Pools & Spas
Installing structural steel in a swimming pool means negotiating a variety of fittings, contours, corners…
It might be the biggest change the pool industry has seen since passage of the Virginia Graeme Baker Act: The U.S. Dept. of Energy is banning most single-speed pumps and changing the way all of these devices are rated.
Most watershape designers and builders I know largely rely on referrals to generate new business. That's certainly been true in my case and I've learned that word of mouth is extremely important, and arguably the best form of marketing. It is unusual, however, to have one referral from a satisfied client turn into two massive projects at the same time. That's exactly what happened, when one of my past clients
This time, Dave Peterson shares a simple, reliable way to extend stone veneer from the deck surface all the way down into the pool's interior. It's a great way, he suggests, to create a transition from dry to wet surfaces that is durable, graceful -- and visually seamless.
This project had it all - balance, symmetry, style and luxury on a grand scale, and fantastic clients. More than three years in the making, and recently finished this past spring, the design integrates a number of key principles and modalities with the clients' desires for elegance, all with a European flare. It was the kind of project that makes you love being a watershape designer. I'd worked with the pool contractor, Lee Seelig of Waterscapes Backyard Resorts in Nashville, on several past high-end projects. In this case, he was in the early stages
Construction defects often first reveal themselves on the plaster surface. When the concrete substrate isn't right, those issues will always transmit to the plaster and become painfully visible. Making sure that the shotcrete bonding plane is up to standards is key to successful plaster installation. While the subject of plaster's relationship with
Sometimes you never know how one thing can lead to another. That's certainly been true of my journey into the world of swimming pools and specifically movable pool floors. Today, our company Custom Pool Systems is making steady headway into the market by offering a system that solves many of the challenges associated with movable pool floors - but it did take us time to get there. My first contact with the pool industry was 25 years ago when
Ask the Masters has released a detailed, four-part series of podcasts profiling a stunning, challenging residential project in Scottsdale, Ariz., that includes multi-layered waterproofing, acrylic-panel installation, an all-tile finish -- and an incredible level of on-site coordination.
When you target the high-end custom market, you'll inevitably work for clients that expect, and can afford to get exactly what they want. That was certainly the situation with the project pictured here. The clients were extremely discerning and were involved the entire way with every little detail. Working that way can be challenging at times, and slow, but it can also bring out your best. We worked on the design of this project for over a year before breaking ground. It was hard trudging most of the way. There were countless discussions and ideas going back and forth, along with
Having a beautiful pool with a colored surface, especially one with a quartz or pebble plaster finish, is a popular choice among pool owners, and understandably so. The color adds ambiance to the setting and can make the water wonderfully attractive and inviting. That's why pool owners are willing to pay extra to have that special color enhance their water and by extension the entire backyard. With that investment in aesthetics, consumers rightfully expect the attractive appearance they've paid for to last a long time. In turn, builders, remodelers, and plasterers are motivated to provide colorfast surfaces that endure the dynamic swimming pool environment. Unfortunately, as we all know, that's not always the case - colors do sometimes fade. Because the interior pool surface is such a dominating
