My Pool of Thoughts

The Nylex formulation will not be lost!

2009-10-28T12:02:00.004+10:00

One of Australia's most iconic brand names, Nylex, has recently gone into receivership and parts of the business have been sold off or liquidated.

The "Films & Fabrics" division which manufactured Pool Liner material and many industrial and domestic fabrics was liquidated, and has now stopped manufacturing.

One of the saddest aspects of this is that PVC (vinyl) film will no longer be manufactured in Australia, as Nylex were the last (Australian) volume manufacturer of this product. Nylex had so much experience in all their years of manufacturing PVC film, that I believe their knowledge and formulation of PVC for the harsh Australian climate made their product the best performer by far.

What does this mean to the Pool, Tank and Geomembrane industry going forward? Well, there was a chance that these tried and tested material formulations (or recipes if you like) would be lost forever, but thanks to the efforts of a few local companies, some of these proven products will continue to be available.

The Aqualux and Aquaforce pool liner products have now been taken over by a company called Swimlinings P/L, and will continue to be produced exactly as per the Nylex formulation. So even though the Nylex brand is no longer involved, the actual product that we know and trust will continue to be available, and will remain true to its original 'recipe'.

Is your pool ready to swim?

2009-09-07T14:26:00.004+10:00

Spring is here and, as the warmer weather coaxes us into the outdoors more, it’s time to get your pool ready to swim.

Is your pool too cold? Green and neglected? Full of leaves and debris? Or, all of the above? The solution is easy…

A cold pool is easily transformed into an oasis with a solar pool blanket. They raise your pool water temperature by up to 8 degrees C and can extend your swimming season by up to 3 months a year, so you can start swimming sooner.

A green pool usually means algae has started to grow in the water, due to lack of maintenance. Super chlorination is the quick fix, backed up with regular testing and adjusting to get the chemical balance just right for swimming again. Remember to remove your pool cover when super chlorinating!

If a pool full of leaves is getting you down, simply cover up with a pool cover. There are many different styles available for both inground and above ground pools, salt water and chlorinated, specifically for keeping your pool leaf-free. They are cost effective and can pay for themselves in the first year, due to how much money you’ll save on chemicals and water. Plus, you’ll have more free time to swim in your crystal clear pool.

2009-06-22T10:03:00.002+10:00

How long should a pool liner last?

Have you noticed in recent years the trend here in Australia and New Zealand toward an increased life span of (locally made) inground and above ground pool liners?

Does it make you also wonder, "How long should they last”?

In the past few years, large numbers of medium and large sized above ground liners have been imported from China and sold into our local market. And, it shouldn’t be too long now till we see how well they really perform in our harsh climate! As an educated guess, it’s likely they won’t last anywhere near as long as the Australian made liners.

I’m sure consumers are happy with many, many years of use from a locally made liner, but does this limit the opportunity for pool owners to update their pool look because the liner lasts so long? If my car exterior and interior looked as good after 10 years as it did the day I purchased it, I would be less likely to update it every 4 years. But as I drive it each day, the carpet looks a bit worn and the door trims have those scuff marks from the bottom of my shoes. You get the little dents and scratches on the doors from parking at the shopping centre and so you decide its time to upgrade.

This poses the question, "Would a pool owner be happier with a “new look” to their pool more often”?

Would they like to update the look of their pool to match current trends, as often as they change their furniture or paint their house? Or are pool owners deterred from updating their pool because there is plenty of life left in their pool liner and so they opt out because the current one is still doing the job?

My view is that you should expect a pool liner to last around 8-10 years for an Above Ground pool and 12-15 years for an Inground Pool Liner - but I know from experience that many last much longer. What do you think? How long should an Above Ground Liner last? How long should an Inground Pool Liner last?

Message me your thoughts…

True or False? Uncovering the myths about pool covers…

2009-05-12T12:16:00.004+10:00

Q. "You don't need a pool cover with a heated pool."
A. False. Yes, you do. More than one third of the heat you put into your pool can be wasted if you don't cover it up. We as a society can't afford to waste that much energy these days, particularly if your pool is heated using fossil fuels like electricity or gas.

Q. "Pool covers don't work that well anyway"
A. False. Yes, they do. It is a scientific fact that a waterproof cover stops evaporation and reduces chemical usage.

