pool construction

Checks and Balances
    Through the years, I’ve seen plentiful discussions of the fact that geotechnical (or soils) reports are required for proper watershape engineering.  And it’s not just about complex vanishing-edge or perimeter-overflow pools:  It’s about all swimming pools, spas, fountains and waterfeatures.  Let’s consider that case closed.   But who exactly should 
How to Make Durable Pool Plaster
‘ As familiar as it may seem, plaster is far more complicated than most people think. As a consequence of that complexity, it has for years been the subject of discussion, controversy and a great volume of research and analysis. All of that has been dedicated to reaching
The Real Dirt on Soils
Given the fact that swimming pools and most other watershapes are placed in the ground, I've long been of the opinion that it's incumbent upon all of us who design and build them to have a basic understanding of soils science and geology. As has been stated in this magazine and elsewhere more times than I can count, the nature of
On Grounding and Bonding
As I mentioned in an article in the last edition of this newsletter (November 3, 2010), many people misunderstand the relationship between electrical grounding and electrical bonding. Let’s pick up the discussion where we left off. Although grounding and bonding are closely related, they do serve separate purposes — both of which work together to increase
How Pool Builders Can Avoid Being Sued
Interview by Eric Herman Through the past quarter-century, Skip Phillips - owner of Questar Pools in Escondido, Calif., and one of the founders of The Genesis 3 Design Group - has served as an expert witness in more than 300 lawsuits involving pool construction. He estimates that
Well-Grounded in Electrical Safety
Do you really know the difference between grounding and bonding? If you do, great. But the truth is that most people — including lots of construction-oriented watershapers who should know better — do not understand this fundamental distinction, which is why this
Bad Plot Plans, Big Changes
In the very early stages of a project, it isn’t unusual for the plot plans used for design concept/presentation purposes to be a bit off scale, sometimes by a fair amount. Many properties are difficult to map, and even in those cases where it might seem relatively simple to get things right, the fact that one person generally does the job alone isn’t
Wiring Simplified
Although the details of a well-organized equipment pad are seldom the object of as much appreciation as are the purely aesthetic touches on a project, they are no less important to its success, says Paolo Benedetti.  Here, in the latest installment of his series on design and engineering solutions to common construction challenges, he offers advice on a key part of pad organization – that is, the management of its wiring connections.   With today’s watershape circulation and support equipment becoming ever more complicated, there’s an increasing need to make equipment pads as uncluttered as possible.  With that in mind, I’ve developed a few simple wiring strategies that let me keep things neat, organized and serviceable. It requires some improvisation, unfortunately, because for all the efforts manufacturers have undertaken to improve product performance, in many cases they have failed to make the wiring task as easy as it should be.  A classic example is found in