The ins and outs of pool construction

by Sally Bouorm | August 1, 2012 8:20 am

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By Tim Valerioti

The design is complete; all that remains is for the pool builder to simply follow the plan and everything will be perfect. Most builders will attest, however, that this is far from reality. In fact, once a design is complete, it is often the next day when things start to change. Therefore, the key to success for any project is the builder’s ability to work through these changes and still be able to produce a quality project.

Before construction can start, the first step is putting a project plan together. On the Monique project for instance, two people spent a week going through every aspect of the job in putting a work schedule together. Although the schedule would only be a best case scenario, it was crucial in establishing benchmarks and goals for everyone to target. This process was also a good vetting of the design as it helped to show what elements would work and which needed to be reconsidered.

In creating this schedule, the primary deliverables (e.g. pool, water falls, lighting, retaining walls, etc.) were looked at first. Each element was broken down to figure out the necessary steps involved to meet the project’s requirements. Once the schedule was completed, it was determined that a seven- to-eight month timeline would be required to finish the project.

First things first

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Even with the design and project plan in place, the project could not be started. First, permits had to be acquired from the city and an environmental assessment had to be performed.

From road access and storage to construction and safety permits, each had to be in place and signed off by the appropriate governing body before moving forward. During this stage, a team was put together to work with in-house staff, as this was a large project and additional resources and sub-contractors were needed to assist with the installation. Further, a number of the construction elements outside of the pool also needed to be tendered to confirm necessary resources and cash requirements.

Next, a site superintendent was put in place and project sites were selected for various work stations (e.g. offices, staging areas, first aid, traffic control, etc.). Throughout this preparation process, customer meetings were also held to keep the homeowner informed with what was going on and why the project had not started. Indeed, a customer wants everything to start immediately after signing off on the design and budget; however, this rarely happens.

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Large-scale pool projects can be likened to a machine that needs to get rolling but takes time for all of the wheels to be in motion. For instance, in addition to obtaining permits and completing the necessary assessments, various other construction issues had to be dealt with before breaking ground. This included dealing with concerns from neighbours regarding construction procedures, road issues relating to city restrictions and the weight of heavy equipment as well as weather-related problems due to the project’s February start date.

Over a four-week period, several hurdles were jumped before getting to the point where heavy equipment could be brought in to start excavation.

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Strangely enough, one of the most challenging aspects of the Monique project had nothing to do with the swimming pool. This was because an underground garage, for the homeowners’ camper and car, had to be built first. What made this challenging was the fact it had to be built 6.1 m (20 ft) below where the pool and deck would be installed, and the fact it involved excavating into a hillside while making sure not to compromise the neighbour’s property.

The excavation went well until the last 1.8 m (6 ft) of the dig, which comprised sand. This resulted in unstable dirt walls caving in on the excavation. As a result, the walls needed to be immediately stabilized with temporary concrete blocks to keep everything in place while the garage’s concrete walls were being formed. Two months later, the garage was complete and a number of large retaining walls were installed, which would eventually support the swimming pool and entertainment area above.

Change is sometimes necessary

Change is par for the course, especially for large-scale projects such as this one. On the Monique project, for example, the pool house was completely revamped, the stone selected for the retaining wall became something new, the waterfalls became more extensive, and it also became necessary to bury a number of above-ground hydro and utility lines to improve sightlines.

To make sure the project did not grind to a halt, it was important to constantly work with the customer with regards to all of the elements affected by these changes.

Improving sightlines

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To improve sightlines from the house to what would eventually be the pool’s infinity edge, it became necessary to raise the height of the pool deck. Although this design modification was easily decided on paper, it was a massive challenge that was easier said than done.

In carrying out the modification, the deck was raised by 1 m (3 ft) from the original design. The pool base was then prepped and forms were put in place. However, after discussing the change in deck height with the structural engineer on the garage during an informal onsite meeting, construction was halted as it was realized that this slight change could affect the load bearing capacity of the roof and walls on the underground garage.

Although the garage was built to allow for added weight, this was a little more than the structural engineer was comfortable with. After a week of discussing the design modification with manufacturing, geo-tech, structural and swimming pool engineers, a plan was put together to allow the deck’s height to be altered.

To accommodate the change and maintain the original load requirements of the garage, large foam-block fillers were used rather than dirt fill to raise the deck. Although this is a design aspect no one will ever see, it is one of the project’s most unique construction elements.

A different style

Another interesting element on the Monique design was the style. The project was originally envisioned to have a Mexican Rivera look and feel; however, the style was changed by the client following a trip to Bali, Indonesia.

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They really liked the island’s ambiance and therefore wanted to recreate the Bali experience in their backyard. To accommodate this style transformation, two months were spent going back and forth with various international companies, which would be capable of building and/or supplying a number of the required design elements (e.g. marble deck tiles, hand-carved stone features, massive wood-carved garage doors, and wooden cabana). Two full shipping containers of product were imported from Bali to be installed.[7]

Accommodating this change in style proved to be a difficult process as key elements had to be ordered months in advance of being installed; therefore, it was a question whether they would even fit. This also resulted in many long nights resolving manufacturing issues, shipping delays, and cost increases.

