Pools & Spas
As a general contractor, I am steadily bombarded by information about new products that claim they will forever change the way I look at whatever category the novel gizmo occupies. This sort of marketing has turned me into a skeptic whenever I see something new come along, basically because experience and communication with other contractors have showed me that few of these novelties ever fully live up to the hype. Some contractors respond to this slippery situation by sticking solely with what they know, which, in my view, is
Through many years of applying small pieces of tile to the complex sorts of surfaces found in pools, spas and other waterfeatures, I find most of the challenges (and opportunities) come in figuring out intersections - that is, places where planes meet, contours change and, in general, a whole lot of attention needs to be paid to getting things just right visually. We at Rock Solid Tile (Calabasas, Calif.) have been fortunate to find ourselves involved in many projects in which
There are few things prettier than the classic sky blue that results from the combination of white plaster and clear water. In recent times, however, amazing and even startling colors and color combinations are appearing within swimming pools and other watershapes courtesy of either integrally colored plaster, white plaster paste coupled with colored aggregate or colored paste with a colored aggregate. Various textures are also available courtesy of these finishes, with surfaces ranging from
‘One of the skills of a good designer is the ability to recognize those situations in which less is more.’ With those words, David Tisherman opened a landmark 2002 column that began changing the way the watershaping world looked at spa spillovers and other pool-related cascades. *** ‘Using [an] understated approach helps the designer or builder avoid
As a landscape architect, I generally approach projects with a balanced view of a space's potential. I weigh all of the possible elements in the prospective design, envisioning pools, spas, decking, lighting, shade structures and plantings as well as the flow from the inside of the home out into the backyard and the uses to which the homeowner intends to put the space. Every once in a while, however, the unique features of
The modern concept of "outdoor living" took hold a long time ago - the very first time a homeowner set up a barbecue grill somewhere near the backyard pool, then figured out a way to enjoy a family meal al fresco. This sort of casual and mostly seasonal approach held on for decades, but approaches to outdoor living took a giant leap forward in the 1990s, when swimming pools started being joined in increasing numbers of backyards by
For quality watershapes, there's nothing like a finish made up of mosaic glass tile: The material has a great look and a spectacular texture, comes in amazing colors and offers a full range of visual effects, from complete transparency to shimmering iridescence. It's the perfect crowning touch for an outstanding project if the budget is right - and that's where the trouble often starts. Through the years, I've inspected more than 40 projects in which
It's a small backyard with a Texas-size easement - and a good thing that I like challenges, because designing a project for this outdoors-loving family in Katy was an exercise in making a whole bunch of ideas fit comfortably within an unusually constrained space. As we learned, their gated-community property is separated from the street directly behind it by a tall boundary wall. This meant that there was no backing parcel to share
While he understands why some homeowners might think that acting as their own pool contractor is a good idea, Paolo Benedetti also knows it's likely to be a huge mistake. That's why he wants professional watershapers to get involved and be part of the solution.
Even after years of operation in the tile-application business, we still find fresh challenges and new sources of pride in what we do. I think it's primarily because we spend so much of our time focusing on fine details - the little touches that turn routine work into creative exercises and repetitive tasks into ongoing sparks of inspiration. A case in point is the huge job on display in this article: The three watershapes encompass vast square footage that includes fields of
