Paolo Benedetti says pool owners should not have to accept cracks in pool shells as an inherent risk to owning a pool. While there is a difference between shrinkage cracks and structural cracks, says Benedetti, founder of Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa in Morgan Hill, California, “in a properly built shell, structural cracks should never…
Pool pad design is an intricate task for builders to create an optimally functional and aesthetically pleasing equipment layout. Increasingly, builders are turning to three-dimensional design programs to make this process easier. “[Designing with 3D] has multiple perks,” says Rick Chafey, co-owner of Red Rock Pools and Spas in Chandler, Arizona. “It gives us additional…
If maintaining regular backyard pools is all you know, entering the high-end luxury segment may seem risky. As pools get more complex, margins for error get smaller and the cost of mistakes heads skyward. The good news is, any person or team competent in the fundamentals can learn to service even the most complicated and…
The spillover edges, waterfalls and other goodies that lend luxury to infinity pools and other exotic builds wouldn’t be possible without powerful and precise hydraulic systems. Those systems — like everything else — require maintenance and service, but they’re complex, expensive and potentially intimidating. When you remove the mystique, however, it doesn’t take much for…
It’s not an exaggeration to say great pools demand a lot from their finishes. Pumps and plumbing have to work well but don’t have to look good. Aesthetic amenities have to look good — and not much else. Features like glass tiles and acrylic panels, on the other hand, are asked to endure the intense…
Steve Kenny says you can only achieve and maintain luxury water if you treat every pool as an individual. “I’m working on a pool right now in Montauk,” Kenny says of the famous shore town on the easternmost tip of Long Island, N.Y., where his company, SRK Pools, is located. “The customer’s desired water temperature…
Paolo Benedetti knows that today’s high-end automation equipment is far too complicated for pool service providers to maintain on their own. “It’s getting so bloody complex that even the builders are relying on a series of dedicated experts to provide the support we need,” Benedetti says. The founder of Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa and…
Undoubtedly, in the first minutes of conversation a pool builder has with a prospect, two questions will arise: “How long will it take?” and “What will it cost?” And though most can answer these quickly, they need to be contemplated before answering. Estimating price and time accurately is vital to the success of any pool…
In-ground spas built in conjunction with a swimming pool are beautiful. They share materials and aesthetics with the pool, and they can integrate with the rest of the environment. But there are downfalls: In-ground spas, with their typically straight walls and sometimes rough seating surfaces, may not be very comfortable, and the jets often provide…
“Plan, blow holes in the plan, revise the plan, and then execute and adapt to each situation as it presents itself.” That’s the pool building process for Scott Heusser, manager of Idaho Pool Remodeling in Meridian. Preparing your customers for this fluctuating plan and schedule can be difficult. Depending on the design, materials and details,…
In the last issue, Brett Lloyd Abbott, marketing strategist and president of MYM Austin in Austin, Texas, and Mike Logan, owner of Logan Pools in Brentwood, California, both named introduction videos as an important tool before visiting a client in their home. In-home selling can feel like hand-to-hand combat for many salespeople. It needn’t be,…
Making sales presentations in the home of potential customers is a different environment compared to the customer coming to your store. At their home, you’re on their turf. You’re probably also one of many salespeople the homeowner has lined up to make a pitch. This is wrought with minefields, unless you know how to set…