From rock slide to grotto

Another major component of the pool, which was also imported, was the stone grotto and waterfalls. This portion of the project was originally designed to be a rock slide; however, it eventually morphed into a beautiful grotto with waterfalls and a large burning fir pit.

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Taking this simple concept through modelling and final engineering to achieve the desired look and feel also took months in the making. Similar to the other imported features, the question of it fitting remained, as the entire pool was built before it even arrived.

The rock structure was installed without any major issues thanks to countless hours of design and meetings between the construction team and grotto manufacturer. For instance, a complete template of the pool was shipped to the manufacturer to allow them to trace out the grotto and send back to show how everything was going to fit. A complete plan for all the utility runs from the pool house to the grotto was also created to make sure everything was properly located to allow the structure to be simply placed on top when it arrived.

After another three weeks of plumbing, electrical, gas, sound, painting, and final testing, everything was up and running. All of the planning and communication involved in the Monique project allowed the grotto feature to be incorporated without major problems, thus creating a spectacular backyard water feature.

Extending the project’s timeline

Project timelines can often be an issue; however, the key to a project extension that is amicable for both the builder and homeowner is keeping the lines of communication open. For instance, the Monique project was originally budgeted for a seven-to eight-month timeline, which eventually became a 10-month construction plan.

Throughout the project the construction team routinely met with the homeowner to present updated project schedules, which worked to keep everyone informed as well as decrease any anxiety that may have intensified as the project went on longer than expected. In these cases, engaging the customer will go a long way in making sure the construction process is as good of an experience for them as possible. Keep in mind, this can be very difficult to achieve when there has been dirt everywhere for months and privacy has been lessened due to workers constantly being around each day.

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Timeline extensions also come with budget increases, and the Monique project was no different. Due to the scope and complexity of all the unique elements, costs did increase; but, communicating with the customer and getting them involved in the process helped during difficult meetings where it was necessary to explain why more funds were required.

In fact, documenting the changes the customer requested and explaining the additional costs involved was necessary more than once due to all of the features involved with the project.

Further, there are always unforeseen issues that can happen during construction, which can cause stress for the homeowner. In fact, a few of these issues occurred during construction of the Monique project; yet, the homeowner was very understanding and knew in advance about the situation.

Most pool builders will attest, once the project is finished and the homeowner is able to enjoy their new aquatic amenity, they will often forget about all of the issues. Therefore, it is important to minimize these problems post timeline.

It is also important to keep the homeowner happy throughout the project. This was accomplished on the Monique project by setting the goal to have a major deliverable (element) completed for every Friday. This way the homeowner saw something new and exciting, leaving them with a good feeling the project was progressing. There is nothing worse than a customer stewing over the weekend and come Monday letting the builder know that things are taking too long.

Other strategies included allowing the homeowner to use some of the elements before the project was complete, in addition to keeping them offsite while completing a major project element and then walking them through to reveal the work as a surprise. Although this can be difficult, it can be worth the effort in keeping the homeowner happy. It is also important to engage the customer as much as possible throughout the project so when things do become difficult it is easier to work them out.

POST-CONSTRUCTION TIPS

After completing a project, use the following tips to help gather information and referrals, which can be used as pre-construction steps on future projects. Customer debrief It is always a good idea for builders to hold debriefing sessions with their customers once a project is completed. This allows builders to review how things went and where things could have been performed better. This is not always an easy step, but, it will provide the builder with valuable information, which will help with future project success.Customer referral A good referral is another post-project element clients can provide builders. For example, a short letter and an understanding that they would talk to any potential customers can be one of the most valuable tools for any pool builder. Great photos Having great project photos will also help a builder with future sales. It is ideal for builders to have pictures showing various stages of a project, but most importantly, builders should have photos of completed projects to compile a portfolio to show potential customers. Builders should invest in good project photography and be sure to take both day and evening shots.

The final walkthrough

Even after the Monique project was complete, there were still other elements that needed to be finalized. For instance, before walking the customer through, several internal walkthroughs and deficiency lists were performed first. Acting as the customer, and critically examining every element, it was important to make sure as many of the small details were taken care of. This step is important and cannot be underestimated in ensuring the best possible conclusion with the customer. After completing the internal review the homeowner was taken through and given the opportunity to create a deficiency list. This can sometimes be a frustrating step when attempting to wrap up a project; however, if customer walkthroughs were performed during construction there should not be any surprises.

This was a unique project in that it created a wide variety of ups and downs, which pushed everyone to work outside the box to create something spectacular. Seeing the homeowner react with tears of joy, when the final walkthrough was complete, made all of the long hours and effort put into the project worthwhile.

For top builders, when it comes to swimming pool design and construction, it is not just the money that makes these projects worthwhile, but also seeing the joy and happiness, which exudes from the client once the project is completed.

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Valerioti, BA, BBA, CSC, is the founder and president of Hampton Pools and Landscape Construction, a landscaping, concrete and pool/spa design/build firm in Kelowna, B.C. He has more than 20 years of experience in business and financial management and has grown the company into a multi-faceted design/build firm. After establishing Hampton Pools and Landscape, he expanded his expertise and further developed his design skills over many unique and challenging projects. He can be reached via e-mail at tim@hamptonliving.ca[10].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/the-ins-and-outs-of-pool-construction/

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