Pools make a marvelous addition to any home. Not only are they fun and relaxing for the entire family, but they can also dramatically increase your home’s value and make neighbors envious of your beautiful backyard. Many homeowners toy with the idea of building a pool for their home, but they don’t always know where to start.
Understanding the pool design and construction process is important so that, when you start, you have clear expectations about how your pool will come to life. Pool construction can be time-consuming, so being on the same page as your pool designer in Los Angeles, CA is a helpful way to begin.
Here’s what you can expect when you work with a pool construction company to build your dream pool.
Step 1: Meet with the designer
To start off the process, you’ll want to hire a pool designer in Los Angeles, CA to discuss ideas for your pool that will fit within your home’s yard. Working with a custom pool designer can help you come up with creative ideas you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Step 2: Finalize designs
After your meeting, the designer will come up with a detailed plan for your pool and show you a mock-up to approve. If you like the design and want to move ahead, the designs will be finalized and pre-construction will begin.
During this time, your pool construction company will be finalizing permits and any necessary approvals with your state and city before construction begins.
Step 3: Excavation
Once construction is ready to begin, the pool company will come to your home and create a layout on the ground for your pool. Next, excavation will begin. This involves removing all soil, plants, rocks and materials from the ground where your pool will be. It will look like a messy hole to start with, but the formation of your pool has officially begun!
Step 4: Framing
Next, the construction company will frame your pool with steel bars that cross over each other within the hole. This creates a strong foundation for your pool that will last for years to come.
Step 5: Plumbing and electrical
With the steel frame in place, your pool designers will begin placing the plumbing and electrical lines in and around the pool. This includes piping and wiring for all filtration systems, skimmers, jets and other features you selected to have in your pool.
Step 6: Gunite application and tiling
Next, your pool will really begin to take shape with the installation of gunite, a mixture of rock, sand and cement. Gunite is blasted into the frame of the pool to create a solid shell.
Tile will also be added around the pool’s perimeter at this stage, as well as coping.
Step 7: Equipment setup
With your pool beginning to look like an actual pool, the construction crew will begin to set up your pool filtration and pumping equipment, attaching it to the plumbing lines they installed earlier in the process.
Lights and other electrical features will also be set up during this stage.
Step 8: Decking and extras
If you want a deck or other decorative features like waterfalls around your pool, your pool designer will begin to construct those as they prepare to finish the pool installation.
Step 9: Interior
Once everything on the outside of your pool has been finished, the pool construction crew will install your desired choice of pool interior coatings.
Step 10: Fill
With the interior of your pool complete, it’s time to fill it! Water will be pumped into your pool, and the equipment will be double checked to get it up and running. Once the pool is filled and treated with chemicals or sanitized, it’s ready for use!
Avanti Pools, Inc. is a premier pool designer in Los Angeles, CA. We’ve been custom building pools and spas for nearly 20 years, so call us today to learn more about our services and how we can build your dream pool today!
Pools are great for relaxing, staying active and having fun with family and friends. However, they take quite a lot of time and energy to maintain. Without the right mix of cleaning and chemicals, your pool can easily become overrun with bacteria and algae that can make you and your family sick after swimming.
Chlorine is one of the most commonly used chemicals when cleaning pools, but many people are starting to avoid using such harsh chemicals because of their effects and price. Fortunately, chemicals aren’t the only way to keep your pool clean.
Instead of using chemical treatments to clean your pool, consider working with a pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA to install a sanitation system in your pool.
Different types of pool sanitation systems
There are a lot of different options when it comes to selecting a sanitation system for your home’s pool. Some are chlorine-free, while others are not. Speak with your pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA to see what kind of systems they offer and which will be right for your pool:
- Titanium oxidation with copper ionization: Ionization-oxidation systems use metal ions like copper and zinc to sanitize your pool of bacteria and algae. The system also oxidizes the water, which helps further break down and remove organic waste in your pool water. This system can operate entirely chlorine free.
- Ozone with tablet feeder systems: The compound ozone is very effective at killing bacteria and other pool water contaminants. It is perfectly safe for use in the pool and can drastically reduce the amount of chemicals needed to treat your pool.
- Saline/salt systems: Saltwater systems utilize the compound of salt, which is made of sodium and chloride atoms. Saltwater systems introduce much lower levels of chlorine by breaking down salt in water, resulting in a sanitized pool.
Benefits of sanitation systems
There are numerous benefits to relying on pool sanitation systems instead of chemical treatments you have to add yourself, such as:
- Saving money: Chemical treatments you have to purchase at pool supply stores can add up over time. You will also occasionally need special chemicals to treat specific cleanliness problems in your pool. On top of that, think of how many chemicals can get spilled or wasted due to improper use. All of these things can get costly over time, compared to an investment in a sanitation system that can reduce costs in the long run.
