Month: January 2024

This stunning pool in Essex went through many design iterations before the customer settled on a lane pool complete with custom made fountains. Calling on the services of the Holland-on-Sea family run, SPS Swimming Pools & Spas, the owner is delighted that their execution of the brief has surpassed his expectations.

“We were originally approached by the owner’s landscape designer with a request to build a water feature with a separate pond at one end,” says Ashley Spencer of SPS Pools & Spas. “Following further discussions, the plan then progressed to the construction of a 25m x1.8m lane pool with three eye-catching water fountains, designed and custom made in-house using clear pipe, to be hidden from sight.

As the main house was also under construction, SPS worked alongside the owner’s builder to construct the pool shell.

“Whilst the customer was initially unsure of what he wanted the pool to achieve, and thus look like, he and the designer were adamant they wanted it to be in-keeping with its surroundings. White fittings were ruled out for being too stark and the pool needed to have a dark finish to blend into the landscape.”

Certikin’s site-applied lining option was an obvious choice, given its speed of installation and its long-lasting tailor made finish and durability. The chosen liner was Elegance from the Renolit Touch Range. It proved to be a job of two halves as heavy rain stopped play for a while.

The Infinite on-site lining range uses a 1.5mm – 2mm three ply product compared to the traditional single ply 0.75mm vinyl used for factory made liners. The service is quick and efficient – taking around four working days for an average sized hopper pool with steps and there is no curing or standing period. It’s suitable for both new and old pools of domestic and commercial size and can accommodate complex shapes, steps, ledges and pits. The longevity of the product, when compared to thinner linings or paints, is a major advantage. It comes with a 15-year pro rata warranty, but the life expectancy can be double this in a well maintained pool.

“The choice of pool fittings can make or break the overall impression and Certikin’s Optimus range was perfect for ticking the request for the pool to blend in,” says Ashley. Suitable for both liner and concrete pools, the Optimus range complements darker pool finishes as it comes in an attractive metallic grey or black plastic. Products include skimmer extension throats, wall inlets and vacuum points.

“The pool is lined either side with Cypress trees and shrubs. The challenge for SPS was to provide effective filtration and flow to quickly remove any fauna debris. We installed an Aquaspeed 1hp circulation pump, plus a variable speed Aquaspeed pump to control the fountains. We connected a control wire and circuit so the speed can be controlled remotely. We also installed a 130W Blue Lagoon UV. It’s all highly reliable equipment that does exactly what it says on the tin and gives me the reassurance that the pool won’t be hit with problems.

“The customer didn’t request any form of heating as it was initially intended that the pool would be an ornamental focal point, one which the grandchildren could, on occasion, take a dip in. However, such is the lure of the garden’s new addition, the owner has now taken to swimming every morning and discovered that cold water swimming is a life-restoring revelation. He can’t wait for the water to get colder in the winter!

“Certikin is our choice of supplier because it offers an extensive range of high-quality equipment that over the years, we have come to know and trust. In addition, its staff demonstrate an impressive array of product knowledge. Having faith in contracted teams (such as the on-site lining team) to work on your project is incredibly important. Finally, if ever there is any problem, it’s addressed quickly and effectively.”

t. 01255 818381 | w. spspoolandspa.com

This 40-year-old tired pool had long since seen better days and was crying out for some much-needed TLC. Believing in the power of word of mouth, the owners took the recommendation of friends who had recently used Hayling Island pool company, Simplex Pools, for their award-winning pool refurbishment. Within a very short space of time, this old crumbling pool was totally transformed.

“With children and dogs in the garden throughout the summer months, it was important that we used a reputable firm and one whose employees we could work with and trust. We ticked both those boxes with Simplex, their employees were an absolute pleasure to have around,” says Kate and Alistaire.

“From our first visit to Gareth Lancaster’s showroom on Hayling Island, we knew his expertise and experience would provide the guidance we needed to design and realise our perfect pool. Gareth was both receptive to our ideas, creative in his suggestions, and flexible and patient when we added or changed the plans – which happened often!”

Gareth says: “The family moved to the property about six years ago and the old Marbelite 10 x 5m pool with Roman end was in use most summers, but as the years wore on, it became very apparent an urgent and major overhaul was required.

“We started by extending the pool by one metre so that a pit could be built to accommodate a Roldeck automatic cover with translucent solar slats. The next job was to call in our on-site lining team. We used a black slate effect Touch liner and this was set off with fossil pearl natural stone copings for the surround and the extended patio area. We also built flower beds and walls to surround the pool with slate  cladding and finished with lavender bushes which have looked spectacular throughout the season.

“The original filtration was very out of date and not the most efficient, so we replaced all pipework, tripled the number of skimmers and doubled the amount of return inlets. To add a little luxury, these were all replaced with Certikin Optimus silver fittings and stainless-steel skimmer lids in the surrounds.”

