebro, a water safety specialist with Aquatic Risk Management in Lutz, Fla.

Use color sparingly, if at all.
If the goal is to detect the human form in distress as quickly as possible, Ebro says, it’s best to have as much contrast as possible. Thus, the ideal scenario is a light-colored pool interior with white light. Colored lights can interfere with quick recognition of a struggling person. In a commercial setting, avoid colored lighting.

Warn customers about maintenance and replacement.
Even when pools and spas begin with the right amount of illumination to meet codes and standards, time can erode that away.

“Part of the problem with lighting is you’ll go in and have a compliant situation with the [right amount of] foot candles, and over a period of time, the ballasts or light will get dirty, and you’ll go to less than [the needed] foot candles,” says Bill Rowley, president of Rowley International Inc. in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. “Now you’re not compliant and you don’t know it. Then you’ll get into a situation with a lawsuit where you’re less than the [needed] foot candles, and even if it doesn’t have anything to do with the lawsuit, it will be cited.”

When completing a pool and “handing over the keys,” so to speak, designers and builders should warn owners and operators about the need to clean bulbs and ballasts, and to replace lights.

Explain to those in charge of maintenance that they should not wait until half the lights are burned out to begin replacing bulbs. This applies to in-pool lighting and other lighting in the area.

Inform pool owners and operators that too many burned-out bulbs can come back to haunt them if an accident occurs.

“If you don’t have enough light in a pool [so] that you can’t really perceive what the depth is, you haven’t got a chance,” Rowley says. “I’ve been involved in litigation where lights were burned out, which gave a false indication of the pool depth, and someone dove in and hurt themselves.”

Source: Rebecca Robledo – Pool and Spa News | 9.30.2011

Leisure Fiberglass Pools

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Leisure in-ground fiberglass pools offer a durable, low-maintenance alternative to concrete pools. Fiberglass designs tend to cost 10 to 12 percent more than those constructed from concrete or other materials, but they can actually save people money in the long run because far less will be spent on repairs and upkeep. In fact, at Expert Pools we offer lifetime warranties for the structure of our Expert line, and twenty-year conditional warranties on any cosmetic finishes. We also have several different financing options that make it easier for a person to handle the cost of a pool.

There are several fiberglass pool installers that serve customers in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin but we feel our products are superior to those offered by other distributors. Expert Fiberglass Pools designs have 78 percent more flexural strength and 17 percent more tensile strength, and they are 33 percent thicker than the average fiberglass model. Our pools and spas are also on the cutting edge of technology, utilizing a unique closed beam coping that allows them to withstand the harsh weather across the country.

Fiberglass Pool Styles

Fiberglass pool styles and sizes are as varied as those of concrete and vinyl lined models. Large residential pools like the Moroccan  (16′ x 38′) or the Grand Elegance (16′ x 40′) require anywhere from 13,000 to 23,000 gallons of water and can be over eight feet deep ! Medium-sized designs like the Tuscany (14′ x 29′) and the Roman(12′ x 19′) range from about three to seven feet deep and generally use under 15,000 gallons of water. We also offer small and mini designs for smaller backyards and tighter budgets.

No fiberglass pool is complete without the proper accessories. That is why we offer top-of-the-line pumps, filters, heaters, and salt water systems. We can also install a host of other items such as fencing and power covers that will keep children and anyone else safe from harm.

 

L.E.D. Pool Lighting

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L.E.D. lighting can completely alter the appearance of a pool or spa and of an entire backyard. A splash of color such as blue, green, or purple can cause the shapes in the water to change in appearance, and they can affect the mood of all of those around the pool. That is why L.E.D. pool lighting is often the perfect addition to any backyard party, even one that doesn’t involve swimming.

On a very practical level, L.E.D. lighting makes it much safer for people to swim at night. Even the best swimmers can run into problems when it is dark. If one’s depth perception is affected in the least, he can end up hurting himself. L.E.D. stands for light emitting diodes. There are 9 colors standard and there is no risk of electrocution because the light works on a 12 volt current. The electrical cost of this lighting is much cheaper than conventional halogen-(old fashioned) lighting. You will save hundreds of dollars in the lifetime of ownership.

Fiber Optic  Lighting

At Expert Pools, we offer standard L.E.D. lighting options. However, we can also outfit our pools with Fiber Optic lighting. This style can give a very natural look to the pool, reducing the neon-like glow that so many lights produce. Also, Fiber Optic lighting can be used to highlight water features and steps.

Whenever a customer visits our showroom, he will have the opportunity to discuss all of the lighting options with one of our staff. You can even see a demonstration of what effect the lighting will actually have on a pool. Even if you decide to forgo Fiber Optic lighting options at first, accessories can always be added at a later date.

Installing Brick Pavers around a Pool

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The benefits of using pavers are both practical and aesthetic, especially if they’re chosen and installed correctly.

Looking for a deck option that can ride out ground movement while offering stylistic flair?

Pavers may be just the answer. They come in all variations — from the basic model you might find at Home Depot to more deluxe versions that include weathered-looking tumbled pavers, concrete varieties with pebble and sea shells mixed in, or those cut from stone.

