Pools & Spas
Rooftop pools and other similarly elevated swimming pool structures present unique sets of considerations that must be thoroughly addressed by anyone involved in their design and construction. As was discussed in the first article in this two-part series ("Elevated Engineering," click here), it is common for these watershapes to be constructed inside a concrete vault or supported on a concrete structural slab - either of which is usually
'There is no doubt that the recent wave of legislation, codes and standards regarding suction entrapment has caused confusion - not just in the pool and spa industry, but also among lawmakers, inspectors and contractors as well as pool and spa owners.' That's how Dave Peterson opened his Currents column in November 2010. 'Our firm and others have been retained by numerous owners, contractors and maintenance companies to
In December 2010, WaterShapes published "How to Make Durable Pool Plaster," an article filled with what I knew about making reliable, discoloration-free pool plaster - including basic information about both proper and improper plastering practices. It should come as no surprise that, since then, research has continued and our understanding of issues involved in the proper mixing and application of these cementitious finishes has continued to grow. This article will cover these developments, discussing in greater detail the
I had a college professor who was fond of saying, "There are only two types of concrete in this world: The first is concrete that is cracked, and the second is concrete that is going to crack." That's a good laugh line, but the tough thing about it is that it's also true. This is why the engineering design procedures for all reinforced concrete (pursuant to ACI 318 and 350, which are the key American Concrete Institute standards for concrete structures) allow for
The lessons we've covered in this long sequence of articles have typically revolved around single, key errors and have generally called for commonsense (and often simple) remedies. In the world of pool construction, however, there are situations in which the problems are far more complex, often rising from multiple missteps and clusters of intertwined failures. This is one of those situations, and it has to do with a basic pool/spa combination in a brand-new housing development. Although the pool contractor charged only $35,000 for the installation, the associated legal
Several years back, the luxury car maker Lexus described its corporate mission as the relentless pursuit of perfection, and I'm willing to step up and say that working with glass tile on the shapely, detailed interior surfaces of swimming pools and spas is just that sort of pursuit. That's not saying we hit the mark with placement of every single piece of tile across surfaces that frequently cover thousands of square feet, but we have
This project is wonderful in so many ways that it's tough to believe our clients could be anything less than perfectly satisfied - but, surprisingly, they've had a bone to pick with me. It's just gorgeous: A great shape, beautifully detailed tile, a perimeter-overflow system augmented with a vanishing edge, underwater speakers, lush landscaping - a perfect Hawaiian-style plunge for
There are two truths when it comes to swimming pools and heat: Year in and year out, some months are colder than others and, year by year, energy prices tend to rise. For a facility built around a heated swimming pool, those two truths are powerful drivers of the ongoing cost of staying in operation - and it's safe to say that seasonal expenses related to keeping the water warm are never far from the minds of
Picture this: You've just completed the installation of a beautiful new swimming pool - a real step up for the home and its backyard. The clients had their hearts set on its dark-gray interior finish: They'd heard it would help warm the water on sunny days, and they liked the thought that the pool would look more like a beautiful lagoon than a pale swimming hole. The plaster crew
I've been working as a watershape designer long enough to have seen big trends emerge and really take hold. It seemed for a while, for example, that vanishing edges came up at some point in just about every initial client conversation. More recently, I've found myself discussing lots of geometric pools - rectangles and various other squared-off perimeters - and that's great, because it gives us plentiful ways to
