High-end plunge pools enter the Canadian market

by arslan_ahmed | July 25, 2023 11:00 am

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By Tony Jordan

Since 1994, the St. Jean family has been actively building pools of all types and sizes through their company, Beton Decorum, in Quebec. Consisting of a father and his two sons, this team is highly attuned to the market and has observed a change in consumer preferences for smaller pools, coupled with builders not being able to install pools fast enough to meet demand. The trio seized this opportunity and decided they wanted to provide a “plug-and-play” pool option for pool builders, home builders, and landscapers who were all being asked to install a smaller, simpler pool.

With their vast experience in building pools, and specifically their knowledge of concrete, both Carl and Dave St. Jean, alongside their father Gaetan, and several skilled employees, designed and created a one-piece, plunge pool that comes complete with a pre-installed reinforced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) interior finish. The pool has the plumbing system pre-installed, meaning it arrives ready to drop in the ground, backfill, connect the plumbing, and fill with water. According to Betom Decorum, this pool appears to be the first of its kind available in Quebec and the company thinks it may be the first in Canada. The convergence of market forces and technologies make the emergence of this new pool a fascinating story.

Market shift

Watching the market shift toward smaller and more modern pools, demand for this type of pool has grown exponentially, and Carl knew it was time to offer a new pool to cater to this current shift.

“We already were seeing more and more demand for smaller pools,” says Carl, co-owner of Beton Decorum. “Not only are backyards smaller, but the way consumers want a pool has also changed.”

He says consumers want smaller pools because they require less water, fewer chemicals, and less maintenance, and overall, cost less.

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“Consumers want to splash around and cool off in the summer, but they don’t want the pool to take up the entire yard. They want more space in the backyard to do other things beyond just having the pool,” says Carl.

Smaller pools allow consumers to use their full yards, as they take up less space—especially for smaller yards—leaving more room for sitting areas, firepits, outdoor kitchens, sports courts, trampolines, etc.

Carl also mentions growth in the Airbnb market and what are commonly known as “chalets” in Canada.

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“People are building these chalets for themselves but also as Airbnb rentals, and these small houses are much more attractive to renters if they have a small pool,” he explains. “Not only are these chalets preferred by potential renters, but these smaller pools are also easier for the owner to maintain.”

The birth of the ‘Bayto’ pool

The market demand for smaller pools drove the St. Jean family to create a pre-cast, one-piece concrete pool manufactured and assembled under controlled and supervised conditions by their builders. Known as the “Bayto” pool, it is constructed as a monolithic cement shell, with the plumbing pre-assembled into the walls, so no drilling or assembly is required when the pool arrives at the jobsite.

The pool is available in three sizes, (2.4 x 3 m [8 x 10 ft], 2.4 x 4.8 m [8 x 16 ft], and 2.4 x 6 m [8 x 20 ft]) with built-in steps that are the full width of the pool. In addition, the cement structure is strong enough for the pool to be installed inground, semi-inground, or even above-ground. This also comes complete with an 80-mil thick reinforced PVC interior finish, making it ideal for busy installers, since it only requires the plumbing to be hooked up to the pool, backfilled, and filled with water.

European pool interior

When first determining the best option to supply to the industry, the St. Jean team considered various pool interior options. Pool paints, traditional pool liners, tiles, and several other interiors were considered. However, most were ruled out because there was a desire to provide a pool that was durable, provided guaranteed waterproofing, and was visually pleasing.

“We also wanted to provide a finish on the pool’s interior at the time of delivery, as we did not want the installer to have to wait,” says Carl. “The pool had to be installed the same day without worrying about scheduling.”

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Carl and his team went to Europe for several weeks to delve deeper into the chosen reinforced PVC interior finish.

“It’s not a new product, it has been around for many years. In fact, we looked at it three or four years ago and learned that it was very common in Europe, but we didn’t see a fit for it back then,” he says.

The team went back to Europe last year and were trained on the installation of the liner, and were introduced to new designs that imitate the look of slate, marble, and gunite. The team soon realized they wanted to feature this European interior finish on the “Bayto” pools.

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Due to the thickness of the material, it is virtually impossible to puncture, and it is also much less affected by ultraviolet (UV) exposure if left without water for extended periods of time, given its dimensional stability. The unique fabric sandwiched or laminated in the middle is what gives the membrane material finish its extreme strength or dimensional stability. The PVC and fabric system together is prevented from going anywhere (e.g. expanding, growing, shrinking)—given it is “dimensionally stable.” Contrast this with non-reinforced 20- or 30-mil PVC, which will keep stretching, especially with heat, or shrink or snap back if there is no water in the liner.

In addition, the team loved that if there were to be any issues with the concrete structure, the reinforced PVC membrane would continue to hold water, even if cracking were to occur because of the ground shifting or freeze-thaw conditions.

“The reinforced PVC interior finish is not only watertight but also esthetically pleasing and durable, as we did not want the consumer to frequently change out the liner, repair, replaster, or repaint the pool regularly, especially in rental situations” says Carl.

How it works

The characteristics of the “Bayto” pools allow them to be delivered to the site, where the builders and landscapers can crane them into the backyard and finish the installation on the same day. They only need to connect the pipes, plumbing, filtration to the equipment room; add the coping, backfill; and since the reinforced PVC interior finish is also pre-installed, they just need to add water. There is no curing of concrete, installing a liner, adding tile, etc., required.

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“We are happy to help provide advice on the mechanical pump room, filtration, and sanitation equipment as needed. While the contractor can do their own excavation, pour the slab—and if it’s a new construction, pour the slab while pouring the foundation. It also saves the homeowner a lot of time and money,” says Carl.

The contractor and homeowner need to choose the deck finish—paver, concrete, wood deck—and the coping.

“All you need to plan for is the finishing, the rest of the pool is pre-designed by us in-house,” he says.

When the “Bayto” pool is ordered, it takes three to four days to produce the pool, including the installation of the reinforced PVC interior finish.

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“We do everything inside our factory and avoid all the weather and temperature issues that cannot be controlled and plague builders installing pools with traditional methods,” says Carl.

Once the pool is ordered, the team completes the concrete pool in-house, alongside the plumbing, adds the PVC interior, and then ships the pool on a flatbed truck. If the order is placed on a Monday, they can ship it out by Friday. The company also offers homeowners the ability to choose any of the seven different interior finish designs they stock at their facility.

A high-end pool

The “Bayto” plunge pool, with its European-inspired reinforced PVC interior finish, provides the Canadian market with a luxurious plunge pool at a great value for the customer.

“We are the first company to offer this one-piece concrete pool with a reinforced PVC interior finish in Quebec, and perhaps the first in Canada to provide this solution, and we are very proud of that,” says Carl.

As builders, landscapers, and other pool professionals struggle with labour shortages and the continued demand for pools, especially smaller pools, the “Bayto” pool is a terrific option to meet this need in the marketplace. The St. Jean family is excited to offer these pools this year, as they were exhibited for the first time at the Expo Habitat in Sherbrooke, Que., in February 2023.

Author

Tony Jordan has more than 35 years of experience in the manufacturing, sales, and application of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) reinforced pool membranes for commercial and residential use. He is the business development manager at RENOLIT and can be reached at tony.jordan@renolit.com. For more information, visit www.alkroplan.info.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/high-end-plunge-pools-enter-the-canadian-market/

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