These pieces fit together into puzzles that vary in complexity from a grid pattern to intricate mosaics established by the designer. In between lay interlocking pavers, with a built-in decorative line.

Practically speaking, this material offers several benefits. Paver decks are less subject to cracking than monolithic slabs, says Irv Chazen, president of Miami-based Custom Pools. He uses them on about 75 percent of his projects. “Problems seem to have diminished when the pavers were used in place of concrete,” he says.

A paver deck has built-in joints throughout, so installers don’t have to try to predict where cracking will occur, says Dan Essig, president of Artistic Paver Manufacturing Inc., in North Miami, Fla. Essig, who also builds pools, adds that a heavy rain or ground movement can cause a piece or two to pop out, though they’re easily replaced. They also make for speedier installation, because the decks can be placed piecemeal. So you can interrupt the job during rain.

But like any product, pavers have their drawbacks. Some are very porous, making them rough on the skin and prone to staining, mildew, algae and even freeze/thaw problems when water gets trapped in the nooks and crannies. Pavers also may experience color variations from batch to batch.

A little forethought
If your client wants to use pavers, keep a few design considerations in mind.

First, make sure their choice is comfortable against the skin. After his clients select their favorite paver, Chazen has them walk barefooted on samples to make sure the surface isn’t too rough. “I tell them, ‘If you think it’s too coarse, then don’t pick it,’” he says.

Also in the interest of comfort, look for pavers with beveled edges, Essig advises. Individual pieces will lift slightly out of the ground from time to time. When this happens, beveled varieties are less likely to ruin the look or cause stubbed toes, because they lack a hard corner.

When choosing a product, keep the pieces to scale. Small to medium sizes work best for most homes. Reserve the largest pavers — say, 24-by-24-inches — for unusually large areas.

Smaller varieties also work best with smaller pools, because you can pitch them away from the vessel without having to cut around corners and contours. “When you come to a corner, one side might pitch to the right and the other to the left,” Essig says. “Paver doesn’t bend, so you can’t get it to pitch in two different directions. If you have a 24-inch paver, it could be difficult.”

Some manufacturers offer matching coping. If you choose this option, use shorter, narrower pieces when working with freeform shapes. They are easier to manipulate around the curves and require less cutting. When placed around a radius, thicker copings can spread too far apart at the edges, leaving large, pie-shaped joints.

Also consider the direction of the grid. If the pool will run parallel to the house, Essig recommends pointing the lines diagonally toward the vessel rather than perpendicular. “Either the house or the pool isn’t going to be perfectly straight,” he says. “If you run the [grid] straight to the pool, the paver cuts will show any imperfections in the house, the pool or both. But if you use a diamond pattern, or offset, you don’t see imperfections as easily.”

This is especially important with rectangular pools. Freeform decks allow a little more flexibility, because there’s no straight line to give you away.

You can also use the grid pattern to highlight architectural elements of the home, such as a living-room window.

If the brand your client prefers varies in color from batch to batch, try to order everything you’ll need at once, Chazen advises.

On the ground
Installing pavers isn’t just a matter of sticking them in the ground.

For one thing, the right preparation is crucial. “If the job is graded, prepared correctly and compacted adequately, you won’t have a problem,” Chazen says. Without it, the product can pop out, settle or move in the ground.

Stabilize the ground the way you would for a concrete deck. While grading the area — to slope slightly away from the pool, of course — make sure it is sufficiently compacted. South Florida, for instance, has a lot of organic material in the soil, which must be removed. Or, you may have to contend with an erratic clay. If that’s the case, dig out 4 to 6 inches of the problem dirt and replace it with an immediately self-compacting, well-draining substance such as crushed stone. Chazen uses a gravel that’s approved by the state of Florida for roadwork called SRD screenings. Different areas have their own stabilization soils, Essig adds.

Next, place a 1- to 2-inch-thick layer of sand over the gravel. This leaves a soft yet self-compacting bed on which to tamp the paver stones.

Finally, dig and pour a perimeter footing. This 4-by-4- to 6-by-6-inch footer outlines the deck and keeps it from separating from the pool. “It’s not what you’d call a structural footing,” Chazen says. “It’s just a little trench with poured concrete that prevents the outermost pavers from moving outward and developing spaces between the deck and the pool.”

Place the pieces over the sand bed, spacing them uniformly for even joints, Chazen advises. Next, pour a fine sand over them. Use a power tamper to secure the stones in place. The vibration will cause the fine sand to settle and compact between the pavers.

If you and your client have chosen a particularly porous type of decking paver, coat it with a sealer to protect it.

Source: Rebecca Robledo- Pool and Spa News | 5.28.2010

In-ground Swimming Pools

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In-ground swimming pools can greatly increase the value of a home. More importantly, though, they can bring hours of recreation and enjoyment. An in-ground swimming pool is a place to play, exercise, entertain, or just float around, and it can make anyone cling to summertime for as long as they possibly can.

