Top 5 Fiberglass Pool Innovations of the Last 25 Years

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.

Top 5 Fiberglass Pool Innovations of the Last 25 Years

1. Vinyl Ester Resins

Without getting too technical here, there are many grades of resins that can be used in the construction of a fiberglass swimming pool. Unfortunately, fiberglass pools a few decades ago were being constructed without vinyl ester resin, which is a tremendous barrier and prevents water wreaking havoc on a fiberglass pool over time. When cheaper resins are used, such issues as cobalting and blisters rear their ugly heads, which was certainly the case with some of the first fiberglass pools. But today, just about every manufacturer in the fiberglass pool industry is using at least a layer of VE resin in their pools, which is a great stride in the right direction.

2. Cantilevered Coping

Maybe the biggest knock on fiberglass pools from pool builders and consumers in the past was their ‘bathtub' and modular-looking appearance. This stigma was mainly a result of concrete patios being poured up to the fiberglass lip versus on top of the fiberglass lip. I've spoken heavily on this subject before (watch a how-to video here), as it still is a subject of debate at times due to antiquated thought on behalf of certain builders and manufacturers, but the simple fact is that cantilevered concrete coping not only forms a powerful bond-beam around a fiberglass pool, but also allows it to rival a concrete/gunite pool in terms of aesthetics.

3. GOOD Color Finishes

Notice I did not write here ‘Colored Finishes'. This is because colored finishes on a fiberglass pool have had a tremendous benefit in terms of aesthetics to this industry, but is some regards these colors have hurt the industry as well. I mention this because like everything else in the world, just because a manufacturer produces a shell with colored finishes doesn't mean it's a quality product. Heck, warranties don't even mean it's a good finish considering some of the semantic games I've seen certain manufacturers play in recent months. Fact is, there are companies out there that are offering great colored finishes on their pools that will last a long time, which is a great thing for the consumer. I can only hope some other manufacturers that are not so ‘quality oriented' will soon follow suit.

4. Gravel Base and Backfill

Another point of controversy here but I'm happy to say that just about every forward-thinking, quality-minded builder and manufacturer (Trilogy Pools was pushing gravel 6 years ago)in the industry has now moved to gravel as the base and backfill to their pools. Having discussed this point in multiple other articles, I'm still at times saddened by the fact that some manufacturers have put up a fight against suggesting gravel as the base and backfill for their pools, which is a clear sign of delusion. In fact, just as vinyl ester is now a standard part of the fiberglass pool experience, gravel will soon be as well, mark my words. Simply put, there is just too much science, evidence,  and common-sense on the side of gravel.

5. The Use of Tile

These days, it's quite common to  see the use of ceramic tile in fiberglass swimming pools. Whether it's tile on the waterline, inlay tile in the steps and seats, or possibly a mosaic in the floor; ceramic tile has allowed fiberglass pools to take one more step in their customization abilities as well as their aesthetic rivaling of concrete pools. Other than the great videos that are available on our site, I'd also suggest you learn from one of the premier tile experts in the industry, Robert Ault, to learn more about the subject.

So there are your top 5 fiberglass pool innovations over the last 25 years. Although I'd could certainly list many, many more, suffices to say that these 5 have been critical to the growth of the industry.

Marcus Sheridan

Viking Pools: New Warranty, Same Problems, Disturbing Photos

Before I get into the meat of this important article regarding Viking Pools and their many current issues, allow me to prelude things with a few thoughts on the direction of this blog, as well as the fiberglass pool industry.

A Comittment on Education

My business partners and I made a commitment about 3 years ago to focus our entire business model on educating others about the swimming pool industry. Along these same lines, we have spent much of our time here discussing the particulars of the fiberglass swimming pool industry, as this is the mainstay of our business.

Along with our basic website, our brand as industry educators for the pool consumer really took off when I wrote my swimming pool eBook, ‘How to Buy a Fiberglass Pool the Right Way, From the Right Company, at the Right Price.' This book was the first of its kind because other than speaking directly at consumers regarding how to buy a fiberglass pool, it also gave my opinions of the various fiberglass pool manufacturers. And because I believe that speaking honestly and frankly is always the best policy when talking to consumers, the eBook raised quite a stir with manufacturers and consumers alike.

The Reactions Begin

But no bigger fuss was made regarding the eBook's contents than Viking Pools. In fact, you can read how Viking, and their owner Todd Stahl, handled the situation here. As I mentioned in that previous article, many fiberglass pool companies contacted me after the eBook came out to address/discuss their issues with some of the things I had said. With each of the manufacturers, I told them that my ratings regarding their product would be adjusted as they made changes, and I was more than ready to change anything negative into a positive as such improvements occurred.(Note: The eBook discussed their quality control issues and how our company had had so many problems with thin pools. The picture you see here is a cut-out of a Viking/CPC Pool. I'll let you be the judge of its thickness.) This being said, in the 2+ years since the eBook first came out, many manufacturers have made some serious positive strides with their businesses and their products. These actions have lead me to update my thoughts on said manufacturers in the eBook multiple times.

Education Taken to Another Level

About a year after the eBook was released, my business partners and I wanted to educate consumers on an even greater level, and thus this blog was born. And because we have been unfiltered in our efforts to point out the good, the bad, and the ugly in the swimming pool industry, the traffic and growth of this blog have been nothing short of phenomenal. During this time, we have taken active stances on such subjects as:

•  Using gravel instead of sand with fiberglass pools

•  Plumbing with hard pipe versus flex hose

•  Ways to buy a pool without getting ripped off

•  Explanations about the science of colored pool finishes in the fiberglass pool industry.

And as we have written in-depth articles regarding these subjects, as well as established a mountain of video on such matters, more and more fiberglass pool builders and manufacturers have made strides to produce the absolute best products, as well as build the best pools, in the world.

