Not Waiting for Spring

Aaron King believes in overcoming obstacles, as he explains in this look at solving winter pool-renovation challenges using controlled work spaces and reinforced PVC membranes. It’s an approach, he says, fits neatly with his company’s tradition of seeking innovative construction solutions.

By Aaron King

For decades, pool renovations in cold climates have followed a familiar rule: wait for spring. As soon as temperatures drop and frost becomes a factor, most interior-finish work comes to a halt. Curing requirements, temperature sensitivity, and weather-related risks have traditionally made winter pool renovations impractical, if not impossible.

We are among the builders that are challenging that assumption. By combining controlled jobsite environments with modern reinforced PVC membrane systems, we are now renovating pools of all types and sizes year-round—even in the depths of winter.

Rejecting limitations is in our company’s DNA. It started with family, three cousins sharing the frustration with the status quo in pool building. Most builders force you to choose: fast, affordable, or durable. The classic Triple Constraint. We refused to accept that tradeoff. Drawing from our diverse backgrounds in construction, engineering, and finance, we came together to prove you can have all three.

Using Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF), we pioneered a better way: pools built fast, built strong, and built at a reasonable cost. That’s why we’re called All3 Pools. From family roots in Springfield, Missouri, we’ve grown into America’s leading ICF pool company—shipping premium kits nationwide, offering expert training, and building award-winning pools that last generations.

Building a simple shelter keeps the pool warm and dry for year-round work. A small diesel
heater will keep the area sufficiently warm for the PVC membrane installation.

Seeking Alternative Approaches

In a very similar way, for the past two years, we’ve turned to reinforced PVC membranes for renovation surfacing. To that end, we’ve been working with RENOLIT who we first met at the Las Vegas pool show in 2024. We sought them out as a possible solution to offer a middle price point pool finish option.

We were not only impressed by the robust durability of the product, but the unparalleled support by RENOLIT as a company. The pool industry is plagued by good ideas with woeful support structures, so this became the foundation of our relationship.

It wasn’t long before we realized that their reinforced PVC membranes not only had the potential to provide an attractive price point, but are also offer the easiest path to a long-term and beautiful pool finish that is 100% watertight. The 15-year warranty for watertightness, and not having to replaster again equals long-term cost savings. Removing the hassles of leaks is very important theme with the renovations as well.

One high-end residential renovation we recently completed offers a clear example of how this shift is taking place.

Middle of Winter

The project involved a large, residential pool undergoing a full interior renovation during the winter months. Rather than waiting for warmer weather, we constructed a temporary enclosure over the pool shell, and used heaters to maintain a stable ambient temperature throughout the installation process.

Inside the enclosure, the pool vessel was fully protected from rain, wind, and freezing conditions. The controlled environment allowed our crew to work efficiently and without interruption, despite outside temperatures that would normally bring pool work to a standstill.

*Mounting* the Alkormetal Laminate strips – a PVC coated composite material used for welding the membrane to the top of the wall.

This approach is not unique to a single project. All3 Pools is one of several installers nationwide that have developed expertise in winter installations, leveraging controlled environments and materials specifically suited to these conditions.

Those issues are particularly challenging with traditional cementitious pool finishes, primarily because they are fundamentally dependent on chemical curing or setting processes, which are highly sensitive to temperature, humidity, and weather stability. Climates with lots of freeze thaw conditions reduce the useful life of cementitious pools. This is where PVC membranes shine. It’s built to survive and thrive in these climate conditions on top of year around warmer areas.

Plaster and cementitious finishes, for example, require minimum substrate and ambient temperatures to cure properly. Exposure to cold or freeze-thaw cycles during hydration can lead to cracking, discoloration, or bond failure. Even with heating measures, extended curing times make winter scheduling risky.

Tile installations face similar limitations. Mortars and grouts have temperature thresholds, and winter moisture control can be difficult even under temporary enclosures. Extended setting times often offset the benefits of attempting a winter installation.

Beginning the application of the reinforced PVC membrane over the concrete to the
deep end pool wall.