You have several options when you’re shopping for pools. There are countless designs and accessories to choose from. There are also landscaping choices that generally accompany the installation of a pool. You can even customize your pool, turning it into a water basketball court or a series of waterfalls and rocky islands. You also have to decide what construction materials the pool will be made of (concrete or fiberglass).

Buying In-ground Fiberglass Swimming Pools

For people in the Midwest or other parts of the country that regularly get hit with extremely cold weather, fiberglass is the only smart choice when it comes to in-ground pools. Concrete pools simply will not hold up under the strain the weather puts on them over an extended period of time. Fiberglass pools, on the other hand, are designed to stand strong through whatever winter might throw at them.

At Expert Pools, we make it easy for people to find a fiberglass pool that works for them. We have a huge selection of one-piece pools, and we offer an array of designs and styles. We will also work with people to come up with a financing plan that is fair and affordable. We have been in the fiberglass pool business for over 16 years and we are still growing because we have consistently been able to offer our customers high quality products and personalized service.

In-ground Pool Prices

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When you purchase an in-ground fiberglass pool from Expert Pools, you are making an investment that can give you enjoyment on a daily basis for years to come. Our pools are built to withstand even the harshest of winters so you do not have to worry that the condition of the pool will deteriorate after only a few years. Our pools come in a variety of sizes and styles, so you can easily find something that suits your financial and recreational needs.

At Expert Pools, we have long been the leading pool distributor in the Expert. We offer more models and accessories than most other companies, and our pool designs are the industry standard. You can experience one of our fiberglass pools firsthand if you visit our showroom. We are also happy to come to your home to demonstrate how your pool will be laid out in your backyard, and to give you a free quote. Basic packages can cost anywhere from $ 20,000 to $45,000 but exact prices cannot be determined without a site visit.

 

Deck Options

The right pool deck can go a long way towards enhancing the look of your backyard. In fact, along with the pool itself, a deck can greatly increase the value of your property. At Expert Pools, we offer many deck designs that can complement the appearance of any home.

We have pristine white decks of broom-finished concrete with cantilever. We also have a broom-finished design without cantilever that gives the deck a more natural look. If you want a bit of color in your yard, you can choose from powder-dyed decks with broom or stamped finishes and exposed aggregate concrete decks. We can also customize your pool area with decorative paver bricks.

In-ground Pool Kits

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Fiberglass in-ground pool kits offer superior construction and greater durability than concrete pools. Expert Pools’ fiberglass pools are the best on the market. Not only do our pools outperform their concrete counterparts, they are also stronger than any other top fiberglass design. That is because we use the latest technology to construct our pools, as opposed to most companies who are still drawing on techniques that were developed in the 1970s.

Standard in-ground pool kits come with circulation pumps, water filtering systems, and equipment pads. They also have several pool care items such as automatic chlorine feeders, automatic timers, chemical kits, and basic start-up maintenance supplies. At Expert Pools, we also include solar and winter covers, which allow you to extend the swimming season by keeping the temperature and condition of the pool at an optimal level.

In-ground Pool Kit Accessories

When you buy a Expert fiberglass pool, you can add a variety of accessories. We have optic lighting that can be arranged in a perimeter style, illuminating the outside of the pool, or a thru-wall style that actually alters the color of the water. Other optional flourishes include inlaid mosaic designs, step tiles, and alternative pool colors like whisper white or sapphire blue.

At Expert Pools, we also carry several accessories that make pool maintenance easy. We have different models of pool vacuums, electronic water purifiers, and an automated control center that allows you to monitor the cleaning process. You can contact us or come to one of our showrooms to learn about all of your options when buying a Expert fiberglass pool.

In-ground Pool Designs

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At Expert Pools, we offer our customers a wide variety of fiberglass pool designs. We have shapes and sizes that will complement almost any backyard. Large, medium, small, and even miniature units are available, and samples of each can be viewed at one of our showrooms.

The Island Breeze, Sea Breeze, and Panama designs are just a few of the large fiberglass pools that we carry at Expert Pools. Depths range from under five feet to over eight feet, so there are options for those who want to dive and those who would rather string volleyball nets across the center of their pools. Our smaller designs vary in depth as well. Some were created specifically with exercise in mind, while others are more versatile.

Why Choose a Fiberglass Pool?

Fiberglass pools are superior to concrete pools in several different ways. The installation process for an in-ground fiberglass pool is extremely fast when compared to the length of time it takes to build an in-ground concrete pool. Fiberglass pools can also withstand cold climates that would create cracks through the foundation of the average concrete model, and fiberglass stands up better against algae and other natural invaders that tend to wreak havoc on concrete pools.

Our fiberglass pools are not only superior to concrete pools, they also outperform other fiberglass designs as well. The flexural strength of an average fiberglass pool measures 23,500 P.S.I., while ours measure 41,976. This means that our pools are almost twice as strong as most of the fiberglass models on the market. Our pools also employ unique technology such as our closed coping system that allows them to withstand frigid temperatures, ice, and snow–three elements that are all too common in the Midwestern states.