Now do we at River Pools take credit for this movement? No, of course not, but we do take great satisfaction in knowing that there are many fiberglass pool manufacturers, as well as builders, that want nothing but the best for this industry. In fact, with such a quality/workmanship focus in the industry, I can honestly say there has never been a better time to be a fiberglass pool consumer, with many great builders and manufacturers to choose from.

Resisting Positive Change

Unfortunately though, not all manufacturers have jumped on this self-improvement train that so many have decided to ride in the industry. Sadly, while so many other companies are elevating the industry, Viking Pools continues, in my opinion, to stick to old and antiquated manufacturing technologies and business practices. For example, Viking Pools has,:

• Stated they would not warranty pools that are backfilled with gravel

• Attempted to trick consumers into thinking they were River Pools (See Viking's shocking websites here, here, and here) (Of course, I'm sure they won't have the guts to leave these sites up once this article is published and consumers realize what type of business they are)

• Continued to utilize, in my opinion, the worst colored finish in the fiberglass pool industry

• Produced, in my opinion, the Poorest Quality Shells of any Fiberglass Pool Manufacturer (see photos)

And although I'd love to discuss all of these issues with the important readers of this blog, I want to instead focus my thoughts at this time on their unbelievable insistency on using ‘Crystite' as their colored pool finish as well as their poorly constructed pool shells.

More Gimmicks

I was quite disturbed this week when I saw that Viking had come out with a ‘New and Improved' warranty on the finish of their pools. Frankly, earlier this year I thought that Viking was actually going to drop their flawed Crystite in favor of the colored finishes that most other forward-thinking manufacturers have adopted these last few years. But instead of dropping this antiquated product that's so well known for its off-colored repairs(picture to the right shows a good repair) and other issues, they took a finish that had a 7-year warranty (3 years full) and turned it into a 20 year warranty. Yep, 20 years. Except they have yet to show the actual written warranty on their website, with the prorated portions of the warranty as well as the loads of disclaimers that come with it. I can only ask myself if such an action is a means of counteracting the negative press they've received since their bankruptcy announcement late in 2009.

Now don't get me wrong here my fellow readers. I am all for manufacturers of pools elevating their standards. In fact, anybody that regularly reads this blog understands that it was to this end that we created the blog in the first place. But what I have no tolerance for, as I've mentioned in other articles, are gimmicks that are meant to semantically trick consumers into thinking they are getting something they really are not. This is bad business and it only hurts the industry.

But what also hurts the industry even more than Viking's colored finishes is their general shell construction. Based on personal experiences that I've had, as well as the photos and emails that I receive on a weekly basis from consumers all over North America, it is my opinion that Viking makes the thinnest shells in the fiberglass pool industry. In fact, I've received a rash of photos and concerns from homeowners and pool builders alike recently regarding their fiberglass-starved shells. And this thinness (fiberglass pools should be at LEAST ¼" thick, the one shown in these photos are almost exactly 1/8" ), as shown clearly in these photos, has lead to a serious case of cracked Viking Pools across the country (again, see photos).

Where do They Go From Here?

Although I have no faith that they'll actually do it, I'd suggest to Viking that they stop with the gimmicks, stop with the efforts to falsely portray themselves as River Pools (or whomever else they may have a beef with), and start producing a pool with a finish that isn't terribly flawed and as thin as the work-order it was written up on. Believe it or not, at one time Viking was a pretty decent company. They did do many things to elevate the fiberglass pool industry. But sadly, those days are gone.

So for you, the consumer, allow me to again stress the positives of the fiberglass pool industry. Please understand that there are many great manufacturers out there producing quality pools that will last a lifetime in your backyard without maintenance or repair issues while providing years of joy and happiness for you and your family. But because this blog is looked upon by so many as the consumer advocate of the fiberglass pool industry, I felt it was finally time to shed further light upon this unfortunate subject. Hopefully though, my next article regarding this company will have a more positive subject matter.

 

If you have any questions regarding Viking Pools or other manufacturers, please don't hesitate to leave them below. As always, we thank you for stopping by and suggest you enter your email in the upper right hand portion of this page for further articles and updates on the swimming pool industry.

Marcus Sheridan

Ceramic Core Fiberglass Pools: The Truth Behind the Gimmick

"What the heck is a ‘ceramic core' fiberglass pool?"...........

This blog post is simply the product of the growing number of emails I've been receiving on a daily basis from literally readers all over the US and Canada who are considering the purchase of a swimming pool. The subject of these emails always vary, so from time to time I choose a particular question to address that strikes  my fancy.

As I've mentioned so many other times, the process of buying a swimming pool can be a tricky one, mainly because there is not enough honest information available to you, the consumer, with respect to true value and sales gimmicks.

The Consumer Advocate

Providing such information has always been the goal of this blog and I feel we're accomplishing this goal based on the profound amount of readership that makes me do a double-take every time I see how many consumers are reading these articles. But it just goes to show, if you give people the good, the bad, and the ugly information on any given product; they will in turn recognize the authoritative voice of the source.

But today's article, as I mentioned earlier, is a direct result of a question I received from a very intelligent, informed consumer who was perplexed over certain ‘sales-gimmicks' he was sensing as he researched fiberglass swimming pools. Specifically, he was asking about two particular ‘gimmicks': Ceramic Core Fiberglass Pools and the use of Carbon Fiber in Fiberglass Pools.

Upon discussing with him this topic, I decided it was time that our readers were informed of such a farce and were made aware of what a ‘ceramic' fiberglass pool really is. In general, if a fiberglass pool manufacturer claims to have a ceramic core pool, what they are actually using is a ‘fillite' powder. (Please note the root word). In fact, one such company that produces fillite, Eager Plastics, explains what their fillite powder actually does:

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Fillite - 500 powder (EP7707) is a finely-divided, free-flowing spherical powder with a gray-green color. ...Fillite is a glass-hard, inert hollow silicate sphere. Fillite is primarily used to reduce the weight of plastics rubbers, resins and cement, but has been used a variety of filler applications. Other applications include use in refractories, PVC flooring, SBR latex carpet backing, break linings, phenolics, epoxies, cast polyesters, synthetic marbles, syntactic foams, BMC, SMC, FRP, low-density cements, shotcrete, wallboard joint compounds and automative sound dampening sheets.