Q. Just use "floating rings" or this "new miracle chemical" that you cannot see, but somehow magically eliminates evaporation from your pool.
A. False, false, false. The simple fact is, if the cover is fully waterproof, it will stop nearly 100% of water evaporating out of your pool. Floating rings and invisible chemicals just don't do the same job. Don't be fooled by bogus claims. If it seems too good to be true, it very often is.

Q. Do I really need a pool cover in the winter time?
A. True if you want to save water and pool chemicals. With a cover you can reduce the pool filter running cycle to save electricity too. Otherwise you will still spend the same on electricity running the filter and cleaning time keeping leaves and debris out of the pool.

Q. Pool covers look ugly, don't they?
A. False. Not at all, a properly fitting and maintained pool cover will complement any pool surround.

Q. Pool Covers really save a lot of chemicals?
A. True. By keeping the Sun off the pool water and reducing the light entering the pool or sealing the top of the pool, they substantially reduce the chemicals needed. A pool covered with a floating cover will use around 2/3 less chlorine.

Q. I have read that some Pool Covers save over 99% evaporation?
A. True. A Pool Cover made from a fully waterproof fabric (like a floating bubble cover) will stop almost 100% of vapour transferring through the fabric.

For more information on pool covers visit Free Pool Cover Advice

Fact #5b: Week 2 of "How often we fail, in our cover-up plan"

2009-05-01T12:15:00.001+10:00

When planning a new pool or refurbishing an existing pool and surround, the question to start with is not "Do I need a pool cover?" but rather, "What type of pool cover do I need?"

Pool covers are an environmentally responsible part of owning a pool these days, but they are generally purchased after the pool and landscaping has been completed.

Keep your options open, by being smart and planning your pool cover in the beginning, when planning the rest of your pool entertainment area.

Start by asking yourself these questions...

• Will the pool be heated?
• Are there overhanging trees which will drop leaves into the pool?
• Is the pool exposed to high winds?
• Is it more important to reduce leaves, retain heat or reduce evaporation and therefore water loss?

Use the answers to these questions as the basis for choosing the right pool cover for you, so you can plan for it when designing your new pool area.

If you are planning on a fully automated cover, these cost many thousands of dollars and need to be built into the pool structure for best results. While these are expensive, they can make covering the pool as easy as pushing a button. However, if you have lots and lots of leaves, some styles do not keep all the leaves out of the pool, so choose carefully.

If your pool will not be heated and you have existing trees that shed their leaves, then a tie-down leaf cover is probably best for you. But if the pool is heated or you are looking to extend your swimming season with free heat from the sun, a floating pool blanket is your cover of choice.

Now that you've decided on the type of pool cover which best suits you, now think about the storage of it. Most floating covers will be stored on a Reel or Roller. These are popular as they are portable and reasonably lightweight. They are as wide as the pool by about half a metre deep. In your planning stage, ensure your landscaping allows enough room for the Reel. It is usually stored at one end of the pool, away from the gate or pool access.

If you have a lot of leaves raining down on your pool, you will likely choose a tie-down, leaf cover. These overhang the coping and keep out all the leaves and twigs, seed and blossom. Leaf covers have fixing points about 1 metre apart, most often fixed into the coping or pool surround. Plan your paving to accommodate these fittings. You need to allow enough space between the waters edge and any change in level, for the cover overlap and the tie-down fittings. A minimum of 300mm is ideal...

A leaf cover is usually rolled up like a tent and often comes with a storage bag. These are usually custom-made to shape for inground pools or readily available in standard sizes for above ground pools.

A properly fitting pool cover makes pool maintenance a breeze. It will give you peace of mind when you're away for extended periods and have a leaf problem, plus you will help the environment by saving lots of water and pool chemicals. Be smart, and cover up...

Fact #5a: How often we fail, in our cover-up plan

2009-04-20T08:24:00.001+10:00

When building a new pool or renovating an old one, there are two key accessories you need to consider during the planning stage.

They are often overlooked… What are they? Your pool cover and shade sail.

Pool covers and shade sails function best when they’ve been incorporated into your plans for the pool surround, from the beginning.

Planning for these upfront, allows you more choice for the type of cover which suits your lifestyle, as opposed to what fits your pool surround.
What I mean is, pool owners often limit their choices because they fail to plan for the necessary space to install the type of pool cover and shade sail which best suits their needs.
Let's start with shade. In your planning, consider these common questions...

