Using component systems to build caves and grottos

By Bruce Riley

Today, homeowners want pools with all the bells and whistles—not just diving boards and slides, but waterfalls and sundecks. A new trend, however, is the addition of an integral poolside grotto, complete with a cave, water feature, and slide. Previously, the only way to create a cave/grotto was to use heavy, expensive natural boulders or freehand carved artificial rock. Both of these options are labour intensive and can be stressful for designers/builders, as the finished look cannot be guaranteed. Consumers want to know exactly what they are getting in advance and pool builders need to be able to provide a cave/grotto with a consistent, predictable look at a reasonable price.

To meet this demand in the marketplace, suppliers have created component systems or ‘kits’ that are standardized, allowing builders to propose a product and guarantee it will look the same once it is built. Component cave/grotto kits allow pool builders and/or decorative concrete decking companies to offer these features at a competitive price to a wide range of customers all while guaranteeing an esthetically pleasing project. This article will explain how pool builders can market and sell cave/grotto features, the benefits of using component systems, as well as provide a general idea of how they are installed.

Offering cave/grotto features

Most consumers ask about grottos/caves after they have seen one on a neighbour’s pool, at a hotel, in a photo in a magazine, or on the Internet. As a result, these features are becoming more prevalent in the pool design/build marketplace.

“We offer cave/grotto water features on all of our new pools, but we frequently add them on renovation jobs as well,” says Glen MacGillivray, president/owner of Aqua-Tech Pool, Spa and Bath in Winnipeg.

“Even if the consumer does not specifically ask for a cave/grotto, waterfall, or slide on their pool, it is a feature that should be presented because it makes pools more esthetically pleasing while at the same time increases the entertainment value of the backyard.”

Caves/grottos are basically a ‘super’ waterfall feature. They provide all the benefits such as visual beauty and the calming sound of cascading water, but also add an element of fun and excitement—especially for children.

Unlike artificial rock of the past, which was often cast from rubber moulds, today’s cave/grotto component systems look real because they are cast from actual rocks to provide the same shape, character, and texture. These systems are, in effect, a ‘kit’ that allows builders to show consumers a brochure of what the final product will look like at the time they sell the job.

Builders then order the kits that come with all of the materials necessary to complete the specific project. Each system is constructed by assembling and fitting each component together and they are designed to ensure proper water flow and weight distribution, and are structurally stronger than natural rock systems, as they are reinforced with steel.