The addition of EP7707 Fillite provides the following outstanding features:

1. Fine particle size for easy mixing
2. Reduces cost
3. Reduces resin exotherm......

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:
Shell
60% SiO₂
30% Al₂O₃
4% Fe₂O₃
0.5-4% K₂O / Na₂O
1-2% MgO
0.2-1.0% CaO

I know this all may appear a little confusing, but if you're into science you'll quickly see that a ‘ceramic core' is actually 60% Silica and 30% ceramic, and that all it's really doing is acting as an inexpensive filler in the case of a fiberglass pool. In fact, Wikipedia defines Silica as:

The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica (from the Latin silex), is an oxide  of silicon  with a chemical formula of SiO2  and has been known for its hardness since antiquity. Silica is most commonly found in nature as sand or quartz, as well as in the cell walls of diatoms. Silica is the most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust

I've talked to various fiberglass pool manufacturers regarding this subject and they all laugh about what the product actually is and the fact that its components are available to everyone.

Simply put, if ceramic core (or should we say silica core) technology truly did benefit a fiberglass pool, everyone world be doing it. But the reality is that more than 90% of fiberglass pool manufacturers on the planet have chosen not to use this cheap product. I think it's also important to note that there are fiberglass pool manufacturers that have multiple lines of fiberglass pools, some made with ‘ceramic' and others without. So my question at that point becomes-If the stuff is so great and critical to a quality pool, why wouldn't a company put it in all their products, not just one line out of many?

Other Gimmicks

But this article isn't just about supposed ceramic cores. It's also about ‘Carbon Fiber', ‘Kevlar', and any other scientific words that pops up in the future. Frankly put, all of these hot, ‘space-age' phrases that sound very scientific are only means of semantically tricking a consumer, and thus have no place in the fiberglass pool market, or any other market for that matter. Fact is, if a pool was truly made out of carbon fiber it would cost at least 10 times as much as one without. So as a consumer, if you hear a manufacturer claim they put such products in their pool, I'd make them guarantee it on paper and then I'd make them show these ‘miracle materials' in the shell when the installers cut out the returns and skimmer sections of the pool. Just by doing this, one will quickly see what components are truly making up the pool shell.

True Value

My point with mentioning these items is that fiberglass pool manufacturers need to focus on the important things that genuinely make a pool stronger and better-Quality resins, quality gel coats, and quality workmanship. Any pool manufacturer that can achieve these 3 metrics with every shell they produce should be highly commended and sought after by consumers. And as for those that would rather use marketing gimmicks to create false product realities, I can only hope they'll eventually turn back to the basics and win over their consumers the old fashion way-by earning it.

Marcus Sheridan, PoolSchool

Questions? Please leave your thoughts below.

Fiberglass Pool Shoppers Alert: Very Disturbing Customer Experience and Photos

This is one of those blog articles that I really debated on writing. Why? Because it's one that shows the ‘ugly side' of the fiberglass pool industry. And as all our readers are very well aware, we have done everything we can at River Pools to educate the world, via this blog, on the GOOD of fiberglass pools. So as you read the following, I'd ask that you remember this key phrase, which applies to any pool, any industry, and any company:

Do not let poor actions of the few influence your good feelings towards the many.

And with that, let me explain something that is happening in the fiberglass pool industry right now. Many builders, as well as certain manufacturers, are in financial trouble. And because they are in financial trouble, they are doing some very, very shady things. I was sadly reminded of this last week when I got an email from a pool builder out West. This builder was called to a house where the original pool installer had started the project only to stop before even completing pool backfill process. The pool then sat for months and a 2^nd builder (the gentleman who called me) was called in to clean up the mess.

What the builder then found still makes me cringe. The large fiberglass shell that had been installed in the ground was a PREVIOUSLY USED and DAMAGED/REPAIRED SHELL. The homeowner had no idea of this fact until the 2^nd builder pointed it out. If you view the following photos, you'll notice repairs in the blue gel-coat (that don't even match) as well as repairs on the outside of the shell where it had  cracked previously. Such a disturbing scene begs two questions:

1. How would a fiberglass pool manufacturer ever allow this to happen?
2. How could a pool builder lack so much integrity to allow such a train-wreck to go in the ground?

Both of these questions will be answered over time, as the homeowner is obviously seeking legal recourse to remedy the situation. This much we do know-

• The manufacturer was made aware of the situation by the homeowner and said they would call back. That was 5 months ago and they now appear to be serioulsy ignoring the issue. (Now granted, there is the possibility that the builder could have bought this 'used' pool from someone other than the manufacturer, but such appears highly doubtful at the moment.)
• The original sales contract, reviewed by the builder, does not notate that this was a damaged, repaired, display or even a discounted model.

I have seen some shady builders over time, but is it possible that a manufacturer actually sold such a pool to a builder? Now granted, the manufacturer may have sold the shell to the pool builder in an ‘as is' state, but I would certainly think that anyone with any integrity whatsoever would have wanted to know the homeowner's information so that they could have informed them of what they were actually buying. Either way, and regardless of what happened, both parties are down-right accountable in my book and I truly hope this homeowner is able to recover the $30,000+ they have invested in this sad project thus far.

As I viewed these pictures, my thoughts turned to a recent email I received from Curt Prystupa, owner of Sun Fiberglass Pools. In his email, Curt discussed with me some of the disturbing trends he was seeing in the industry:

"The times are changing quickly in the industry.  The big guys are crumbling from inflated sales by dumping pools on the lots to show production and shipping but the losses mount on the aged inventory. ......... So now we(speaking of Sun Pools) compete with 2-4 year old shells on the clearance rack that have been sitting in fields with bankrupt companies looking to raise cash. The days of laying pools around and pay us as you go are done....."

Those were some strong and telling words by Curt, and I appreciate his candor. He also pointed out that manufacturer warranties usually start from the day of the pool's production, not from the day the pool is installed in the ground. In other words, if a pool has a 3 year finish warranty, and it's over 2 years old when it goes in the ground, then the warranty, at least in the eyes of some manufacturers, is just one year. Therefore, as a consumer, make sure you get this semantical issue written down on your contract so as to avoid such a problem.

Now many of you may be wondering who manufactured this pool and who the original builder was. I can clearly understand your desire to know this and you can be rest assured that once the legal proceedings on the matter are over, I will be writing a follow up piece to put all of the facts on the table. Until that point, we'll just have to let the story unfold in court.

So What Does This All Mean?

Let me reiterate what I mentioned at the start of this article. Do not let the actions of the few dictate your feelings regarding the many.  By simply following the advice we've hammered home over and over again throughout this blog, as well as our eBooks, you, as a consumer, should have no problem picking a reputable manufacturer and builder for you swimming pool.

After having spoken with literally thousands of pool builders and pool owners across the country over the past few years, there is much good to be said for many in this industry that I've grown to love and appreciate-which is the whole purpose for me even writing this article.

Your Advocate

We at River Pools are here to be your advocate. What makes this blog so very popular in the industry is its extreme candor and willingness to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of what's happening in our world of swimming pools. Whether you already own your swimming pool or are in the research phase of making a decision, we wish you the best of luck in 2010, and we also invite you to comment on this article with any thoughts or questions you may have relating to this topic. We truly value the thoughts of you, our readers.

Marcus Sheridan

Viking Pools (Latham International) Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

In a stunning turn of events, Latham Manufacturing Corp, who is the largest manufacturer of inground pools in North America, as well as the parent company of Viking Fiberglass Pools (Viking Pools) and Composite Pool Corporation (CPC), has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Such is major news in the fiberglass pool industry, considering Viking Pools is one of the most well known fiberglass pool manufacturers in the country.  

As all my readers know, I literally just wrote a blog discussing the future of fiberglass pool manufacturers and alluded to the fact that the business models of these manufacturers are quite flawed, with too many plants to support and not enough pools to build because of a lower demand. A look at the rise and fall of Latham, including their relationship with Viking, is a perfect example of how such a model can cost a company their financial well-being.

Back in 2005, right when the swimming pool market was at its peak due to the housing boom/easy credit-for-everyone phase, Latham International purchased Viking Pools. In fact, in October of that year, Bob Dumas of Pool and Spa News reported:

"In yet another major industry acquisition, Latham International, the nation's leading manufacturer of packaged inground swimming pools, has purchased Viking Pools, one of the largest makers of fiberglass shells.

It is the fourth high-profile acquisition for Latham since 2002. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Fiberglass is a growing segment of the market," said Mark Laven, president/CEO of Latham, which up until now had only purchased companies related to the vinyl-liner pool segment. "It's appealing to builders because it's labor-saving, and it's appealing to consumers as well."......... Todd Stahl called Viking and Latham's pairing a "compelling combination" and said that his company is "very excited about our partnership."

"Teaming with Latham was an opportunity we couldn't pass up," he said. He added that he believes the acquisition will elevate Viking's professional profile. "We were a family operation--they're all mom-and-pop operations in the fiberglass industry. But we wanted to be recognized as a leader in the industry, and it's hard to do that when you're a small morn-and-pop business. Now we are at a level that no fiberglass pool company has ever been at before."

Latham, N.Y.-based Latham International also owns Pacific Pools, a leading package-pool maker. The firm has averaged one major acquisition per year since 2002, including:

* Triac, November 2002

* Kafko, November 2003

* Fort Wayne Pools, December 2004

                                                        

Each of Latham's acquisitions has been designed to expand the company's geographical reach and broaden its product offerings, according to Laven. The firm currently employs approximately 1,200 people at 15 locations throughout the United States and Canada." (end quote)

So those were the thoughts 4 years ago of Todd Stahl and Mark Laven. Essentially, Latham tried to buy up a major company in just about every market of the swimming pool industry. The problem, as we all can now clearly see, is that they did not anticipate a fall in the market. In fact, Latham's bankruptcy papers state:

"As of November 30,2009, on an unaudited consolidated basis, the Debtors reported total assets of approximately $66,994,161, including approximately $5,783,601 in accounts receivable and $16,838,340 in inventory, and $239,438,055 in liabilities, which included $2,261,529 in accounts payable and $197,529,346 of long term debt, as discussed more fully below. For the 2009 fiscal year through November, the Company, on an unaudited consolidated basis, reported net sales and losses of$90,190,350 and ($181,414,993) respectively.

