By Bryan Hull, Co-Owner Del Val Pools

The pool’s outer appearance can be modified by changing the coping which is the ledge around the outside of the pool. Over time, the coping ledge can become cracked and even small pieces can chip away. Old coping can be replaced with new substrates such as pavers or a variety of natural stone for a more attractive and accented look. Tiles surround the interior of the pool and usually sit just above the water line. They can also line steps and appear in accent areas. Years of sunlight can fade the vibrancy of tiles and their texture. New tiles bring back the vitality and original glamor of a pool with colorful accents. Tiles can be ceramic, glass, or even tumbled stone.

Re-plastering is a simple way of radically altering the appearance of a pool, and it’s a required maintenance every twenty years or so. Over time, natural settling and various environmental factors contribute to material breakdown, fractures, and even water loss. Re-plastering with quartz allows one to repair any minor cracks or defects and change the color of the pool’s surface. An old gray can become a vibrant Mediterranean green or a vivid Caribbean blue. This process, while dramatic in vision, is fairly simple and efficient in scope. All I need is for the customer to select the desired color and finish - and let the Del Val team go to work. Most times, the pool can be refilled within twenty-four hours of re-plastering. It’s a conservative process that produces a dramatic change.

Pool equipment is ever changing in efficiency and options. Pool heaters extend the season by several months and there is a huge difference in output from a twenty-year old heater to a new one. Pumps and motors and filters are mechanical parts that need servicing and occasional replacement. If not properly maintained, they can damage a pool so we are very proficient with scheduled servicing. New and exciting in pool equipment is the huge array of blue tooth options that permit one to control their pool from their phone or tablet – and from anywhere. This is new in the last few years and one of our most popular requests. Salt generators are also in high demand as a natural and healthier way to keep a pool clean. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention auto-cleaners as man’s best friend to keeping the pool vacuumed.

One of my favorite ways to bring new excitement to a pool is to add a sun-shelf, a spa, and water features. Sun-shelves have become one of the most popular details in newer pools. It’s an area for lounge chairs to rest in shallow water with an umbrella hole for shade and comfort. Sun-shelves are the ultimate in relaxation - in the water - as opposed to waterside. A spa is self-explanatory. I can re-engineer just about any area to accommodate a poolside spa, and the more jets the better. Renovating with water features brings a creative and energetic look to any pool. Water features range from shooting fountains to waterfalls. I like working with the landscape to raise one side of the pool for elevated waterfalls. It’s an elegant look without an elegant price tag. Waterfalls also keep the pool water moving and discourage birds.

Renovating one’s pool not only improves the appearance of the outside living area, but also improves one’s home value as well. There’s so much more Del Val can do to energize and excite an existing pool - from in the water bar stools, colorful lighting, dancing jets, custom and automatic covers, beach entries, vanishing edges, and the list goes on and on. The customer has the vision. I’m the engineer. If you can dream it, I can build it.