
DATE: Sunday, June 1, 1997                  TAG: 9706030543

SECTION: HOME                    PAGE: G1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MARCIA MANGUM, HOME & GARDEN EDITOR 

                                            LENGTH:  166 lines

IN THE SWIMVINYL LINERS, ABOVE-GROUND POOLS AND A SLEW OF OPTIONS GIVE MORE PEOPLE ACCESS

FORTY YEARS AGO pools came primarily two ways: as large, in-ground concrete rectangles or as tiny, plastic blow-up pools for tots.

Nearly everyone had the latter; only the well-to-do could afford the former.

Things have changed a lot since then. Pools now come in any size or shape and a wide range of prices.

``Pools have become a lot more realistic as far as an entity that a normal family can afford,'' says Jack Slawson, co-owner of Polynesian Pools, with locations in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.

``Probably our largest base now is the middle-income group.''

Two major developments have made pools more affordable: the invent and perfection of vinyl-lined, in-ground pools and improvements to above-ground pools.

``Up until 10 to 12 years ago, all vinyl pools were made with steel or wood walls behind the liner,'' Slawson says. Wood would rot; steel would rust.

Then came plastics. Continually being improved, the new resins have proven strong and durable, without rust or rot.

Now, with a wall that resembles the material used in bulletproof vests, a vinyl-lined pool is better than concrete, says Slawson, who started in the pool business about three decades ago and is himself the owner of an old-style concrete pool.

Vinyl will last longer and feels better to the touch, he says. At his house, he goes through a box of bandages in the early summer while the grandchildren's feet get used to the rough concrete.

``Years ago there was a stigma attached to the vinyl liner, but now you'll find vinyl-liner pools in the most affluent homes,'' Slawson says.

Like Rod Rodriguez's home in Virginia Beach's Great Neck Point. Rodriguez, president of Bay Mechanical, had Polynesian Pools install an in-ground, vinyl-lined pool when he built his home in 1995.

The striking, black-lined pool between his contemporary home and the shore gives a view of nearly all water from the house. Rodriguez uses his pool for recreation for himself and his friends and family.

Why the black liner? To keep the ducks out, Rodriguez says.

That's just one of many ways in-ground pools can be personalized these days. Until about a decade ago, vinyl liners were available in standard shapes and sizes. Now, thanks to computers, they can be made to fit any design that can be accurately drawn, Slawson says.

Another option for in-ground pools is the molded fiberglass type pool, popular at cottages along the Outer Banks and other beach areas, says Len Glaser, owner of East Coast Spa & Leisure on Virginia Beach Boulevard in Virginia Beach.

Fiberglass pools cost a bit more than vinyl-lined pools and don't offer as many options but are well-suited to sandy soils, because high water tables and shifting sands won't create problems, Glaser explains. They also can be installed quickly and are easy to maintain.

For those concerned about price, above-ground pools, too, have improved greatly in recent years, says Doug Robinson, manager of Recreational Factory Warehouse on South Rosemont Road in Virginia Beach.

For instance, his store sells pools with four levels of quality, two depths, several shapes and sizes and numerous options for liners, ladders, filters and accessories - over 500 combinations in all.

``We allow the customers to build the pool the way they want,'' Robinson says.

In addition to more options, above-ground pools now are bigger and better made, Robinson says. Robinson's store's pools range up to 52 inches deep and up to 33 feet diameter (round) or 42 feet across (oval).

Above-ground pools may make more sense economically for middle-income families, because property taxes don't rise, and the investment is not as great.

They're also easier to remove. ``A lot of people get them for kids, when they're 6, 7, 8 years old,'' Robinson says. ``Then when the kids go off to college, they may not use them as much.''

The average in-ground, vinyl-lined pool costs about $14,000 to $16,000, according to Slawson, but can range from $10,000 to $50,000, largely depending on size.

The average above-ground pool costs about $3,000, but again, there's a range, depending on size and quality of materials.

``The rap on above-ground pools before was that you get one and three years later it's rusted out, and you have to get another,'' Robinson says.

``We do carry a range, so maybe someone in the Navy who moves a lot and doesn't want to sink a lot of money in it can still get one. But we also sell one that's guaranteed for 25 years, and it'll still be there.''

The company's top-of-the-line pool is manufactured from an alloy of steel, aluminum, copper and nickel, so it's strong and resists rust.

It can all start to get pretty technical, but those in business are ready to explain. And although the choices in technology may sound complicated, most are designed to make pool ownership easier.

``Everybody is too busy,'' Glaser says. ``They want the leisure products, but no one has time to maintain them. The chemical end has become almost foolproof, and the cleaning end is almost maintenance free.''

Most people buy pools so they can spend more time at home with their families, Robinson says. They don't their time consumed cleaning the pool and balancing chemicals.

``A lot of our customers have maintained pools in the past, maybe as a lifeguard, and they remember the work,'' Slawson says.

``That's not true anymore. Now with all the automated equipment, it's much easier to maintain.''

The type of filter, mainly, determines how much time a pool owner spends working on the pool, Robinson says. Sand filters have traditionally been used in pools, but Robinson recommends the cartridge type, because it cleans better and requires less maintenance.

``With a sand filter you have to backwash the filter for four to five minutes once a week,'' he says. ``You've pumping approximately 200 to 250 gallons out of the pool.''

With Virginia Beach's water restrictions, that can be a problem.

Then there's the question of what to do with all that chlorinated water. It will kill the grass and isn't good for streams and ponds. Some cities require that you pump it into drains that connect to the sewer system, Robinson says.

With cartridge filters, you pull the cartridge out, rinse it off with a garden hose and put it back.

``You don't have to deal with chlorine or refill the pool,'' he explains.

Almost all pools now can be equipped with an automatic vacuum - a little snake-like robot that runs up and down and around the pool sucking up dirt and debris from the floor and walls.

Maintaining the chemical balance of pools also has gotten easier, with various devices and systems from which to choose. There are alternatives to chlorine, such as ionizers, but chlorine remains the easiest to use and least expensive way of sanitizing pools.

Pools also look better these days. In-ground and above-ground pools can be equipped with a variety of liners to simulate such looks as rippling water, marbleized textures or traditional tiles.

Any pool can be surrounded by a variety of decking material, including concrete, treated wood, synthetic lumber, interlocking tiles, flagstone and more. Many above-ground pools come with a wood-grain finish on the exterior that is hard to distinguish from traditional redwood siding.

Elaborate landscaping with real or synthetic rocks, fountains and plants also adds to the attractiveness of modern-day pools.

Fiber-optic lighting is another trend, Slawson says. Because it delivers pool light through plastic tubing, it's safer than electrical wiring. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos

NATIONAL SPA & POOL INSTITUTE

Thanks to computers and manufacturing technology, vinyl-lined pools

can now be created in any shape that a designer can accurately draw.

Options for pools and spas are numerous. This setting combines the

two for year-round enjoyment.

FIBERSTARS

Fiber optics deliver light safely and dramatically around pools

using plastic tubing instead of wiring.

IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot

Rod Rodriguez's pool at Great Neck Point is designed by Polynesian

Pools to set off his contemporary house.

Graphic