Q. How do I know where to put the shade sail over my pool?
A. As the sun (and therefore shade) moves throughout the day, start by deciding on the time of day and time of year you want shade over your pool. Then, at the time you’ve identified, use a broom handle or pool telescopic pole to create a shadow where you want it to shade. This helps you to identify where the perimeter of the shade sail needs to be located, to provide the shade where and when you need it. Often you'll be surprised by the position of a shade sail to achieve your desired shaded area. Another good option is to talk to your Shade Sail supplier, who can advise the best shade sail position to achieve your shade needs too.

Q. I have young children who just wade on the pool steps, do I really need to shade my pool?
A. Yes, with young children you will want to shade the shallow area of the pool as well as the steps. These are the areas of the pool most young children play, so to protect them from the harsh Sun, make sure these
areas of the pool are shaded at the times they are most likely to swim.

Q. I need somewhere shaded to sit and supervise the kids, can I do this too?
A. Yes, you can shade parts of the pool itself and your pool surround. When you supervise your children while they are swimming, you may have a favourite lounge or chair position and this should be included in the shade footprint as well. Choose an area where you can sit and relax poolside.

Q. My pool will be heated, how will a shade sail affect this?
A. Shade sails do a great job of keeping the Sun and heat off the areas they protect. This means that there is less heat from the Sun to increase the water temperature, so you may need to have external heating like a solar pool cover and/or solar heating, to counter the shade affect and maintain your desired water temperature. A fully shaded pool can be 4° - 6° cooler in water temperature than an unshaded pool.

Q. Do you have overhanging trees that will drop leaves into the pool?
A. If so, you can adjust the shape of your shade sail to assist with protecting the pool from falling leaves. But you also need to ensure there is enough slope on the shade sail to stop leaves accumulating on top of it.

Q. I want more privacy when bathing, can a shade sail help?
A. Yes, a shade sail can absolutely give you extra privacy in your pool area. A shade sail normally has two opposing high fixing points and two low fixing points. You may be able to use these variable fixing heights to provide additional privacy for overlooking properties, so consider this too as part of your overall shade design.
Now you know where your shade sail needs to be located, the next stage of planning is to look at the surround and decide how it can be secured. A shade cover requires fixing points, some of which can attach to the house, but most are fixed to posts in the ground. Imagine if the posts you need could be integrated as part of the pool fence or pergola? What if the fixtures were discreetly located as part of the house? These now become options by planning the shade cover before the pool or the landscaping is completed.

Next week I will talk about planning for your pool cover.

Fact #4 - What makes a pool liner slippery?

2009-04-08T13:55:00.010+10:00

"What makes a pool liner slippery?", is a question I'm sometimes asked. The query usually arises when a liner has just been replaced. The pool owner comments on how the new liner is more slippery than the old one, and wonders why. Other comments I've heard, relate to the surface texture of the liner and what difference this can make. There are several factors which contribute to a slippery feel on your pool liner.

Let me explain....

Firstly, the texture of the liner surface is known as the embossment (or emboss for short). All pool liners have an emboss. Some have a "matt" emboss, which takes the shine off the surface of the PVC. Some have a heavier texture like a leather grain, and others have a diamond or "fishnet" pattern. For all non-reinforced pool liners, the emboss does four main functions.

It stops the PVC fabric sticking to itself when on the roll.

It covers up air lines and streaks in the PVC surface that are caused by the manufacturing process.

It gives a certain look and feel to the PVC

It can add to the thickness of the PVC

The emboss you find on swimming pool liners does not have any affect on the slipperiness of the liner when it has been installed in the pool. It is used because of how it makes the fabric look.

The vinyl fabric itself can contribute to slipperiness, but usually only when it is new. Flexible PVC has certain additives in the mix to assist with the rolling and processing during manufacture. These are called "lubricants" and affect how slippery a liner feels when it is first installed. After 2 or 3 months, these lubricants "wash off" the liner surface and the liner appears to have much more grip underfoot.

Pool chemistry plays a significant factor in the slipperiness of liners and all pool surfaces. Build up of calcium on old liners adds extra grip underfoot and this can exaggerate the difference in grip between an old and a new liner. The most common culprit of slipperiness is algae. A fine layer of algae on the pool surface, while not clearly visible to the eye, is very slippery. Therefore one of the first actions to consider if you find your pool liner to be slippery, is to check the chemical balance of your pool.

