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The Gunite King

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:29:23 GMT

The Gunite King

- An interview with Brett Hull, Co-owner of Del Val Pools in Turnersville, NJ

Q: Rumor has it you’re nicknamed the “Gunite King.” Where does that come from?

A: I always say I have the best job at Del Val Pools. I get to work with gunite all day long creating an oasis from a hole dug in the ground. It’s a funny cycle. My brother works with the customer in designing the pool. He meets with them and understands the vision they have and crafts it into a set of plans which are transferred to me. It’s all about taking a client’s dream and making it a reality – bringing it to life. Plans look great on paper. Everything looks great on paper, but then there’s that part of the process where we bring in an excavator and start digging. That part isn’t pretty. There’s dirt everywhere and a gaping hole in a yard, and there’s a Murphy’s law in the construction of swimming pools. That law says the day after we dig, it must rain…never fails. So, by the time I come around, the backyard can look like a mud hole, but I see it differently. I see what it can become, and that’s where gunite becomes my best friend. With gunite, I have complete control of the process when it comes to shaping, and I have the flexibility to make changes on the spot – and yes, that happens a lot once the homeowner starts to see a shape form … because they start to see what I saw from the beginning.

Q: What do you mean by flexibility?

A: So gunite is a dry mix of sand and cement and is pneumatically forced through a pressurized hose at around 650-725 psi. At the end is a nozzle where I can control the amount of the water in the mix which allows me to control the viscosity. Depending on where I’m shooting the gunite, I want some areas thicker than others. For example, I need my pool walls to be at least eight inches, and my pool floor to be more than ten inches. There’s even an area known as the pool beam which has to be more than twelve inches thick. The controls also allow me to start and stop which is a huge advantage as opposed to a large typical cement dump. I’m big on the finish end. I want a unique shape – something that when seen as a finished product it is emblem of what we at Del Val can do. I also want a finish that is smooth and conveys elegance. I get teased when I talk of pool elegance, but I’m very serious about how the finished product must turn out. We have a set of quality check points with the gunite spray process. If at any point, there’s a deviation from the process, gunite allows us to stop and take corrective measures. It’s fast curing, which is a huge plus, but I can control that process too. In the end, I want a perfect shape – preferably unique - with a 28 day compressed strength exceeding 4,000 psi and preferably closer to 5,000 psi. Gunite construction is an art, and yet also a very exact science.

Q: Why gunite? There are other ways to build a swimming pool.

A: Most definitely so – and we build them. However, Del Val is known for being the best in gunite construction in the tri state area. That doesn’t happen by accident. That happens when you work hand in hand with your customer’s vision and you over deliver – meaning you exceed your customer’s expectations, and you do that by listening and ensuring all the little things are accomplished as well as the big things. Gunite is definitely the most durable of the different types of pool construction, but it’s also the most creative. Maybe a customer wants a pool shaped a like mountain pond, or maybe a natural spring fed from an elevated waterfall, or even shaped like a custom logo – we’ve done them. We just built a pool shaped like a triangle in an extremely tight space – all in keeping with our client’s vision… but to get that custom, that unique, then I need to construct with gunite. Pool contractors can build forms and pack in rebar every ten inches on center all day long. That’s the industry standard, but when it comes to applying the gunite, that’s where the artistry comes in – and that’s why I am called the Gunite King.

Why Gunite?

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:18:00 GMT

Why Gunite?

– an interview with Bryan Hull, Co-Owner of Del Val Pools in Turnersville, NJ.

Q: What is Gunite and how long has been around?

A: Gunite is a dry cementous mixture that is pressurized through a hose and mixed with water and then pneumatically projected on to a surface. Some people call it concrete, but it’s much stronger and does not contain the aggregate – the rocks and pebbles – found in concrete. This allows for finer molding, shaping, and plaster finishing processes. Gunite has been around since the early 1900’s and was first used to restore the exterior of the façade of the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago. Initially, the term “Gunite” was patented by one of the early equipment manufacturers, but the industry has come to use that name as a generic term to describe a dry mixture that is mixed with water at the nozzle to control viscosity. The application is truly an art form.

Q: So why Gunite?

A: Gunite has been tried and tested for more than a century and is used in a variety of settings where strength is paramount. Simply put, there are three main reasons Del Val Pools utilizes Gunite to build the finest luxury pools in the Tri-State area. First: Gunite is strong – so strong that it is used to line tunnels into mountains, build highway overpasses, and yes, build extremely durable swimming pools, Second: Gunite is applied through a pressurized hose at a very high velocity. I like to think of the hose as a paint brush and the surface receiving the Gunite spray as a canvas. We are able to construct incredible shapes and unique designs as a result of this process. Third: It allows us the most flexibility when crafting a pool. Unlike pre-manufactured forms that require means of access, delivery, and placement, the Gunite is applied to the form we create onsite and co-designed with homeowners. The Gunite pool becomes not only an entertainment area but also a form of architecture that compliments the existing home and provides a maximum return on investment.