C. Circumstances Leading to the Commencement of the Chapter 11 Cases

Significant declines in market demand for the industry's products over the past three years have resulted in lower sales and significant unused manufacturing capacity in the Debtors' product lines. The downturn in the economy has negatively impacted sales industry-wide. The Debtors estimate that industry sales for 2009 will be down approximately 45% from 2008 and 70 to 75% from 2005. As a result of declining sales, there is significant excess industry capacity in the market. Historical sales have been best correlated with consumer sentiment and the availability of credit for customers to purchase the Debtors' products. The housing boom earlier in the decade, and corresponding home equity cash outs and rising prices for the Debtors' products, provided robust sales for the Debtors' products and the market in general. However, commencing in 2007 and continuing today, the housing bust and deteriorating economic climate resulted in declining industry sales. The continued downward spiral of consumer sentiment due to the state of the economy has contributed to the declining sales experienced industry-wide. In addition, traditional lenders who provide financing to consumers, such as GE and KeyBank, have ceased lending for pool purchases...... In response to these economic challenges, the Company aggressively worked to mitigate the economic impact caused by the above circumstances. During the period from 2007 to 2009, the Company made significant headcount reductions over each of the Company's divisions. Along with reducing headcount, management has actively worked to decrease the Company's legacy manufacturing footprint, reducing manufacturing facilities from 32 to 15. Additionally, a significant SKU reduction initiative was implemented in order to simplify manufacturing operations and reduce inventory, and the Company is taking advantage of these changes in 2009. This program has been a key component of managements ability to successfully reduce inventory levels and subsequently drive profitability and cash flow.....While these efforts have, in part, helped the Company weather the current economic decline, the Company still requires additional cash to purchase inventory in the near-term in order to operate their business. Because of the seasonal nature of the industry, the Company must spend approximately $25,000,000 during the first half of 2010 to satisfy the Company's peak seasonal working capital needs, as well as to reduce their existing debt load, in order to continue their operations." (end quote)

 

 Although they could have prognosticated a heck of a lot better in my opinion, I won't make that the focus of my article here. As I stated in my last blog, I've been asked by readers all over the country lately the current state of many swimming pool companies and manufacturers.  Latham's filing for Chapter 11 speaks volumes regarding the stability of some of the industry's most well known brands. 

So What's This All Mean?

Essentially, this all means that the swimming pool industry is similar to just about every other industry out there right now. With the economy struggling, it has created a refiner's fire for the biggest and smallest of companies. As I've stated before, I call it the ‘Bubba Gump' principle. Yes, there is quite a storm out there right now, but just as Forrest's boat survived the storm due to their strong foundation and went on to be extremely successful, so will many small and large swimming pool companies get through these difficult times even stronger. Latham and Viking Pools are not the last pool companies we'll see suffer major financial problems in the coming months. In fact, if I wasn't worried about frivolous lawsuits I'd throw out some predictions. But in an effort to keep things simple, I'll just report events as they happen.

Also, I'd like to state for the record that I strongly hope Viking, Composite Pool Corporation, and some of these other struggling manufacturers are able to weather this difficult storm. When I see a company like Latham, with its 1200+ employees on the brink of failure, it saddens me to know that these companies and their employees, as well as the families of their employees, are passing through a very difficult time.  Also, because Viking has so many pools in the ground at this point, it would be a crying shame for so many pool owners to lose their ‘lifetime warranty'.

Marcus Sheridan

http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/ / http://www.poolschool.us/

**To receive further updates regarding the state of the swimming pool industry as well as other news and information,  be sure to subscribe by email to our blog in the upper right hand portion of this page.**

The Future of Fiberglass Pool Manufacturers: Who Will Survive?

  This article is simply the result of the many, many email inquiries I've received in recent weeks  from our readers regarding the future financial stability of fiberglass pool manufacturers. With the 'troubles' of Ocean Reef and San Juan Pools mentioned in the news recently, quite a few future fiberglass pool owners are now thinking much harder about the manufacturer they choose to do business with. This is absolutely understandable considering a fiberglass pool warranty is a 'manufacturer warranty', not a 'pool builder warranty'. In other words, if a fiberglass pool manufacturer goes out of business and you have one of their pools in your backyard, you're out of luck in terms of any warranty issues down the road.

Obviously, no one wants to make the wrong decision when choosing the pool of their dreams. When it comes to choosing a fiberglass pool, the consumer must make two important decisions: 1. The Manufacturer 2. The Builder. Up to this point, I've talked almost at nausea about the latter so it's time we discussed what's going on with these pool manufacturers.

Let me also say here that this article is purely my opinion based on what I'm seeing within the swimming pool industry. I've got many, many sources that have contributed to my thoughts here. That being said, this article is only meant as a guide to your pool purchase, and no more.

Where the Problem Started

You see, the reason why so many fiberglass pool manufacturers are now suffering is simple. In the early 2000s, the swimming pool industry had never seen such a high. This was especially true in 2005 where just about any pool company and manufacturer had more than enough work to keep themselves busy and pay all their bills without really having to doggedly work for it. As we all know too well, this was a time period of easy credit and skyrocketing home values. Just after being in a home for a few months homeowners had enough equity to borrow against for such items as additions, boats, pools, etc. Looking back at this time period, it amazes me just how easy it was for homeowners to buy a swimming pool. Simply put, it was the perfect confluence of events that culminated in a swimming pool explosion throughout the United States.

Around this same period, fiberglass pools were gaining a large portion of the market share within the United States. Although this trend had occurred years before in other countries around the world such as Australia, the United States didn't truly come around to fiberglass as one of the staples of the residential pool industry until the 2000s.

With all lights flashing green and all signs saying 'grow', fiberglass pool manufacturers sprung up across the country and also many already established manufacturers built more plants in key areas of the country to cut down on shipping costs to builders and also keep pace with production demands.

The Bubble Bursts

As I mentioned, this growth period culminated in 2005 and 2006, and it is now this same period which is putting some manufacturers under a mountain of debt and financial losses. Simply stated, many manufacturers were not intelligent with their business models and got too big for their own britches as they overestimated the economy's ability to maintain such unrealistic numbers.(Read an interesting article about this decline by John Miles of Pool and Spa News)

I'm not saying here that the collapse in the economy was an easy thing to see, because it wasn't. Heck, even our own government was mostly aloof to the disaster that so quickly occurred. Notwithstanding, this boom and bust period was handled better by some fiberglass pool manufactures, and builders, then others.

