OUR PROCESS

We try our best to make the pool buying and pool building processes as simple as possible for the customer. In fact, we’ve included the full details of both the buying and building process below for you to review.

View Pool Buying Process
View Pool Building Process

Pool Buying Process

Meet Your Designer

After contacting Southern Pool Designs, one of our designers will set up a time to meet with you at the location of your new pool. We will gather detailed information from you to understand what you are trying to accomplish. What’s the primary use for your pool? Exercise? Place to play for the kids? Relaxation and stress eliminator? Whatever the reason, we will carefully listen and transform your backyard into your dream. They will also measure the rear of the house, taking into consideration the doors and window locations. We want to make sure that even when you’re not using the pool you’ll still be able to take full advantage of its beauty while indoors. There’s no stone left unturned when taking your design into consideration.

Design Meeting

Once your initial swimming pool design has been completed, usually within two weeks, we will schedule an appointment at our design studio to go over and discuss the details of your pool drawing. We use advanced 3D virtual design software that allows you to experience the look and sound of your new swimming pool before one shovel of dirt is ever moved. From this point in the process, you can add features and make any changes you feel will make this project exactly as you imagined.

Engineering

Now that we have met your design expectations and you have decided to move forward, the pool design is immediately submitted to our engineering department. There it will be properly engineered for pipe, filter and pump sizes to maximize energy efficiency and circulation of the water. The construction drawing is also created and used by our layout crew for exact elevation and dimensions. Now it’s time to move to the actual construction.

Pool Building Process

Layout

After you have approved the final design of your Southern Pool Design pool, making sure that all of the components of your pool are in the design and contract, a detailed set of engineered plans will be created from which your pool will be constructed. An outline of your pool will be formed with wood nailed together to show the position and shape of your pool as per plans. You will now want to get ready for the excavation process. With any major construction process, you will have heavy equipment making numerous trips into your backyard. Please remember to have relocated all plants, sprinkler heads, etc. that may be within the path of the equipment and pool location.

Excavation

The next step in the construction of your new Southern Pool Designs pool is the excavation: a messy, dirty process that is exciting and unavoidable. An excavation crew carefully digs, forms and hand-trims your pool in precise accordance with every detail of your swimming pool design specifications. The excavation process usually takes one day; however, it may take longer depending on the soil conditions as well as unexpected weather delays. You will note the wooden forms around your swimming pool. They are there to guide us through the rest of the construction process and are important that they are not tampered with. The majority of dirt from the excavation process will be removed the day of the excavation. Don’t be concerned if some dirt remains, as we will use this for other phases of the construction. If for some reason you would like a portion for landscaping purposes or some other uses, you must let us know where and how much you desire.

Steel

Next, a steel crew forms a rigid contoured grid of reinforcing steel to create the backbone of your swimming pool. You will see bars crossing one another for the utmost in reinforcement. Notice the tie wires at every other intersection, they tie the steel together
forming a continuous bond. You will also notice that there are block spacers in between the steel and the ground. This helps to hold up the steel above the soil, so that the steel will end up approximately in the middle of the gunite. When the steel is finished it will appear like the steps are missing. Don’t be alarmed; the steps will be shot in at the next stage, which is gunite. Please be advised, that when inspecting the progress of your pool, the steel is sharp. So please take caution.

Gunite

The next step of your pool construction is the application of the gunite. Technicians will skillfully shoot the gunite around your pool’s steel reinforcement grid. Your pool shell formed by this process is so strong that Southern Pool Designs backs it with a Full Lifetime Warranty! After your gunite has been completed, it will need a couple of days to cure before our next step.

Plumbing

Your pool is now ready to be plumbed with the high-grade National Sanitation Foundation approved “Schedule 40” PVC pipe designed to prevent leaks or deterioration. All pipe connections are solidly bonded and the entire plumbing system is hydrostatically pressure tested. As with every other stage of your new Southern Pool Designs pool, the plumbing is done in accordance with your pool design specifications and we ensure the plumbing meets our rigid standards of quality and design. The plumbing crew will dig a trench around the pool where the suction and return lines will be placed. This trench will lead to the equipment location, marked on your print, where the pump, filter, chlorinator, etc. will be installed. After all the plumbing lines have been installed and inspections passed, the trench will be filled in with dirt, compacted and now ready for the next stage of the construction process.

Tile

The next step in the construction process is the installation of your pool tile. The weather resistant tile will be hand-laid and carefully grouted around the waterline of your pool by a skilled craftsperson. The tiling process should take approximately 1 to 2 days to complete depending on the size and complexity of the job. At this time, the skimmer will be set, step risers poured and tiled, precast coping set, brick coping set, and any other water features that are on the raised area of the pool will be installed.

Decking

Next, the outline of your decking is formed around the perimeter of your new Southern Pool Design pool. This “cantilever-formed” deck overhangs the interior perimeter of your pool to provide the swimmer with a non-skid safety edge. The procedure will begin with the crew forming the deck out of wood forms. They will be nailed in place and are not easily moved. The deck is usually formed in one day, termite treated and inspected the second day and poured within one weeks time. Depending on the weather, the deck may need several days to cure before proceeding to the next step.

Pavers/Travertine

This is also a step in the construction process when the pavers/travertine will be installed, if you elected to go with either of these instead of a concrete deck.

Electrical

Using National Electrical Code approved conduit, wire and bonding, our professional electrical contractor carefully makes all of the electrical connections for your pool. The lights are installed, the pumps are wired and electrical breakers installed. Southern Pool Designs will contact the city for all inspections.

Acrylic Deck Topping

Once the deck as cured, the acrylic topping crew will begin to apply the texture and primer coat. They begin by taping off all the areas, where the house and pool tile around the deck meet, to prevent texture splatter and paint from getting on them. Do not be alarmed after the primer coat has been applied and does not match your selection or does not appear to be put on thick enough. This is only a primer coat and there is still a final coat yet to come.

Screen/Fence

Once the deck has been poured, the screen measurements will be shot to begin the layout and assembly. The screen sections are assembled off site and delivered by truck to the job site for installation. The installation usually only takes about one day, however, will vary depending on size of job and complexity. It begins with the installation of the gutters and the screen following right after. If you chose to have a fence, it will be delivered and installed on site per our engineered plans.

Interior Finish

Now that your pool has passed the city building safety inspections up to this point, an experienced surfacing crew applies the pool interior surface you have selected. Your interior finish will be installed in a two-day process; the first day the pool will be cleaned of any loose debris and prepped. The second day the crew will return to install the interior finish. A Southern Pool Designs service technician will be out to start the pool up the day that it is filled with water. The start-up will consist of detailing pool, tile and deck and chemically balancing the water.

Final Deck Coat

Now that the pool is up and running, it’s now time to put that final coat of paint on the deck. The same crew that came out and did the initial texture and primer coat will return to apply the final coat of paint.

Child Safety Fence/Alarms

The final stage is for the installation of the child safety fence or alarms. The child safety fence is a removable mesh pool fence designed specifically to provide a safety barrier around residential swimming pools for toddlers and young children. The fence is installed in sections to provide convenience for easy removal and reinstallation by you, the homeowner.

Orientation

When you’re 100% satisfied, a pool service technician will set up your pool orientation. You will learn all the function of your new pool and how to properly care for it. You will be asked to fill out our “Quality Assurance Survey” which tells us how we did. We are constantly looking for better ways to improve our quality and customer service.

It will now be time to sit back, kick off your shoes and enjoy your new Southern Pool Designs swimming pool!