Size and Shape

Picking out a pool that is best for your family is the first step in the buying process.

Before you begin choosing installation options, pool material and accessories, you first need to decide what shape and size pool is best for those who are going to use it as well as your yard and property constraints. (Please see Shapes and Sizes.)

If you are going to have lots of family and friends over to swim it is important to have as large of a pool as possible, round pools are surprisingly the largest of all shapes. If someone in the family is a competitive swimmer than as long of a pool as possible is best.

Keep in mind that your town has requirements as to how close or far from the property line, house, electric lines the pool can be. Individual towns differ on these codes.

• To get an idea of how a pool will fit in your yard take a stake and put it in the ground, tie a string on to the stake and measure out ½ the diameter of the pool you are considering. Now walk in a circle around the stake while marking the ground with flour or some type of marking material.
  
  
• Since towns do differ on requirements and in most towns a building permit is required for above ground pools, it is suggested that you stop by and pick up a building permit application from your town hall. We will be happy to help you fill this out at our showroom.

Liners

Beware of getting caught up in the liner lingo. Most installers use the liner that comes with the pool in order to keep the warranty in effect — changing pool components can sometimes void the manufacturer warranty.

Thickness

Where pool shoppers are confused in picking a pool/liner is that liners, which are measured in Mil, and are sometimes referred to as Gauge. Gauge is normally only used to define thickness of metal or wire, however some companies use the term gauge to refer to vinyl to represent their liner as thick as others. For example a 20 gauge liner may only be 16 mil thick. An above ground pool is fine with a liner anywhere from 16 mil to 22 mil in thickness. It is not recommended to use anything thicker than 20 mil. Too thick of a liner can cause wrinkles to form in the liner during the installation process.

Material

While some manufacturers will use virgin vinyl made from pure vinyl material, some will mix in clay and other materials as a way of cutting costs. These liners have less pliability and tend to tear easier.

Embossing

When you touch a virgin vinyl liner of a true 20 mil it is smooth and even throughout. An embossed liner is one that has a texture imprinted on it (usually on the back side), this grid like pattern is made so that when the liner is measured it will read thicker than it's actual dimension would be without the stamp raising the material on the pattern. Many manufacturers emboss their liners so beware of the ones with the most noticeable texture.

Filtration

Picking out a filter that is best for you is an important decision. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Pick out a filter that is easy to clean
  
  
• Pick out a filter that is quick at clearing up water. This is something that should not be overlooked. In the pool industry there are three basic filter systems: Earth, Cartridge and Sand. All three systems have features that make them attractive, however you must consider the area you live to pick out a filter. Since we are located in the North East it means these pools will be closed for the winter months and when it is time to open the pool in the spring, clean up can sometimes be a challenging job. Having a filter that is efficient at cleaning the physical properties of the water can save days if not weeks in labor-intensive work. In addition, it seems that water decides to become dirty or green right before parties and gatherings. Having a filter that works quickly may make the difference to the whole weekend.
  
  
• Use larger pipes and hoses for your filter system. The larger the plumbing connections and fittings the more water you can move through a pipe at any given moment.
  
  
• Don't oversize or undersize the pump system. Too much backpressure on the motor will cause it to burn up quickly forcing you to buy new pumps regularly. Not enough force through the system will result in poor skimming action as well as poor circulation of both chemicals and water temperature.
  
  
• Just like with Inground and commercial pools a main drain should be installed in order to circulate the water from top to bottom and reduce vacuuming.

Corrosion-Free Bottom Plate

Make sure that the pool you are getting has a corrosion free bottom plate. (LINK to parts explosion) This plate sits on a concrete block on top of the ground; galvanized steel tends to rust away after the block scratches the plate. Using a resin molded bottom plate eliminates this dilemma. The block is crucial to the leveling of the pool and should not be omitted in any situation.

Decking

Not all pool owners put on decking right away, however it is something to prepare for if you intend on decking all or any part of your pool.

• Make sure that you bring the boards to the underneath the top seat. This will allow you to later remove the top seat if needed without removing the decking.
  
  
• Pick a pool with a top seat that will allow for easier decking. (i.e. the larger the top seat the easier it is to make the deck to look "finished")
  
  
• Pick a pool with a corrosion free frame. This is important to avoid the future problem of having a pool rust out and need replacement while having an existing deck. The 2nd pool never quite lines up to the old deck just right and will need to either be replaced or amended in some way. Do it right the first time and eliminate the problems for yourself or future buyer of your home.
  
  
• If you build a deck, no matter what size it is, treat yourself to a set of drop in stairs. They are great for small children to feel safe on, helping those who need it get in and out of the pool and it can also act as a seat when inside the water. Who are we kidding? Nobody really wants to climb that ladder anyway… We will even take the ladder back as a trade in towards the stairs.

The Builder

As with any type of work, beware of contractors who are not established with a place of business. Guys who "work out of their truck" cannot always be trusted to be in the same business or area the following year. Although most pools come a manufacturer warranty of 25 or 30 years, it is really the quality of work and warranty of the installer you should be concerned with.

The quality of the installers work will determine how happy you are with the pool. It is usually the more experienced installers that do the best work. This is seen in how level the pool comes out, how well the pool base and cove is troweled, how even the liner was installed and how well the filter is plumbed together.

Excavation

Keep in mind that if the yard is far from level and requires a machine to come in and level the pool area, that will make a bit of construction mess. Be aware of this, don't plant flowers just before the excavator arrives and has to drive into the back yard, followed by the sand truck, water truck, delivery truck…

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