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River Pools & Spas Blog
The most educational swimming pool blog in the country, providing fiberglass pool articles and videos, as well as information on inground concrete and liner pools.
Fiberglass Pool Information | Fiberglass Pool Manufacturers | Finding A Pool Contractor | Pool Design Guides | Pool Videos
The process of setting a Deep End Fiberglass Pool is the most critical phase of the construction process. An improper set could result in damage to the pool shell when the weight of the water is placed on the structure.
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Fiberglass Pool Information | Fiberglass Pool Manufacturers | Finding A Pool Contractor | Installation & Construction | Pool Design Guides
Although I’ve been living the life of a ‘pool guy’ for over 10 years now, it has been over the last 3 where I’ve really begun to know the industry in and out. Because of this blog, the eBook, and the events I’ve had the opportunity to teach at, my conversations with fiberglass pool builders and consumers all over North America have increased 100-fold. In fact, on a normal day I’m now getting as many emails outside of our installation area (Va/Md) as I am inside.
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Don't blindly wonder if a fiberglass, concrete, or vinyl liner pool is right for you. Our educational ebook does a deep-dive comparison of the 3 types, all while noting the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Fiberglass Pool Information | Fiberglass vs Concrete vs Vinyl Liner | Finding A Pool Contractor | Installation & Construction
One of our goals with this blog is to nullify what we refer to as the “curse of knowledge” throughout the swimming pool industry. Pool professionals, and all professionals for that matter, often forget that the common customer lacks the depth of knowledge that they have taken years to acquire. What results is a breakdown in communication regarding products, services, construction processes, and an overall misconception of what exactly will happens in the backyard. I’m certainly not immune to this, as I certainly make the same mistake from time to time with my clients. So the purpose of this article is to discuss one of the most common pool construction processes that fall under the dreaded “curse of knowledge”: Swimming Pool Excavation.
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Finding A Pool Contractor | Pool Maintenance
This is one of those articles that may not win me many fans in the swimming pool industry, but I'm frankly OK with that. I write about subjects that are on my mind--subjects that I feel are true and have merit, and this is certainly a subject that I've been thinking much about as of late. A few years ago I was driving through our town with my wife and we passed by a movie rental store called ‘The Movie Gallery', which, at the time, was one of the largest chains of its kind in the country. Notwithstanding, as we passed this particular store I told her with a slight frown that I knew they would be out of businesses within just a few years. And not only would The Movie Gallery be out of business, but so would Blockbuster and every other business that shared such an antiquated business model.
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Fiberglass Pool Information | Finding A Pool Contractor | Installation & Construction | Pool Design Guides
Although there are certainly quite a few myths out there regarding the drawbacks of fiberglass pools, one of the most amusing has to do with its ability to deal with adverse soil conditions. For example, just the other day, I had a lady ask me this question after she had sat down with a concrete pool salesman. "So I hear fiberglass pools do not work well with shrink-swell soil conditions. Is that the case?"
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Finding A Pool Contractor | Installation & Construction | Patio and Coping | Retaining Walls, Fence, and Landscaping
If you want a crash course on the finer details of a fiberglass pool installation, then you've come to the right place. Contained in this article are points of a fiberglass pool project that are NOT frequently covered on the internet, or possibly even in your backyard with your contractor, but are absolutely essential to a successful installation. These are the things you absolutely should know before the first piece of equipment shows up.
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Finding A Pool Contractor | Pool Design Guides
This article may sound a little self-serving, but trust me when I say that it is not. In fact, it may be as important as any ‘How to buy a pool' article we've ever written because it discusses one of the most common errors I witness each and every year from consumers around the country with regard to their pool purchase.
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Cost and Pricing | Fiberglass Pool Information | Finding A Pool Contractor | Pool Design Guides | Retaining Walls, Fence, and Landscaping
We see homeowners frequently asking questions about why pool builders charge such wildly different amounts for the same project. Comparing proposals can be challenging and sometimes exasperating, especially when it feels like you're comparing apples to oranges. Heck, sometimes it's even difficult to spot or even understand the differences between proposals. But how do you know that a proposal covers everything needed? In many cases it's very tempting to move forward with the cheapest proposal, but these situations can lead to surprise expenses for you, the homeowner. While surprises can be fun in situations like birthday parties or gifts, they're not fun when they come in the form of unexpected or hidden costs in the middle of your pool project.
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DIY Fiberglass Pools | Fiberglass Pool Information | Fiberglass Pool Manufacturers | Fiberglass vs Concrete vs Vinyl Liner | Finding A Pool Contractor | Installation & Construction | Pool Design Guides
When one looks back on the fiberglass pool industry over the last 25 years or so, it's truly amazing the amount of progress the industry has made as a whole. Upon reflection on these changes, I figured it would be a good thing to look at this time period and mention the innovations that have made their mark on the industry.
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Cost and Pricing | Finding A Pool Contractor | Pool Design Guides
Ok, so you've finally decided this is the year for a swimming pool in your back yard. Great! As I sit here at my kitchen table and consider the words for this article, I want you to know this article is specifically written for you, the inground pool shopper.
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