In conclusion, if you find your liner to be more slippery than expected, check the chemical balance of the pool and ensure this is correct. If it is not due to the chemical balance, but your liner is brand new, then you will find after a few months the liner should have more grip under foot.

Fact #3: Wrinkling of Liners in Indoor Heated Pools

2009-03-19T16:44:00.001+10:00

The strangest phenomenon I’ve seen in my thirty-something years in the liner business is "wrinkling liner material caused by indoor heated pools". If you read my recent blog about chemical levels you would conclude that this problem relates specifically to imbalanced pool chemicals, but this is not the case from my experience.

It first started in the 80's when a customer contact us to say the pool liner in their 50 metre long pool, had grown about one whole metre in length. I almost didn't believe them, so I went to see it for myself.

When I inspected the liner, sure enough, there were wrinkles and folds of liner all over the floor of the pool. It looked like the reverse of a dry creek bed, instead of open cracks, these were folds of PVC in a random crazed pattern. After a lot of investigation by the fabric manufacturer, the conclusion was that this phenomenon was a reaction to a pool environment that was made up of the following factors:
· Indoor
· Heated
· Commercial use (like a training pool or public pool)

Another case which proved the validity of the study result to me, was a school pool in a cold climate. It was built as an outdoor pool and used for two years without any noticeable liner growth. Then, the school decided the pool would get more use if it was covered, so a new building was built over the top of it. It became an indoor heated pool and within one year, the liner had grown to have large wrinkles all over the floor.

How can this be? What happens is, under these conditions, the PVC absorbs water and therefore expands. The expansion becomes visible as wrinkles and there also appears to be deterioration in the strength and flexibility of the PVC; in severe cases I have seen cracking along the creases.

Different solutions were trialled like, maintaining a level of cyanuric acid (not normally needed for an indoor pool), using a lacquered fabric, using a printed fabric, yet nothing solved the problem and so it was concluded that unsupported PVC was not suitable for pools with these environmental conditions.

The fabric manufacturers’ no longer provide a warranty for their PVC when used for this application and so it used at the risk of the Purchaser.

There are plenty of domestic pools that are heated and located indoors which do not show any problems, but many of the commercial pools under these conditions will exhibit the considerable wrinkling caused by this phenomenon.

Fact #2: Pool covers save water - but how much?

2009-03-10T09:21:00.000+10:00

One of the questions I am often asked is, “How much water does a pool cover save”? We all know that pool covers save water by virtually eliminating evaporation when they're on the pool, but how much evaporation does your pool have? It's a valid question and one that, in the past may have been quite subjective.

Now, you can look at statistical averages on the government weather bureau website to see 10 year averages of evaporation in your area, and then make some sort of calculation from there. However, the nationally endorsed Smart Approved Watermark website has developed a handy tool for pool owners to calculate how much water a cover will save. I’ve just tried it for my own pool and it showed evaporative water loss of over 73,000 litres per year. Isn’t that a staggering amount?

How much would your pool lose in a year? Click on the link and see for yourself, then tell your friends about it.

Go to and enter in your postcode and some details about the size of your pool and how often it is used. With a simple “click”, the magic number appears, taking all the necessary factors into consideration.

This means it's really easy to justify why all pool owners should use a pool cover and just how much precious water they will save. So, try it for yourself and spread the word, to see how much we can contribute to sustainable water usage for Australia’s future, today!

Fact #1: what you must know about Salt Chlorinators and pool covers

2009-03-03T08:11:00.011+10:00

One of the best inventions for pool owners is the salt chlorinator. When these were invented, they reduced the weekly cost of adding chemicals to the pool and, most importantly, they were an automatic dosing system which meant less time spent maintaining the pool.

Fact #1: These units are not fully automatic. When running, they are constantly dosing your pool, so you still need to monitor the chlorine level yourself. Most pool owners think that these automatic chlorinators are "set and forget", but they are wrong! Checking the correct level of chlorine in the pool is critical for the health of your family.
It's also important for the life of pool accessories too. For example, a pool cover is so efficient at reducing the amount of chlorine needed, that the chlorine production on the chlorinator should be turned down by two thirds, so it is only producing around one third as much chlorine as when the pool is uncovered. If the chlorinator is not adjusted, the level of chlorine in the pool gradually increases to a point where it starts to attack the pool cover and pool cleaner and is not healthy for swimming.Obvious signs of an over-chlorinated pool are:

Discolouration of the pool surface below the water level.

The underside of the pool cover looks bleached.

Pieces of the pool cover start to flake off and you find them in the pool skimmer.

The automatic pool cleaner skirt and parts get sticky and discoloured.

Pool accessories that are in the water start to perish (like the cord attached to a thermometer).

How can you fix this? Unfortunately, once a high chlorine level has damaged your pool cover or pool cleaner, the damage cannot be reversed. But, you can easily check the chlorine level yourself with a standard test kit — or even easier, by using testing (dip) strips, then adjust the chlorine output to suit.

The good news for the future is that self-adjusting, salt chlorinators are being developed and released into the swimming pool market. These innovations check the chlorine level at regular intervals and automatically adjust the chlorine output to maintain an ideal, continuous level. Look for these in your pool shop or online, if you want the convenience of not having to check chlorine levels yourself, and to avoid damage to your pool cover and pool cleaner.

Water balance and Vinyl Liners

2009-02-05T14:12:00.004+10:00

Recently, one of my colleagues suggested I review an article about water chemistry and testing which focused on the effect of un-balanced pool water on vinyl liners. It concluded that balanced pool water has a major effect on the longevity of a vinyl liner in a swimming pool. I thought it important to pass on a summary of what was learned through the testing process.

We all know that water balance is important to the performance of the sanitising chemicals used in a pool, as well as for water clarity and comfort of the swimmers. However, water balance is equally as important for the life of your pool liner.

Using standard parameters of total alkalinity of 150ppm, calcium hardness at 100ppm and the starting concentration of cyanuric acid at 100ppm, a series of tests were conducted with different types of chlorine and PH levels ranging from 2.0 up to 10.0. Here is what was discovered…….

Samples with free chlorine at 1.5ppm where the PH was maintained between 7.0 and 7.5 (the Aust Std is 7.2 - 7.6) showed no adverse effects. The lower the PH dropped below 7.0, the greater the fading, wrinkling and loss of strength in the vinyl liner, plus it increased in weight (likely from water absorption which is what causes the wrinkling). As PH increased above 7.6 the vinyl lost weight and expanded. Samples with free chlorine at 20ppm where the PH was maintained between 7.0 and 7.5 showed colour change where white turned yellow and blue faded and became dull in colour. This high chlorine concentration caused wrinkling as well.

What this tells us is, it is important to maintain water balance to maximise the life of your pool liner. However, the study also revealed that even though the look of the liner changed with exposure to extremely bad chemical levels, the vinyl still remained functional as a pool liner!

Laser Measuring for Vinyl Liners

2009-01-16T13:18:00.004+10:00

As a pioneer of Laser Measuring of Pools for Vinyl Liners, I thought I would share some guidelines on the type of measuring equipment available and where it is used. Firstly, assess what type of pool you want to measure to determine which device is required. Most pools are measured using a fibreglass tape measure which is okay for basic pools, but other devices are better when you have a lot of measurements or need to measure with more accuracy.

If you just want to use a laser device to measure A-B points and write them down, you can probably get a laser measuring device with +/- 2mm accuracy for around $200 from a trade tool outlet. This is a basic handheld device which will display the distance between two points but, in my view, is not all that useful when working with a lot of measurements. It doesn’t really save you any time because you still have to manually record each measurement, either on paper or on a computer.If you want to measure 2D style lined pools, capture the measurements on a device then download them to a PC or to liner order software. You can start with either a Leica brand “Disto” device which stores 1000 measurements to +/- 1mm accuracy, or a Hilti brand device. These handheld devices store the measurements on board so you can capture one or more pools of data and download them later onto your PC. These are a definite time-saver when working with a lot of measurements, but there are some limitations.

Let me explain.... One of the limitations of a handheld device is, exactly that, you hold it in your hand. This means your hand can move around and the laser point can easily stray off the desired target point in the pool. Ideally, you need a steady hand, or you may prefer to use a professional measuring instrument like a Total Workstation, as used by surveyors. These devices can be hired, but I recommend that you have sufficient training and experience before measuring a complex shaped pool for a vinyl liner.

For complex "3D" style pools, I suggest you engage an experienced surveyor to do the pool measuring for you. There are plenty of surveying companies around, but the key to a well-fitting liner is to ensure that the measured data points are located in the right place. This is something which requires the input from someone experienced in measuring pools for liners and cannot be left to the surveyor to decide by themselves. I recommend that you accompany the surveyor to site for at least the first ten pool measures to make sure they understand where you want the measurements taken. I suggest you mark the pool for the surveyor the first few times to help them understand where the seams on the pool liner will be located and therefore where the data points need to be. The pool liner seams are linked to the location of the data points so it is important the points are measured in the right spot, for smooth flowing lines through the pool. You can download a 3D laser markout sheet from ABGAL's web site which has more detailed information on what is required to measure these types of pools. ABGAL can also put you in contact with an experienced surveyor you can contract to measure complex 3D pools.

For information on handheld measuring devices please click here

Vinyl Liner Tile look

2009-01-08T09:45:00.011+10:00

The largest pool liner market for Inground Swimming Pools is North America. The majority of the liners are manufactured with a "tile border" print wall giving a pool the look of a ceramic tile at the water line. The same style is quite common in Europe as well but not here in Australia. When I ponder this difference and having been involved in the Inground liner industry for over 30 years, I believe it has a lot to do with tradition and what patterns have been available in the market place.

In the past the Australia pool industry has had limited access to tile border PVC liners and therefore they are not common. The tile border patterns that were available in Australia looked "fake" and were quite boring as well, so not many pool owners chose them. In fact, for a while there were none available here due to a total lack of interest by pool owners.

Improvements in graphics with the use of computer technology has meant more design options and therefore much more realistic looking patterns. You now have a fabulous 3D effect in the design and so the opportunity for growth in this product is here in Australia with the availability of the pattern Reflections Tile from ABGAL. If you are looking for a traditional tile look in your pool with the low maintenance benefits of a vinyl liner, then try the Reflections Tile pattern from ABGAL. Whether for a new pool, or updating an old pool, this is great new look available now.

The Big Cover Up

2008-12-15T12:20:00.007+10:00

Water is our most precious resource. Using a pool cover helps conserve water as it can almost eliminate evaporative water loss. I’ve noticed in the past year, many pool covers being sold online through eBay and other web pages. I guess pool owners are attracted to this method of purchase due to convenience and price! This makes me wonder, how important is product quality to pool owners these days? Perhaps it’s no longer the driving factor behind many peoples’ purchasing decisions?

You see, the quality of a bubble type pool cover is not easy to determine at all. Even for an expert, the formulation of the plastic cannot be confirmed without sending it to a laboratory for some very expensive and specialised tests. Now, thickness is a measure that is pretty straight forward to check, but in most cases you would need a measuring tool like a micrometer to be sure the thickness is what has been stated. The final factor is the reputation of the company you are buying from, and their stated product warranty (including the fine print!) and how easily you can make a claim. So how does a pool owner decide all this when buying online?

I believe a pool owner will “take a punt” in many cases when buying online, if the price looks low enough. But do they know what this could cost them in the long run? If the brand they choose is a brand they have seen in their local pool shop, then this makes it a little easier. They may feel reassured that if their local pool shop sells this brand of product then it’s probably a good quality product - and this is a fair assumption. But if they don’t know the origin of the blanket material (ie; not Australia) and they don’t know the brand or have no rapport with the company selling it, then the only reasoning they can use to purchase is price. The statistics on pool cover evaporation performance can look good no matter what the quality of the cover. For example, you could cover your pool with “Cling Wrap” and this would stop evaporation, just like it stops food drying out in the refrigerator! It would not last too long as a pool cover, but on paper, “Cling Wrap” would rate very well on evaporation performance.

I’ve been around a long time and there is a saying that goes back as far as I can remember which is “you only get what you pay for”. When you consider this, then buying an unknown brand of pool cover, online, from a company you don’t know, is very risky in my view. I know there are pool covers coming into Australia from overseas that are very low in price, but the quality of the plastic for our climate is not good enough to make them last a reasonable amount of time. “Seven months before it started to fall apart” was mentioned to me about a pool cover that was made in China. If you do the sums, a $200 pool cover that lasts less than a year, will cost you at least five times the price of an Australian made cover, over the time the locally made cover will last. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great products made in China, but so long as they are branded and sold through known companies, you have some assurance the goods will perform. If not, you have a reputable avenue to make a warranty claim. So for my money, the choice is clear. Save money and buy an Australian made pool cover, one that has been formulated specifically for our harsh Australian climate, and is a well recognised brand. You’ll be glad you did your homework and be rewarded by years of hassle-free service.

