In Vogue: Reinforced PVC Membrane Makes a Splash on Long Island

High-end pool builder finds market for PVC membrane

Many in the swimming pool industry claim that Long Island has more pools per square mile than any other region of the country. Scott Swift, owner of the Pool Guy Inc of Suffolk County, has been building and installing traditional vinyl liner and gunite pools on Long Island for the past 30 years. However recently, he decided to start offering reinforced PVC pool membranes to meet the demand for a pool with all the benefits of a vinyl liner but with the beauty of a high-end gunite pool. His first reinforced PVC membrane installation was on a stunning pool set along the waterfront of the great south bay which he completed this past fall. His customer, who needed the pool installed for a wedding, chose the PVC membrane after Swift explained that a reinforced PVC membrane would provide the look of a gunite pool without the drawbacks associated with a gunite pool. The color, texture and seamless look of the reinforced PVC membrane, combined with the outstanding warranty and other maintenance benefits, convinced the homeowner to give it a try.

The PVC Membrane Concept

Swift explains that he started seriously looking at reinforced PVC membranes when his son brought the concept to his attention. “We researched the product and then decided to attend a training on how to weld and install these reinforced PVC membranes at Merlin Industries who supplies our traditional vinyl liners,” Swift says. After completing the training, Swift and his son, knew that there would be a market for this pool interior on Long Island. “We work in the Hamptons, Fire Island, Bellport and the surrounding Suffolk County, which are all fairly affluent areas,” Swift explains. “With our customers, it’s not about the price but about getting the look and feel that they want in their backyard. We realized that this product would give us another tool in our tool chest to stand out from competitors and meet a market need.”

The longevity and high-quality of 60, 70 and 80mil reinforced PVC membranes in addition to the introduction of new architectural finishes, colors and textures have quickly propelled this product into the residential pool spotlight. Pool builders are now rapidly adding reinforced PVC membranes to their offerings, as they provide an attractive solution for both pool renovations and new construction.

John Sampino, sales manager at Merlin Industries explains that Merlin wanted to be among the first vinyl-liner suppliers to offer the reinforced PVC membrane to their dealers. “The PVC membrane is the number one choice for residential swimming pool liners in Europe, so it’s a proven product,” Sampino explains. “We hear from our dealers that homeowners are always asking for something better and thicker than a traditional vinyl liners and we decided that we wanted Merlin to be among the first to offer the PVC membrane to our dealers to compete against concrete and gunite builders.” Sampino says that Merlin realizes that the PVC membrane solution is a new opportunity for American pool builders and installers doing renovations. “Renovations are going to be a large part of our business in 2025 and this product is the perfect solution for renovating older pools, especially plaster and other gunite pools,” Sampino says. “For example, when the shell of a concrete pool is cracked, you need to staple the concrete together then re-surface the pool which can be very expensive. However, with a PVC membrane, you simply weld the membrane this over the surface and the dealer provides a full waterproof and repair solution for the pool that lasts 20+ years rather than having to re-plaster the pool in 10 years or sometimes sooner. This is also true of fiberglass pools what can also be resurfaced with a PVC membrane.” Sampino says that most of the industry is familiar with this product in the commercial market but thinks it’s only available in blue and white colors. They don’t realize these membranes come in a wide range of colors and textures designed specifically for residential swimming pools. “The VOGUE and TOUCH lines offered by RENOLIT have colors and designs that are really attractive for residential settings,” Sampino says.

Offering Reinforced PVC

One of the main advantages of the reinforced PVC pool finish is that it doesn’t crack regardless of freeze-thaw conditions or earthquakes. Therefore, offering reinforced PVC provides a pool finish with unique benefits not provided by marbelite, stone-colored quartz finishes or thermoplastic coating. The reinforced PVC completely seals the structure of the pool and keeps it watertight. This makes it ideal for both renovating existing pools and building new pools. “For this particular installation on Long Island, my client chose the TOUCH Elegance pattern manufactured by RENOLIT which is a dark pattern that looks like slate,” Swift says. “It even has a texture on the surface that makes feel like slate but isn’t abrasive on the hands and feet of swimmers.”

Swift builds vinyl-liner and gunite pools. Many of his clients choose a gunite because they prefer the look of the pool. “When we discuss gunite versus vinyl-liner pools, we always present all the pros and cons of both pool types,” Swift explains. “One of the main reasons folks don’t choose vinyl liner is because they don’t like the way the corners look and they don’t want to see the seams in the pool liner,” Swift says. “Additionally, there are objections to the traditional shallow end, slope and hopper area design of a vinyl liner.” Swift says that with a gunite pool or with the PVC membrane, he can build a straight poured wall with a true 90-degree corner that works well with stone decks and automatic pool covers, which are both popular among his clientele. “With the reinforced PVC membrane, the client gets all the benefits of a vinyl pool with the classic look of gunite,” Swift says, noting that most of his clients aren’t concerned with price, they just want the best looking pool. “When they find out they can have a pool that looks like gunite but doesn’t have the negatives of gunite like the tiles that pop off in the winter, the scuffed toes, the cracks in the finish, and the coping issues, they are sold. We feel that the PVC membrane fits that market need perfectly.”

Once you have a crew of installers who know how to apply the reinforced PVC material, you can fit the product into your pool offering, whether you are using it to finish off a new concrete wall or stainless-steel pool wall construction, or you are covering a cracked, peeling or leaking gunite pool. A growing number of pool professionals consider reinforced PVC membranes a lucrative addition to their business and are taking the time to train their staff on proper installation. “RENOLIT and Merlin have combined forces to offer hands-on training to teach pool professionals how to install the product and RENOLIT even offers dealers help on their first installation to ensure success,” Sampino says. “Like anything new, there is an art to learning the weld-in-place PVC membrane installation and you need to practice, but I noticed that once you have done 2-3 pools, the speed and workmanship really improves.” Swift agrees and says that this product takes a bit more time to install than a traditional vinyl liner. “My son is the foreman and he has a crew of amazing guys and they are really enjoying the process of learning,” Swift says. “They find it very gratifying and different than traditional vinyl liner installations.”

Not only does reinforced PVC offer a unique and truly attractive finish, but it also provides installers with a set of skills to keep crews busy through the winter especially with indoor commercial pools or pool installations in the late fall and early spring when the temperatures are too cold for traditional vinyl liner or gunite installation. Merlin and Sampino agree with Swift that the PVC membrane is the next big thing for our industry. “The pool industry is looking for something new and this is new to the U.S. but proven in Europe so it’s the perfect ‘new’ product to bring to the US market,” Sampino says. “We think it’s ideal new offering for pool dealers to offer their customers.”

PVC Membranes on Long Island

There are now some amazing reinforced PVC membrane installations on Long Island, including the one along the shores of the Great Bay. Swift explains that his team made sure the pool looked amazing for the wedding. “When the homeowner saw the PVC membrane he said he couldn’t believe how good it looked — and this customer was a bit skeptical,” Swift says. “In the end, we came out looking like champions and the pool is stunning.” Swift already has another job sold. “It will be a vanishing edge pool and the homeowner picked out a really cool color and we can’t wait to get started.”