Additional equipment upgrades included a Calorex Invertor type air source heat pump, Certikin UV system, Vision top mount filter, and Aquaspeed pump.

Gareth adds: “The translucent solar cover came into its own when we fitted eight stainless steel PU2 LED colour change lights. We also put the same lights in the flower beds so that they co-ordinate with the pool.”

The happy owners say: “The lights enhance both the landscaping and planting and allow the pool to blend in with its surroundings.”

Dramatic effect was created thanks to the installation of two Certikin water cannons in the pool surround which particularly got the thumbs up from the children in the family.

Alistaire adds: “The Simplex team were great in helping us to understand the workings of the pool for day-to-day maintenance. Their interactions with the suppliers of the pool house and paving manufacturers were all also seamless.

“The finished pool has far exceeded our expectations, in fact there were some very thoughtful additions we hadn’t expected! To have everything working just as it should means we have plenty of time to sit and enjoy the pool area. In fact, we genuinely get equal amounts of joy from sitting next to the pool and admiring it as we do swimming in it! Thank you to everyone at Simplex Pools for their hard work in helping us achieve something quite beautiful.”

t. 0345 576 1084 | e. info@simplexpools.co.uk

When Shrewsbury-based Salop Pool Services were called in to refurbish this tired old pool in Clun, South Shropshire, the race was on to get it completed in time for the owner’s special birthday celebrations.

The original inground concrete pool was leaking and coated in a dark green paint that over time had begun to flake and degrade. Space within the pool was not being used to its best advantage as part of it was portioned off by a wall.

Director of Salop Pool Services, Carly Rogers, takes up the story: “The pool was re-rendered and tiled using large format jungle green tiles with a mosaic tile band. The family are very into their fitness and asked us to extend the pool widthways to accommodate a flushed automatic safety cover (Coverstar) to make it 9.3m x 3.5m with a constant depth of 1.6m. The pool was re-shaped into how it looks today.

“With small children and pets in the family, safety was of utmost importance. There’s only one safety cover Salop Pools recommends, and that’s Certikin’s Coverstar.”

The Coverstar is a seamlessly integrated cover system – super-easy to operate and provides maximum safety (complies with French safety standard NFP90- 308) without compromising the pool’s appearance. The system features unparalleled strength. Supporting the weight of children, pets and even adults, it uses the exclusive Ultra Guard III vinyl composite, rather than the industry-standard vinyl, popular with other manufacturers.

The high level of UV resistance offered by Ultra Guard III considerably reduces the level of colour fading compared to standard vinyl, plus it has high resistance to chlorine, acid, ozone and other pool chemicals. Furthermore, instead of using sewn webbing (which often proves to be the weak area of the cover), Coverstar uses an exclusive patented process to heat seal the webbing, prolonging the cover’s life and improving the overall quality operation. Independent tests show this process is more than twice as strong as competitors’ webbing sewn to the cover. The heat-sealed webbing is also colour matched to the fabric to create a beautiful finish.

There are a variety of pit covers to choose from, including composite decking and heavy-duty pit trays in which stones can be laid, plus the Coverstar is supplied with a low-profile leading-edge bar, UK sourced power pack and UK sourced touch button key switch.

Salop Pools built a shelf on the pool’s internal walls for the safety cover and then ingeniously installed PU2 LED mini lights into the shelf for dramatic night-time effect.

Heating is supplied via a Calorex IPAC- 22 heat pump. The I-PAC/V-PAC inverter heat pump range is designed in the UK specifically for the UK climate, eco-friendly and carries an impressive 5 year on site parts and labour warranty.

These stylish-looking, compact heat pumps (the small footprint making them compliant with permitted development rights) are available in side or top outlet versions. The side outlet also has the added benefit of Wi-Fi capability for remote control.

Inverter heat pump technology allows for efficient control of the pool temperature with the I-PAC only using the energy required. High efficiency with modulating step-less inverter compressor gives an average COP of 10.3 (I-PAC+), 9.7 (I-PAC) and 10.7 (V-PAC), which is twice as efficient as the traditional on/ off models. Complying with the European F-Gas regulations, the heat pumps use the low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant R32. It requires less refrigerant volume per kW and is easier to recycle.

Other Certikin products featured on the pool include: 24” Vision top mount filter; Aquaspeed 1Hp pump; Plant Room Shield and salt chlorinator.

Carly says: “The pool took about six months to complete as the client made a lot of changes throughout the build, but we are delighted to say, we made the special birthday deadline. Certikin is our favoured supplier because its customer service is second to none. It’s a strong reputable company that supplies almost everything required in the pool industry.”

t.  01743 588484 | w. saloppoolservices.com