My backyard, is it indoors or outdoors?

2008-12-03T10:02:00.004+10:00

The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP) annual trade show in Las Vegas last month was focused on Swimming Pools, Spas and Backyard Living. It was obvious to me, when looking through the exhibitors’ booths, that the line between the backyard and the house is not as defined as it used to be. We are now seeing outdoor kitchens as part of our BBQ areas and back doors have been replaced with folding walls in many new home designs so the outdoor entertainment area becomes part of the house. The question this raises for me is, how too will the Australian Pool & Spa industry bridge this line between the house and backyard?

Some innovators have already started…. One thing I noticed was the number of pool and spa accessories that were available, to make the time a pool owner spends in and around their pool more pleasurable. Some of these items included light shows - not just for the pool, but for other water features. Even illuminated floating lights as part of your outdoor table display, fountain or pond. There were Plasma TV units that were in waterproof housings so they could be installed adjacent to the pool without the worry of getting splashed and damaged. Designer spa covers in fabrics that would match patio awnings and outdoor furniture cushions also caught my eye. One top of the range Spa was set up like a “home theatre” with six reclined moulded seats that were covered with jets to pamper you while you listened to music through waterproof surround sound speakers that extended from the spa deck - all this while watching a large screen plasma TV that magically elevated from within the Spa at one end. How great does that sound? The challenge for our industry is to ensure that all these accessories are functional, so they become more widely used and therefore more affordable.

I will admit upfront that I am not a great fan of automated pool covers, due to the fact that the most successful of these covers need to be incorporated into the pool design before the pool is built. I find that new pool owners often don’t plan that far ahead and therefore many of these automated covers are not an option once the pool is built, without major construction work on the pool surround. However, I did see one cover at the show which I thought was fantastic. It was a load-bearing aluminium cover in sections sized between 1200mm and 2400 mm wide. It looked like timber decking and it automatically rolled off the pool using a remote control and stacked the panels below or above the ground. The example shown had a pool with a false wall at one end and the cover magically slid underneath the wall while the pool was in use. When the pool was covered, you had a great deck area that could be used for all types of activities. How fantastic is that?

How lucky are pool owners in Australia?

2008-11-26T10:57:00.010+10:00

Last week I was in the U.S. at the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals annual pool show in Las Vegas. While visiting a lot of booths of vinyl liner suppliers, something became very obvious to me, Australian pool owners are lucky. I knew that installers of Inground Pool Liners in Australia were innovative and offered their customers more options than their counter parts in the U.S. & Europe, but being at the show and talking to liner manufacturing companies really highlighted some of the things we do differently (and better) here. That is fastening liners under water.

One company at the show was touting their “new” under water extrusion for liners where you can now have ceramic tiles around the water line of the pool, with the benefits of a vinyl finish over the rest of the pool. For some panel pool systems, this is an attractive option, but I have been in this industry over 30 years and I know vinyl liners have been installed in Australia under water in pools with a ceramic waterline for over twenty years.

Another company was telling me how they were trying to design a suitable measuring system to fit liners into old concrete and fibreglass pools. I developed a successful system back in 1993 to measure these complex shaped pools and then turn the measurements into CAD data to create the patterns and pieces for manufacturing the liner. This is another example where a pool owner in Australia has more options for renovation or repair.

So I have come to the conclusion that pool owners in Australia are lucky. They are lucky to have access to the best technology and systems for measuring, making and installing pool liners to their Inground swimming pools. The Australian pool owner more importantly has available the necessary skills of the installers who then fit the liner to these difficult pools. I take my hat off to the innovators and pioneers of these installation methods. They are true craftsmen that have developed their skills by tackling difficult installations and developing methods and processes to make it work.

Going forward for our industry, I believe it is important we foster these skills and take the time and effort to train newcomers to our industry so we can ensure our customers can enjoy the ease of maintenance and soft to touch finish of vinyl, no matter what the age or construction of their pool.

Seamless view - easy as 1-2-3

2008-11-07T08:31:00.014+10:00

One of the criticisms in the past of vinyl liners for Inground pools was the seams. That's all changed now! These necessary and integral parts of a liner cop a lot of flack from supporters of other pool finishes but they need not be a concern any more. In the past few years, the seams have been the focus of liner manufacturers and vinyl suppliers to minimise the number and make them look like they have disappeared!