Fiberglass systems, while factory-produced, introduce their own challenges. Transportation, crane scheduling, temperature sensitivity during setting, and limited adaptability in renovation scenarios often restrict winter feasibility.

As a result, many builders simply postpone interior work until spring, compressing schedules, delaying openings, and creating bottlenecks during peak season.

A Different Installation Model

Reinforced PVC membranes operate on a fundamentally different principle than curing-based finishes.

Manufactured in controlled factory conditions, the material arrives on site ready for installation. Rather than on-site mixing, troweling and curing, the membrane is mechanically fastened and welded in place, creating a continuous waterproof lining.

For winter renovations, this distinction is critical.

As long as the ambient temperature inside the enclosure is brought into an acceptable working range, installation can proceed normally. There are no curing periods, no hydration cycles, and no extended setting times to manage.

In most renovation projects, installation is completed in three to five days. Once welding is complete, the interior finish is immediately functional.

Starting with the deep end wall of the pool and working towards shallow end of the pool, until all
the walls have the membrane fixed in place.

Full or Empty

One of the most significant advantages of reinforced PVC membranes is what happens after installation.

Unlike traditional finishes, the pool does not need to be filled to protect the interior. It can be filled immediately—even during winter months—or it can be left empty until the swimming season begins.

This flexibility has been proven in real-world applications. As an example, in a past installation, a fellow builder, Rob Hobaica of Easton Pools told me he decided to test the material in his own pool. After completing the interior, he left the pool empty for nearly five months while finishing a full backyard renovation. During that time, the pool was exposed to sun, debris, dirt, rocks, and ongoing construction activity.

Despite the exposure and lack of water, the reinforced PVC membrane showed no signs of degradation, he reports. The experience reinforces a key point for builders and owners alike: these systems do not rely on water to maintain integrity and can withstand extended periods without being filled.

A layer of fungicidal geotextile felt is placed under the membrane. This protects the membrane
from staining via microbial growth and ‘shims-it-up’ to meet the overlap weld in the corners for a level transition from pool floor to pool wall.

For winter renovations, this means the interior finish can be completed months in advance, without concern about damage or performance.

Operational Benefits

For companies like ours, winter membrane installations unlock several operational advantages:

Extended construction season without compromising quality
Reduced spring backlog, allowing crews to start new projects sooner
Predictable timelines, unaffected by curing delays
Better workforce utilization throughout the year

Rather than compressing all interior work into a narrow, warm-weather window, builders can distribute projects more evenly across the calendar.

This is particularly valuable for high-end residential renovations, where coordination with landscaping, decking, and other site work often extends beyond pool construction alone.

Pool Owner Advantages

From the owner’s perspective, winter renovation offers equally compelling benefits.

Completing the interior finish during the off-season means the pool is fully ready when warm weather arrives. There is no waiting for plaster cures, no delayed openings, and no rush to finish before the first swim of the season.

*Most pools can be completed in 2-4 days of welding, depending on size. Replacing the fittings in a plaster pool (to gasket-style) adds a day or two on the front-end.*

Owners also gain peace of mind knowing that:he finish does not require immediate filling. The pool can remain empty while other site work continues, and the interior is not vulnerable to freeze-related damage

In addition, modern reinforced PVC membranes offer a wide range of textures and colors, including slip-resistant surfaces designed for comfort and safety, without sacrificing durability.

Rethinking the Calendar

Winter projects like this one signal a broader shift in how the industry approaches renovation timelines.

This approach has changed our conversations about when a pool can be renovated. By removing weather dependency, the more streamlined and reliable process allows builders and owners to rethink seasonality altogether.

As more installers adopt controlled-environment installation methods and gain experience with these systems, the traditional idea of a “pool renovation season” may become increasingly outdated.

For builders like us and for pool owners unwilling to wait for spring that shift is already well underway.

Opening image: View of the shallow end including steps covered with PVC membrane.

Photos courtesy of All3Pools.

Aaron King is founder and president of All3Pools, a swimming pool design and construction firm based in Springfield, MO, serving the greater Chicago area. He is a leading “guru” on the use of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs).