Additional benefits
In addition to higher-per-pool profits and greater control of the construction schedule, when using these forming systems, pool builders can present their clients with a variety of creative options for their pool.
“Using an aluminum forming system has allowed us to quickly and comfortably move from standard shapes into more creative designs,” says Budd.
In most cases, in the first year of building concrete wall pools with these forms, some builders will stay within the standard shapes and drawings they are accustomed to using. That said, by the second or third season, most builders realize how creative they can really get. This creativity has led builders to use the forms to install retaining walls and other masonry structures beyond the water’s edge and moving toward a number of other projects that encompass the surrounding landscape, too.
“If you see the liner pools we’re building now, it’s difficult to tell it’s a vinyl pool,” says Budd. “Probably three quarters of the people who look at them simply assume it’s a gunite pool.”
There is also the positive perception from the client that concrete walls are strong and solid.
“During the construction process, when the forms are stripped and the homeowner sees they have something substantial in their backyard that is big and robust, they realize they have something very solid and strong and are always happy with the way it looks.
“This is a benefit a pool installer can’t always measure, but yet, provides a perception of quality and strength that furthers a builder’s positive reputation.”
As a result of the increased demand for pools during the pandemic, many builders are either incorporating or using aluminum forming systems in their projects to pour concrete walls. Although having more control over one’s installation schedule might be the main reason for builders to invest in a set of aluminum forms, the lower cost per pool and the ability to create unique designs, as well as offer other landscaping structures, make this construction tool an attractive investment.
Frank Wall built vinyl-liner and gunite pools for more than 30 years at Modern Pool Systems in Mississippi. In 2007, he closed his construction business and concentrated on developing products for the construction industry that are not normally found in building supply houses. Among these products was AquaForms—an aluminum concrete forming system designed for pool builders. Wall can be reached via email at frank@frankwall.com.