Seams on printed pool liners were quite obvious due to the welding method that was traditionally used. Innovative manufacturer ABGAL pioneered a new type of welding technique for pool liners to produce a seam that was less obvious. This welding technique is called "wedge welding" and has seen an improvement in the look and even more importantly the strength of pool liners since its introduction.

A number of years later using its software design system, ABGAL offered a liner with the seams facing away from the viewing direction of the pool (usually looking from the home or entertainment area). This option meant liners could be manufactured with the seams positioned so they were "out of view" from most of the pool surround and has been a huge success.

Nylex, the only liner fabric manufacturer in Australia made changes to their printed pool liner fabric to improve the look of the seams in liners still welded using the old method. They have changed the backing colour of the PVC to blend in better after welding, giving a less obvious liner seam.

The latest innovation in seams again comes from ABGAL, they have developed what they call "Smart Seam Technology" which has reduced the width of the seams to half their original size, but retained all the strength of a full width seam, but looks so much better.

So, for a seamless view follow these 3 easy steps.....

Choose wedge welding for the liner
Nominate the direction of the seams when ordered
Use ABGAL's "Smart Seam Technology"

Vinyl for Inground Pools

2008-11-06T17:31:00.037+10:00

I often get a puzzled look when I talk to someone about a vinyl liner for an Inground Swimming Pool. Most people know that vinyl liners are used in Above Ground Pools but most have never heard of using a vinyl liner as the finish of an Inground Pool. A vinyl pool finish, is one of the most popular types in the world for Inground Swimming Pools. Why is that I hear you ask? Well there are a few good reasons, but the most important being that vinyl is low maintenance and it is flexible. From a structural point, vinyl is popular because it will accommodate ground movement as it does not crack. This means in cold climates where the ground freezes in winter, vinyl is the ideal finish as it will cope with the movement in the ground caused by the freeze/thaw process. That’s one of the reasons why vinyl is not as common in Australia as our capital cities do not get cold enough in winter for the ground to freeze. But, we do have plenty of areas where ground movement is a problem which makes vinyl a great solution.

Now, there are plenty of vinyl lined Inground pools in Australia. Most of these pools are a pre-engineered style, where a substantial amount of the structure of the pool has been built in a factory and is then taken to site and assembled and installed. Pre-engineered vinyl pools offer much quicker installation times than concrete as they are not required to remain empty for a number of weeks to allow for the curing process. They have the advantage they can be built any size or shape, many Olympic size competition pools are vinyl lined. The pre-engineered system means they are very accurate in size (which is very important in competition) and they can be built much faster as a large percentage of the construction is already done in the factory before the panel modules arrive on site.

So, when looking to build a new pool or when you need to fix a cracked and leaking concrete or Fibreglass pool, think vinyl. It is the ideal pool finish that is thicker than 15 layers of paint, smooth to touch so it is child friendly and best of all is low maintenance, so you can have more time to enjoy your pool rather than scrubbing.

See how fabulous an Inground vinyl liner can look……..

Euro Pool Trend in vinyl liners

2008-10-30T11:36:00.000+10:00

In busy times, the trend is to spend less time cleaning and maintaining your pool finish, so you can spend more time swimming. After all, the less time spent cleaning your pool the better, right?

We all love the luxury of tiles, but most of us understand the problems associated with keeping the grout clean. Think of your shower… imagine how easy it would be to clean your shower if there was no grout to scrub? ABGAL has the solution!

One of the most popular swimming pool patterns in Europe is available here now. ‘Mosaic Tile’ will transform your backyard into the French Riviera, with this ABGAL vinyl finish in your pool….The classic ‘Mosaic Tile’ pattern gives you the luxurious look of tiles, without the expense. Plus, it’s so easy to keep clean and has the low maintenance features of vinyl.

The latest pool trends we’re seeing are use of formal or geometric shapes such as rectangles, which combine beautifully with large format paving stones. This creates a sense of spaciousness and clean lines which accentuate the geometric pattern of ‘Mosaic Tile’ - it makes for a timeless statement in your backyard. Team it with a crisp, white granite or paving stone, to experience the illusion of ‘coolness’ amid the Mediterranean tones of cool whites and vivid blues. Truly inviting…