Question: I plan on having a pool built. What should I take into consideration before I start the process?
Answer: Craig and Lori O’Grady, owners of Desert Sun Pools, a Rosie on the House certified partner, suggest that if you are considering building a pool, before you call a contractor, ask yourself these questions:
How will I use the pool?
Do I have children at home that will use the pool?
Do I enjoy lounging in a pool?
Do I like hosting pool parties for my family and friends?
Do I and my family like pool games? If so, what kind of games?
Will my pool be a place for exercise or swimming laps?
Do I want a diving board?
The answers to these questions will factor into the type of pool that will end up in your yard. A pool used for laps will have a specific design and be quite different in configuration than a pool used for kids’ enjoyment. If you only want the pool for lounging, you probably don’t need an 8-foot-deep end.
Thinking about how you plan to use the pool over the years is the first step in the pool building or remodeling process.
The next step is to consider how you want the pool to impact your yard. A pool will have a sizeable visual and physical impact on your backyard.
Will it be a focal point?
How close will it be to the house?
Where will I enter the house from the pool?
Is it adjacent to my current or planned outdoor living spaces?
Considering these questions in advance puts you in a better position to discuss your goals and better understand the input a pool designer might offer.
Write down your thoughts, goals and questions to help you focus on your wants during your first meeting.
Seriously consider your budget. Like any project you contemplate around your home, knowing your monetary limits is key.
Q: What suggestions do you have for selecting a pool builder?
A: The Rosie on the House consumer guide, “How to Choose a Contractor” is a good place to start and will help remove a lot of the guesswork. Find it at tucne.ws/1mek.
“Choose someone you can trust and will be there for you every step of the way,” says Craig O’Grady.
This takes an interview process. Select three contractors with great reputations, solid testimonials and licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, which means they are bonded and insured. Interview each company.
Before you ask questions, share your expectations. Then ask:
What is your building process?
What will the project schedule look like?
How well do you keep on schedule?
What is your follow-through from the sales and design team to the field personnel? You want to have a consistent point of contact throughout the process and an understanding of how the process will work. You want to be more than a contract number to the company. Plus, you don’t want the project to start and sit for months with nothing more to show than a big hole in the ground.
Ask for references from past customers. Follow through by calling each of them. Emails are usually not enough. Talk with their previous customers. If you can, visit the customers and look at the craftsmanship of the finished product.
Once you interview the candidates and have done your due diligence, select the company you feel the most comfortable with. Personal relationships go a long way during the process and long after the job is done.
Q: What happens after I have selected a pool contractor?
A: Once you have a detailed written contract and schedule, you and your contractor should understand your expectations. Next, the work crew will show up. This is when you finalize the work areas and impacts on the existing landscape or hardscape, and the job begins.
Assuming you have hired a qualified contractor and the project proceeds as planned, in three or four months the pool will be filled, and the construction recedes into the past.
Q:What kind of new technology is there that makes pool maintenance easier?
A: Pool technology has advanced to keep your pool in good working order and does not require much effort.
Today we have the technology to remove heavy debris from the pool and canisters that collect it before it gets to the pump, thus allowing it to do its job effectively and efficiently as designed. Heavy debris removal systems have a larger capacity, so you don’t have to clean your pool basket as frequently.
Pool filtration has also advanced with devices that spin fine debris out of the water before the water reaches the filter to help reduce the clean frequency of the pool filter.
“We can run pools now for longer periods of time with variable speed pumps at lower electrical costs — as much as 90% less than traditional pumps. By running your pool longer, you get better filtration, and if you’re using a sanitation system such as ultraviolet light and ozone, it gives that system more time to do its job more efficiently so you can use less chlorine,” says Craig O’Grady.
Everything from normal care to special functions now comes with an automated option. From an app on your phone, you can check and adjust the chemicals’ balance of the water, set the time the motor runs and turn on the pool lights. You can change the colors of your lights and heat your spa before you head home from work.
The swimming pool industry is seeing increased demand as summer begins, including a demand for permanent pools.