Q: Why are Gunite pools so much of the Del Val Pools brand identity?

A: My brother and I grew up in this business. Our children are the third generation carrying on the torch. We sell inground and above ground pools, a variety of spas, and maintain three retail stores, so we are well known in the Tri State area, but if I had to choose one word that brings people to Del Val Pools – it’s Gunite. In this capacity, we are not only pool construction specialists, but we are also called upon as Gunite construction consultants. Recently, we expanded our services to the coastal areas where construction of inground pools in sand is radically different from pool construction in the center parts of the State. We have spent a fair amount of time speaking with engineers on the municipal level to assist with the structural side of projects. Ultimately though, Gunite gives Del Val a form of expression. I look at each project as being unique and not only a reflection of our company but also a reflection of the homeowner. To be successful, it must be collaborative effort. It’s hard to bring that sense of individuality and custom work to a project when all you have is a folder of pre-determined shapes to sell from. Gunite allows us to create – yes that’s the best word – Gunite allows us to create what our customers envision, and that’s what makes us different.

Pool Design 101

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:08:45 GMT

By Bryan Hull, Co-Owner Del Val Pools

I purposely made the title of this Blog sound simple, but designing a pool is not a “101” level program. For the previous generation of pool builders, things were fairly set… how big is backyard or side yard… how much room is there to get equipment in…. is the pool going to be a rectangle or an oval… and fancy upgrades included a diving board and hand-railed steps.

Pool design in the year 2020 is a fairly complex process. Del Val clients express a desire to have the pool integrate into a lifestyle that is an extension of a home’s interior. Rarely do we complete a project that is solely a pool construct. Outside kitchens, patios, decks, firepits, spas, lighting, and creative landscaping with waterfalls and retaining walls are typical tangential projects that are combined and coordinated into pool design and construction.

Upon arrival and meeting a client for the first time, there are several perspectives that drive design. Budget is most certainly first and forefront, but from there, topography of the yard, egress from the house, access from existing patios or outside structures all contribute to the pool design. This is where a gunite pool can prove to be the best investment for in ground construction. This allows me to maximize the client’s vision with our abilities to construct any shape in either an open or confined space. It’s very important in that first meeting to draw the shape and size of the pool into the yard using spray paint. That’s the best way to visualize the size as opposed to talking linear footage and overall gallons. This is usually the starting point because it’s vital for our client and me to appreciate that the pool is just one part of a larger landscape.

Clients sometimes sit for several days looking at the painted shape in their yard before meeting again. During this time, I encourage them to walk around the proposed pool, place some furniture in strategic places to get a sense of potential traffic flow. A pool has a powerful influence on surrounding outdoor living spaces and can be the focus of an entire landscape. It’s a time for our clients to hone their vision and a time for me to bring that dream into a constructive reality. This is the design phase and the best time to consider special water features and lighting. Again, since the design phase can be a moving target, gunite is the ideal construction tool. When it comes to shaping, the only limitations lay in one’s imagination.

And that’s pretty much it – a client tells me about a dream for their yard, and I make it happen. It may sound silly, but I love getting photographs of family events around a pool we constructed. I keep all of them. If you are contemplating a pool, I suggest taking the following steps when contacting us: 1) Draw a diagram of your backyard and sketch out where you envision the pool, 2) Determine where your property lines are, 3) Set a budget, 4) Make a list of the top three uses you plan on getting from having a swimming pool…. Then give me a call…. I’ll be out with my can of spray paint to make the magic happen.

Pool Renovation 101

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:54:56 GMT

By Bryan Hull, Co-Owner Del Val Pools

Pool renovation is one of my favorite topics simply because there’s already a pool; the customer desires renovation because the pool has become outdated or worn from age, and I have an arsenal of dynamic and robust improvements at the ready. It’s always a win/win.

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.

Open Letter from a Customer

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:41:57 GMT

An Open Letter to DEL VAL POOLS & SPAS

August 31, 2020

To the Owners and Staff:

We wanted to take a moment to share with you what our pool has meant to us – especially this past summer season when the risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission has curtailed so many of our activities and socializing with friends. It is worthwhile noting our journey.

We met Brian Hull, a co-owner of DEL VAL POOLS & SPAS, in early spring 2017 when we were inquiring about pool costs and design concepts for our newly purchased home. In an effort to perform due diligence, we met with three pool contractors. The first two felt very corporate, impersonal, and formulaic in their approach. We live on a lake with a slope in our backyard down to the water’s edge. We were looking for someone who recognized our desire for a pool was part of an overall design to turn our backyard into a personal oasis - and not just a hole in the ground that one filled with water. Brian was the third person we met with, and he was exactly whom we were looking for.