Manufacturer Benchmarks

In order for a fiberglass pool manufacturing facility to break even, it needs to produce(in most cases) about 600 pools a year. The ideal number though for financial stability is 700+. Of course, this number can vary depending on the facility and its ability to cut costs while still staying above water. Here is a list of the main fiberglass pool manufacturers in the U.S. and their production facilities during the 2000-2007 period:

• Viking Pools(Includes Composite Pools, Crystal Palace Pools, Liberty, etc, etc, etc): 5 facilities: West Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and California
• San Juan Pools: 3 facilities: Florida, Arizona, and Indiana
• Blue Hawaiian: 2 facilities: Florida and North Carolina
• Aloha Pools: 4 facilities: Texas, California, Georgia, and Tennessee
• Trilogy Pools: 1 facility: Tennessee
• Leisure Pools: 1 facility: Texas
• Sun Pools: 2 facilities: Florida and Kentucky
• Alaglass Pools: 1 facility: South Carolina

If you count the number of facilities between these manufacturers, you come up with a total of 19. This doesn't even include some of the smaller companies. This being said, the industry needed to produce, at least among the top manufacturers, at least 11,400 fiberglass pools to come close to breaking even during the good years. Such was possible at that time but the sad reality is 10,000 fiberglass pools will not even be purchased in the United States in 2009. In fact, the more likely number will be around 7000. As you can see, the consumer demand does not meet the manufacturer overhead demand, which is why we are now seeing so many issues. This is also why the number of facilities now in production is less than the 19 mentioned above. Like all other businesses, manufacturers are doing what it takes to cut costs, and closing plants is often times the easiest way to make a big difference with monthly expenditures.

What Does This All Mean?

Now I'm not going to delve into here which of the above manufacturers have closed facilities. I'm also not going to predict (although I've certainly got an opinion) which ones will foresee major issues down the road. Notwithstanding, I will make this statement:

It is my opinion that the strongest fiberglass pool manufacturers in the coming years will be the ones who have less plants/facilities yet still have the ability to reach high production levels if necessary. Having a plant that can produce 2000 pools during the good times but at the same rate has the ability to turn a profit at 650 pools during the bad times is a much more sound business model then having multiple smaller plants that must be constantly fed when times are the toughest but also reach a certain production limit in the best of economic conditions.(Note** I do realize there are many more factors that will dictate a company's success, so let's just assume we all agree on those important variables.**)

So what am I implying with all of this? No, I'm not saying necessarily that Viking is in trouble yet a company like Trilogy will have no problems in the future. What I'm doing is making a simple analysis of the current state of the fiberglass pool market and where I think it's headed, which will hopefully give you, the consumer, enough food for thought to lead you in the right direction when it comes to choosing the manufacturer of your fiberglass swimming pool.

An Invitation to All Manufacturers

I also want to give manufacturers a chance to respond to this blog below regarding your company. If you'd like to discuss the stability of your company and its current direction, I absolutely invite you to do so in the comments section. Whether you agree with my synopsis or not, I'd still be inclined to hear your thoughts.

**Note: 3 Weeks after this article was written, Viking Pools filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy**

Marcus Sheridan, River Pools

Disturbing: Bad Fiberglass Pool Installer+Irresponsible Manufacturer=Customer Disaster

One of the benefits of having this blog and PoolSchool is the fact that I receive emails from customers across the country at a rapidly increasing rate regarding their good, bad, and down-right ugly experiences with fiberglass pool builders and manufacturers. For example, read the following email I received this past week. (Because this customer is pursuing legal action against the manufacturer, I will hide the customer and manufacturer names for now...)

"We purchased a ****** pool last year and have been trying to get the pool repaired and then replaced for over a year now.  Our pool came with dimples and holes in the steps and within two weeks of the installation the whole pool warped at every curve.  Our pool is a small ****** pool that is all curves and each and every one of them now has a warp that runs from the top to the bottom of the pool.  ******Pools blamed the installers, who in fact did do a few things wrong but we have pictures of the install happening and you can actually see a warp in the pool before it was ever placed in the ground.  The flaws in the steps were there right from the start as well.  Our installers have since shut their doors (due to this) and ****** is laying all the blame on them so they are not helping us out at all.  ****** actually had the installers rip out a foot of concrete all around the pool four months ago stating that it would pop back into shape.  We now have a pool that we can't even put a safety cover on as there is nothing to attach it to, it is still warped and now unsafe to walk around.  We sure wish we had seen your "PoolSchool" before our much regretted purchase."

Pretty pathetic, wouldn't you agree? Such emails allow me to get a much better feel for which companies within the pool industry are willing to stand behind their product and which ones could essentially care less about the customer. Much to my surprise, the entire PoolSchool concept is now creating a source for consumer protection, awareness, and action. With the risk of sounding prideful, a customer recently told me in an email that I had, "become the Glen Beck of the fiberglass pool industry." Although hearing such statements wasn't the original goal of PoolSchool and this blog, it did give me a chuckle. It also gave me a sense of satisfaction knowing that we were able to help this pool owner in some way to make progress in resolving their pool installation issues. It truly matters to us here at PoolSchool and River Pools and Spas that pool consumers across the country, and world for that matter, are informed and have an advocate for truth.

This is also why I invite any of you who may have had a good or bad experience in the past by an installer or fiberglass pool manufacturer to contact us and we will do anything we can to help and make others aware of your thoughts.

Marcus Sheridan, http://www.poolschool.us/

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Science and Fiberglass Pool Gelcoats: Why Some Colors Stink and Others are Built to Last

The Science Behind Fiberglass Pool Gel Coats and Quality vs. Cheap Color Finishes

As many of you are quite aware, I have talked quite a bit about fiberglass pool color finishes and their importance in the past. In fact, I've been thrilled this year to receive emails from so many people across the country talking about this important subject and asking further questions. Recently, a customer asked by how the fiberglass pool manufacturers were able to scientifically test their finishes versus just putting a product out in the market and seeing its performance in pools over time. I thought this was a great question, and so I decided to make this video, which was shot at the Leisure Pools facility in New Braunfels, Texas.

Currently, the main method for testing fiberglass pool gelcoats is by performing a boil test. Such a test, which typically means the gelcoat is submersed in boiling water from 100-200 hours, is a great indicator as to what will happen to a pool that has been in the ground for many years and experienced the effects of the sun, chemicals, etc. In the United States, there are only a few color gelcoat manufacturers available for the fiberglass pool manufacturers to choose from. Considering Leisure gets their famous Aquaguard product from Australia, therefore spending much, much more on shipping, they have attempted to find an American manufacturer that will meet the Aquaguard standards. Unfortunately, they have fallen short in these efforts and only found that most of the products don't even resemble the performance of Aquaguard. Although many of my readers have asked how I grade out the different finishes used by the various fiberglass pool manufacturers, I will defer from mentioning a bunch of names at this time. Notwithstanding, I will say that my studies have found that the ‘crystite color finishes' are the worst in the fiberglass pool industry. Obviously, ‘Aquaguard' receives the highest current marks. There are a few middle of the road finishes and there is also a new finish currently in the works being created by another fiberglass pool manufacturer.

The key, as always, is for you as a pool consumer to thoroughly read your pool's finish warranty. Personally, I would expect the warranty to be at LEAST 10-15 years; otherwise I wouldn't consider the product. Also, just because it says a certain number of years the finish is warranted, make sure you still read the fine print. Some manufacturers are famous for their warranty disclaimers.

If you have any questions about color finishes and want further detail, please don't hesitate to make your comments below.

And as always, happy swimming!

Marcus Sheridan, http://www.poolschool.us/

Installing a Fiberglass Pool Properly: Sand vs. Gravel, Which is Better?

There is a famous bible verse that applies to this important subject:

 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

(Matthew 7:24-27)

I have to tell you, it's a funny thing to me that man was told thousands of years ago that building structures upon rocks was much more intelligent than building upon sand, notwithstanding, there are still people, some of which claim to be ‘industry experts', that insist upon the use of sand as the base and backfill for a fiberglass pool. Alas.......I guess some of these 'foolish' people never learn.  Just look at what Todd Stahl, the owner of Viking Pools, says about the manner:

 "The fact of the matter is that in most situations gravel is not the correct material to be placed around your pool. It is difficult to compact and is typically only used because it is inexpensive."

Let's analyze this statement for a second. First of all, in Virginia and Maryland, gravel literally costs twice as much as sand per ton. Apparently, Mr. Stahl has been living in the beautiful hills of West Virginia too long to know the price of pool materials along the ENTIRE EAST COAST. Secondly, to say that gravel "is difficult to compact" is like saying "fire is hard to get warm." How anyone in the world could view their own vast and profound knowledge of geology greater than that of proven science is beyond me. Just think about it for a second- In order for sand to come close to compaction it must be saturated with water and tamped. But gravel? That's right, gravel only needs to be tamped and it's compacted, which is why it's used as the base and footer for incredibly heavy and large structures all over the world. In fact, when was the last time you saw concrete, asphalt, basements, block walls, etc, etc built on sand??  For example, my home has a basement constructed with large concrete wall panels (Superior Walls). These incredibly heavy panels line up vertically and interlock to form our basement and do you know what they are sitting on? That's right; you guessed it- a gravel footer. In other words, my entire home is sitting on a 12" gravel base. Yet people like Todd Stahl in the fiberglass pool industry still subscribe to sand..... OOOOO-KEEEE-DOOO-KEEEE

 

But enough of common sense. Let's just throw that out for a moment and look at the scientific reasons as to why gravel is better as a base and backfill for fiberglass pools. One of my business partners, Jason Hughes, wrote and incredibly respected and popular article about fiberglass pool problems, one of which discussed sand versus gravel. This is an excerpt from the article:

"If you talk to enough people or scroll through enough online forums you'll probably come across someone who has developed a bulge in the wall of their fiberglass pool.  We encountered this problem years ago with several of our pools.  This caused us to scrutinize our installation process and thoroughly inspect the pools where these problems occurred.  What we found flies in the face of the standard and accepted method of installing fiberglass pools across the country.  The problem in our case stemmed from the backfill material that we used.....namely sand.  Tens of thousands of fiberglass pools have been installed with sand backfill without incident, and most of our sand backfilled pools were fine as well.  But when the right (or wrong) combination of circumstances align fiberglass pool walls do bulge.  Question:  What happens to sand when it becomes saturated with water?  It liquefies.  That would be fine if the liquefied sand were resting against something other than fiberglass which is renowned for its flexibility.   Fiberglass pools are structurally engineered to remain full of water.  The outward pressure from the water works in conjunction with the structure of the pool to stabilize the vessel.  When sand liquefies it is heavier than the water on the inside of the pool and if the wall is not strong enough to maintain its shape a bulge develops.  High water tables as well as soils that hold water both lead to situations where a significant amount of water surrounds the pool structure and saturates the backfill material.  So does this mean that fiberglass pools are not suitable for installations with high water table or certain soils?  Quite the contrary; I would submit that there is no better pool to have in such circumstances.  You just need to make certain of two things.  First, that you're pool is strong enough to prevent bulges.  And second, that you eliminate the sand backfill and use gravel.  Is there a difference between the strength of fiberglass pools?  Yes, but from the perspective of the consumer it will be virtually impossible to rate the "bulge-ability" of the various pools on the market because all manufacturers claim to be the strongest and most stable.  The one thing you CAN control is the backfill material, and based on our experience, using gravel backfill is the only insurance against wall bulges in any situation with any pool.   Clean crushed blue stone ¾" or smaller is the gravel used in our installations because it has several distinct advantages over sand or even round pea gravel.  First, its properties do not change when it becomes saturated with water so it performs the same wet or dry.  This makes it ideal for any situation and especially in areas with a high water table or difficult soil conditions.  Second, the point on point friction that occurs between the pieces of gravel make it a very stable material on the sides of the pool; much better than saturated sand that liquefies or pea gravel that acts like little ball bearings.    Third, the gravel compacts upon placement unlike sand which needs to be placed in lifts and compacted with water.  This is further addressed in the discussion on plumbing problems below.  You will see that this is a major advantage as well.  Opponents to gravel backfill pitch against it by saying that it's a cheaper material and used in order to cut cost.  In reality it actually costs us significantly more to use gravel.  We feel it is well worth the investment because you can't put a price tag on peace of mind........... Why would the plumbing settle?  Good question!  The plumbing doesn't settle, the backfill material around the fiberglass pool settles and takes the plumbing with it.  Yes we're back to our sand vs. gravel discussion again.  This is great because this is a topic that needs attention.  The problem is that it's very difficult to fully compact sand around a fiberglass pool during installation.  Many times, despite a fiberglass pool installer's best efforts to bring the sand up in 6"-12" lifts and fully saturate the sand with water, the sand still settles some over time.  The plumbing is encased in this sand and as the sand settles, it exerts downward pressure on the plumbing of the swimming pool.  Many installers tie their plumbing up to help hold it in place, but not withstanding, that's still a lot of pressure.  Settled plumbing manifests itself in one way....leaks.  "Leak" is a dirty word!  We want to avoid saying that word, and we do so by using gravel backfill that just doesn't settle!  If the backfill doesn't move, the plumbing doesn't move.  It's as simple as that!"

