Industry veterans offer tips for ensuring a perfect automatic-cover installation.<\/p>\n
Installing automatic pool covers requires a team effort, with the builder and subcontractors playing important roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pool cover installer should make sure they\u2019re coordinating with whoever is building the pool,\u201d says Mark Sheinman, president of Pennco Automatic Pool Covers<\/a> in Havertown, Pa. \u201cYou need to make sure everyone\u2019s on the same page.\u201d<\/p>\n Here, specialists explain how all parties can contribute to a long-lasting automatic cover.<\/p>\n BUILDERS:<\/strong> \u201cMost covers will work well for the first couple years, but after that, you\u2019ll start to see issues if the pool is out of square or not constructed correctly,\u201d Sheinman says. \u201cThe customer starts having little problems like, \u2018It was out of alignment today,\u2019 or, \u2018It didn\u2019t close evenly.\u2019 You just won\u2019t have consistency in operation.\u201d<\/p>\n For the cover to glide smoothly through narrow tracks, several elements must be precisely aligned. To make this happen, builders need only to take a little extra time to make sure the pool is level, plumb and square \u2014 and built to the planned specifications.<\/p>\n And remember: No improvising on the job. If the pool plans need to change, coordinate with the cover installer so everyone is up to speed.<\/p>\n \u2022 Set up proper drainage.<\/strong><\/span> Some cover installers prefer when pool builders drain the cover box to daylight, with the pipes gradually sloping until they empty out to daylight at a lower level. This usually requires a gradual slope in the yard, but on flat sites, the pool sometimes can be slightly raised to create enough of an elevation differential.<\/p>\n \u201cThen there\u2019s very little to no chance that the mechanism enclosure could flood or clog up,\u201d Sheinman says. \u201cIt\u2019s the least expensive method, and extremely effective.\u201d<\/p>\n On sites that won\u2019t accommodate this scheme, there are other options. Some like to send the drainage to the sewer. Before doing this, make sure it is permitted by local code.<\/p>\n Another possibility is to dig a dry well with crushed stone on the bottom. However, be aware that dry wells probably will require some maintenance. For instance, when the soil doesn\u2019t drain properly, it can get backed up and flood out the mechanism enclosure.<\/p>\n Some builders don\u2019t like to tie this system in with the deck or backwash plumbing. If the other systems back up, they say, gravity will send water right into the lower-sitting cover box.<\/p>\n As with pools, larger pipe is generally better when plumbing a drain. Sheinman prefers 4-inch plumbing, so that leaves and other debris can move more freely. Three inches is just adequate, he says. If you go with 2-inch plumbing, though, the drain may have to be snaked more often than the homeowner likes.<\/p>\n In addition, use sweep 90s rather than hard corners \u2014 these make it easier to get a sewer snake through for unclogging.<\/p>\n Drains can be placed throughout the box, as you would on a deck. However, many \u2022 Make stone lids service-friendly.<\/strong><\/span> That\u2019s forward-thinking in terms of design. But consider how this will affect service down the road. A single technician can only lift so much, which is why Nikk White recommends breaking the lid up into sections that max out at 50 pounds.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it weighs 75 pounds and you have to drag it off and pinch your fingers, [service techs] are going to ignore it and not do it,\u201d says the service manager of Cascade Pools<\/a> in Lake Oswego, Ore.<\/p>\n If possible, he may use hollow artificial rock to make for a lighter product.<\/p>\n When using a natural, flat material such as flagstone, keep the joints between the sections separated \u2014 do not grout them together.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to break the grout to get the lid off,\u201d White says. \u201cSome masons say, \u2018It\u2019s silicone.\u2019 But you still have to cut it, and then it\u2019s going to look like heck. It\u2019d be better not to put anything in there in the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 Provide proper support for deck-mounted installations.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Pavers that sit directly under the tracks or other cover components should not simply be installed on a sand bed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to either set the pavers in concrete, or have concrete between them to lock them into place,\u201d Sheinman says. \u201cWhen you do, you have a good, permanent foundation that\u2019s not going to move over time. Otherwise, you\u2019re going to have problems long-term with the installation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Source: Rebecca Robledo- Pool and Spa News | 3.27.2009<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Industry veterans offer tips for ensuring a perfect automatic-cover installation. Installing automatic pool covers requires a team effort, with the builder and subcontractors playing important roles. \u201cThe pool cover installer should make sure they\u2019re coordinating with whoever is building the … Continue reading
\n\u2022 Make everything square and follow the specifications.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>The most important part of the automatic-cover installation rests in the pool builder\u2019s hands. Unfortunately, it\u2019s also where most mistakes are made.<\/p>\n
\nEven the newest hydraulic cover systems and waterproof motors are not meant to sit submerged in water, but that\u2019s exactly what will happen if the cover mechanism box floods out due to rain, pool overflow or ground water.<\/p>\n
\ninstallers recommend placing them on the ends of the mechanism enclosure, so they\u2019re more accessible to service techs for cleaning.<\/p>\n
\nBuilders often choose to integrate their cover boxes with the deck by covering them with stone or a cementitious material.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span>These applications \u2014 where tracks are placed on the deck to cover a freeform pool \u2014 will only work on a stable surface. Otherwise, the deck won\u2019t properly hold the tracks.<\/p>\n