- Spending less time cleaning: You’ll love hanging out next to the pool to relax, but taking extra time to measure and add chemicals and clean your pool every day can get tiresome. Sanitation systems are extremely low maintenance, meaning you can spend less time cleaning and more time actually enjoying your pool.
- Using fewer harsh chemicals: High levels of chlorine in pools can result in irritated eyes, dry skin, brittle hair and damage to swimwear. Many pool owners have complained of chlorine’s negative side effects, so minimizing the need for harsh chemicals can mitigate these problems and let you enjoy swimming that much more.
If you’re interested in adding a sanitation system to your pool, call Avanti Pools, Inc. We are a premier pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA that can design and build your ideal custom pool. Call today to learn about our additional services and pool features.
Once you’ve made the decision that you’re going to build a pool on your property, how do you choose which contractor you’ll work with? Here are a few tips to help you make the decision about hiring a pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA with confidence and get one step closer to being a new pool owner:
- Ask for referrals: If you have friends or family who have had pools installed at their homes, ask who they went with. The people you know will never want to mislead you as you search for a contractor, so their referral will mean a lot in helping you choose which pool contractor you’ll hire.
- Browse online reviews: If you don’t have anyone who can directly refer you to some contractors, you should do a quick search online and see what comes up for pool contractors in your area. Review their websites and try to find pictures of their work to check and see if they build designs that appeal to you. In addition, you should look for reviews on sites like Google, Angie’s List and Yelp to make sure customers have been satisfied with the work they’ve had done.
- Look for certifications: Any contractor you work with should have a certified pool builder on staff. This is a designation that can only be awarded to individuals, not companies, but having these people on staff shows the company cares about hiring workers who have gone through extensive training and testing for pool building. The builder should also be covered with liability and worker’s comp insurance and have a state contractor’s license.
- Get quotes and promises in writing: Chances are you’re going to talk to quite a few salespeople while searching for your ideal contractor, so you should make sure to get any quotes, promises or claims that would affect the purchase, building or warranty of that pool in writing. Any reasonable builder should be more than okay with backing up the claims they make.
- Don’t rush: While you might want to get your pool installed as soon as possible to start enjoying it, this isn’t a process you should rush into. Take your time comparing contractors to make sure you’re getting the best company for the job.
- Pay attention to personality: Some elements of your decision will have to be based on your gut feeling. Does your builder give you good or bad vibes? Do they treat you fairly? Do they listen to your concerns and ideas, and understand the dream you have for your pool and property? Pay attention to the kind of feeling you get in speaking to the contractor. If you don’t think you’ll have a good relationship, it might not be worth forcing it.
- Price: Finally, any contractor you hire should be able to get the job done within your price range, or very close to it. You shouldn’t have to completely blow up your budget—if a contractor is going to cost you far too much money, there will be other choices.
For more tips about hiring a pool contractor in Los Angeles, CA, contact Avanti Pools, Inc. today.
As you begin planning out the installation of a pool at your home, you need to spend some time thinking about exactly where on your property it will sit, and how you want to have it laid out. Depending on the size and shape of your property, this may or may not be a relatively easy task.
So as you start to plan out your pool construction in Los Angeles, CA, consider these factors to help you pick the best location:
- Plumbing: You need to be able to plumb your pool relatively easily. This means that, depending on what pieces of plumbing infrastructure you already have in place, some locations might be more convenient than others, and some might be altogether impossible.
- Septic tanks: The backyard is the most common area for people to place their pools, but it’s also a common location for septic tanks if you are not on a municipal grid. Keep in mind that you cannot place your pool within a certain distance of septic tanks, so you should know exactly where your septic tank is located and where the flow-off area is. This will prevent you from damaging your septic system and also keep you from regularly contaminating your pool water.
- Space: Do you really have space to put a pool in your desired area? Will it require you to come up with some creative layouts? Make sure you have the room in a specific area on your property to actually install the pool properly.
- Views: You should consider both the view from your home and the view from your pool. Your pool can make a nice addition to the landscaping, so if you’re looking to improve the view from inside your home you should make sure your pool is visible from it. In addition, the view from your pool itself can make using the pool more relaxing, luxurious and enjoyable. All pools benefit, for example, when exposed to as much sunlight as possible. And if there’s a particularly beautiful area on your property, you can spend more time there by placing a pool in that spot.
- Trees: The presence of trees will also play a role in where you place your pool, as you should generally try to keep your pool away from trees. The biggest reason for this, beyond wanting to maximize your exposure to sunlight, is that trees can shed leaves, branches and other debris that will pollute your pool and potentially clog up your pool lines.
- Permanence: Your pool location is going to be permanent, which means you need to be pleased with where it’s located. You won’t be able to move the pool without having to redo the entire costly, inconvenient installation and construction process. Therefore, do not rush through this decision making process. Spend some time carefully considering your property and where the best places to put a pool are before making your final decision.
For more information about choosing a spot for pool construction in Los Angeles, CA, contact Avanti Pools, Inc. today.
(818) 501-3759