There are a couple of other points I'd like add to Jason's explanation. Let's suppose you have a 6' deep fiberglass pool to install. When excavating for a fiberglass pool, the over-dig is typically about 12". Therefore, the deep end of the pool will be backfilled with either 6' of sand or 6' of gravel to fill in this 12" over-dig. Keep in mind here that your pool's patio (concrete deck) will be resting on top of that first 12" of backfill. Obviously, it's very important that this first 12" of concrete decking is on solid ground, ground that does not settle over time. Notwithstanding, many pool builders will backfill the deep end of the pool with 6' of sand and then add about 3" of gravel on top of that sand to form the base of the concrete decking. Are you starting to see just how little sense this makes? Tell me, which would you rather have the first 12" of your concrete decking resting on- 6 feet of gravel or 6 feet of sand with 3" of gravel on top? I can guarantee that 3'-8' of sand backfill (depending on the depth of the pool) will settle at least slightly over time. It doesn't take a genius to quickly realize this is not healthy for the structural integrity of a pool's concrete decking.

The other point I'd like to add deals with sand's ability to follow moving water. Jason mentioned this a little bit and I want to further delve into the subject. Let's say that after 6 years of owning your fiberglass pool (that was backfilled with sand) you fall victim to a plumbing leak at one of the pool's return fittings. This means that huge amounts of water are blasting away behind the pool wall. Before long, because sand so easily follows moving water, the force of the water creates a tunnel effect and an empty void is created behind the wall. Obviously, voids in the backfill of a fiberglass pool can have major negative ramifications, with the fiberglass bending to the shape of the void. As you can well imagine, this is not a good thing, but it can be almost entirely prevented with the use of gravel. Unlike sand, gravel will not wash and follow moving water very easily. Therefore, if leaks ever do unfortunately occur, at least the pool's backfill will likely not be altered.

So there you have it folks. I could go on and on about this topic but I'll stop there. Everything written here is simply the result of having installed our first 300 pools with sand and our last 300 pools with gravel. The reality is that anyone who insists sand is a better base for fiberglass pools is simply living in an antiquated state of denial and refusing to build a fiberglass pool to a modern standard. Such people are likely still using rotary phones in their homes and 8-tracks for easy listening in their vehicles. This is also why I give credit to cutting edge companies like Trilogy pools of Tennessee because they have taught their dealers that gravel should be the base and backfill for a fiberglass pool. Mark my words: Within 10 years of this little blog, over 90% of the fiberglass pool industry will be using some type of gravel as the base and backfill for their pools. Until then though, I, along with my business partners Jim and Jason (and anyone else who likes to mix common sense with pool education), will continue to do everything we can to be a source for positive change in the fiberglass pool industry.

Marcus Sheridan, http://www.poolschool.us/

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Fibergass Pools, Little People Big World, and TV's Misconceptions

 

Fiberglass Pools, Little People Big World, and TVs Misconceptions

I recently saw an advertisement regarding a fiberglass pool manufacturer that had donated a pool to the TV Show Little People Big World. Upon reading the advertisement, which made it sound as if Little People Big World had chosen the manufacturer because of their superior quality, two thoughts came to my head.

• 1. I'm glad fiberglass pools are becoming such a part of mainstream TV.
• 2. Just because a fiberglass pool is used on a TV show doesn't make it any better than the next.

With the introduction of HGTV and other home improvement shows, many manufactures, such as Viking Pools and Trilogy Pools, have been kind enough to donate their pools towards a good cause. Although I strongly appreciate the good will in these gestures, the reality is this:

Do not allow your impressions of a fiberglass pool manufacturer to be affected by what they have done on TV.

I can say such a statement without bias because one the manufacturers that our company at River Pools and Spas carries is Trilogy Pools. Trilogy was on Extreme Home Makeover a few years ago because they donated and built a pool for a needy family.  But the fact that Trilogy was on Extreme Home Makeover doesn't make them a great pool. The greatness and superiority of their product are found in such areas as: lifetime structure and 15 year finish warranty, powerful customer testimonials, quality materials used in pool structure, etc.

So before you choose to use a fiberglass pool manufacturer simply because they promote what they do on TV, remember to keep the essentials in mind. In fact, I would be concerned if a builder or manufacturer focused all of their marketing efforts on charitable deeds without also promoting the quality components of their product. Although charity is a wonderful virtue, it does not build a quality pool with an excellent structural and finish warranty.

Marcus Sheridan, http://www.poolschool.us/

 

 

As always, happy swimming and refer to this blog often to receive the latest in pool manufacturer and product ratings and well as general pool maintenance tips.

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