Building an extension to your house involves the skills and trades which would be possessed by an electrician, flooring contractor, plumber, bricklayer, plasterer, painter, carpenter, and so on. Which of these would you approach and ask to build your extension? Our guess is ‘none of the above’. You would most likely consult a builder, of course. A builder will have specialists on tap for each of the disciplines involved in constructing your extension.
The Right Professionals For The Job
Likewise, when it comes to refurbishing your swimming pool, the best and most appropriate answer is to call on the expertise of a swimming pool supplier such as J B Elite. Our total focus and raison d'être is to deliver the best possible swimming pool for our clients. A swimming pool gives so much pleasure throughout its life that this aspect also gives us tremendous pleasure. And refurbishing a pool that has lost its glow and is past its best gives us even greater pleasure than installing a brand spanking new pool from scratch. It’s akin to the glow and satisfaction that a master craftsman furniture restorer enjoys from restoring an antique piece to all of its original glory and lustre.
A Full Range Of Skills
But getting down to brass tacks – the nitty gritty of pool refurbishment – we are used to getting our hands dirty with every discipline that is involved. That includes more esoteric skills, such as landscaping or design of the surrounds, as well as the core skills of plumbing, electricals, building and tiling to name the more obvious ones. Dealing with containing and handling a body of water is slightly different to building an extension, as we are sure you will agree. Water is unforgiving of construction deficiencies. It will relentlessly seek out and exploit each and every flaw or weakness to escape its surroundings. And leaks are not what you want. As a swimming pool owner, what you want and deserve is a trouble free pool that gives enjoyment as and when you and your family demand it.
How Pool Refurbishment Works
Pool refurbishment begins with a full inspection of the structure (walls, floor, liner, ladder, surround etc.) and the ancillary systems (pipes, plumbing, pump, chemicals, lighting, etc.). As pool experts, we know what to look for and the typical flaws that develop with age. Getting the underlying basics right and back to working order is the groundwork. Once that is in place, we work with you to choose how your refurbished pool will appear. What colour scheme do you think will work best? Modern day vinyl liners come is a wide range of colours and glorious patterns, often with complementary beading for the water line to add additional strength and aesthetically pleasing contrasts. That is the fun part of planning a refurbishment.
Typically, UK residential in-ground swimming pools were made with a concrete shell that can be 8 to 12 inches thick. That would then usually have been coated with a finishing layer of plaster (painted) or tiles. Over time, that surface naturally deteriorates. Winter frosts and ice can generate minute cracks that then become enlarged as ice forms, year after year. With any luck, these cracks will not have penetrated very far into the mass concrete itself, so that the core shell is intact and requires only cosmetic repairs to maintain it. The plumbing is a different matter and it is quite common to find rust and leaks, or simply weathered and crumbling plastic piping. Most refurbishments entail replacing the waterworks, including the pump and electrical system, but then they should last for another 15 to 20 years.
Refurbishment & Modernisation
Refurbishment represents an opportunity to remodel the pool surrounds too, and to add modern features like a Ground Source Heat Pump, which takes heat from about 6 feet under the surface of the ground where the temperature remains at a constant 9 to 12 degrees Centigrade all year round. Those geothermal pumps are highly energy efficient and a cheap way of heating your pool. There are many modern innovations on the market that simply were not available when your pool was first built. That adds an exciting element to refurbishment – exploring modern tools, things, technology and techniques to add greater pleasure and enjoyment to your pool time.
Call us today on 01536 646 007 and let’s start talking about what can be done to restore your pool to its former glory and beyond! For more information about general pool maintenance and safety, download our free Home Swimming Pool Maintenance Guide by clicking here.