Brian didn’t tell us about the problems of building on a slope, nor did he show us standard forms of pools as our only options as the other pool companies had. He asked us first what we wanted to accomplish. He asked a lot of questions, made copious notes, and then started measuring which led to some rough sketches. Brian invited us to come to the store to look at some additional design options, and we were struck by the “family” feel. The staff at the counters were smiling and genuinely friendly – true brand emissaries for a family run business that we later learned was one of the largest custom, in-ground, gunite pool builders in the tri-State area.

Rather than tell us our limitations, Brian explored options with us as we sought to have a large deck area, slide, waterfalls, fire pit, and adjacent outdoor kitchen. Over several meetings, Brian showed us how DEL VAL could accomplish our goals and bring our backyard dream to life. We selected DEL VAL to be our pool builder because of how we were treated, how the staff at the store made us feel, and because Brian seemed more concerned with bringing our vision to life rather than selling us his vision of a pool. Of note, the estimate from DEL VAL was in the middle of the other two pool contractors, and their bids did not include the custom features of a sun deck, easy walk out steps, slide, and elevated waterfalls.

Naturally, pool construction began on a rainy day in June. It is probably one of the harder days for a homeowner as heavy machinery comes into one’s backyard and starts digging a hole that simultaneously looks huge from a mess standpoint, but also looks small from a swimming area perspective. While we stood outside that evening second guessing our decision of pool size and shape, Brian magically arrived to see how we felt about the opening day of digging. It was perfect timing, and he assuaged our concerns, walked around the yard with us, and jokingly guaranteed it would rain every day we were on the calendar for pool construction. Turned out he was right on that part, but here’s where Brian and DEL VAL went beyond reasonable expectations. Our goal from the beginning was to have the pool completed by July 4th for our first family pool party. The weather had set us behind schedule as Brian had predicted, but the pool machinery was operational ten days before the party - although the overall project was far from complete. A week before the party, several water trucks arrived to fill our pool so the plastering could cure properly, and DEL VAL came out twenty-four hours before our party and arranged for some creative landscaping and clean up. That wasn’t in the contract; that wasn’t in the original estimate; that wasn’t even discussed. That’s just the ethics of the Hull family, and it is clear from the top down that such is the “culture” that pervades every aspect of their business.

We have enjoyed our pool for several years, but none as much as this past summer when our pool and our outdoor kitchen became the place where we congregated as a family. COVID-19 changed a lot. Our summer traditions of travel and socializing ceased, but we spent a lot of family time in our pool hanging out and chatting. Sitting on floats watching activity on our lake, diving for weighted objects, and water tag became our favorite past-times. Cousins visited for outdoor only meals, and it was reassuring to us the CDC had made a statement that there were no known cases of COVID-19 transmission from being in a pool as chlorine is effective in killing the virus. Our pool this summer became the main place of family socialization after months of sheltering in place.

One day, mid-summer, after a day of family by and in the pool, we realized how much gratitude we had for the Hull family and all the staff at DEL VAL pools. We texted Brian expressing our gratitude that he chose us as much as we chose him. We thanked him for building our pool and all the kindnesses he has shown us since then. It was important for our family to let Brian know how much we appreciated everything he has done for us. To be clear, we hired DEL VAL and paid for the construction of a pool in 2017. It’s rare that a homeowner feels gratitude for a service performed by a contractor to the point of publicly recognizing that company, and it’s even rarer when a homeowner feels that service and that relationship becomes so valued that it feels like a privilege. That’s how we feel about the Hull family and DEL VAL POOLS.

If you’re considering a pool, we hope you read our letter. We hope that you make the same choices we made. We hope that you make the same decisions when choosing a pool builder. We hope you stay healthy and safe.

Russ and Heidi Pritchard

Inground Pool Construction Cost and Financing

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:31:23 GMT

Inground Swimming Pools: What You Are Paying For And How To Pay For It

By Bryan Hull, Co-Owner of Del Val Pools & Spas

I can remember being a young child and watching reruns of The Beverly Hillbillies. It was a show about a rural family from Big Tussle, Missouri and a “poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed” finding oil on his property, striking it rich, and moving his family to Beverly, Hills, California. Donna Douglas played Elly May Clampett, and she referred to their swimming pool as the “cement pond.” I can still hear her accent to this day. Swimming pools have come a long way since that series came to television almost sixty years ago and ran for nine seasons.

Oddly enough, six decades later, that term “cement pond” still hangs around, but it’s gunite that forms the outer shell of a pool. It’s a bit more expensive and a lot more effective than bags of cement from Lowe’s or Home Depot. Gunite is a cementous and aggregate mixture pressurized through a hose, mixed with water, and pneumatically projected at high velocity on to a surface, frame, or form. Similar compounds are used to line tunnel walls, mines, and subways – in other words, gunite is quite strong and highly durable. The individual applying the gunite acts as your pool sculptor and can regulate the amount of water and pressure as he builds up areas like the pool keel, walls, and sun decks.

As proficient as the gunite may be, it’s the underlying frame or cage that gives the pool it’s strength. At DEL VAL, we frame out the pool with steel reibar rods that form twelve inch squares. Some contractors try to get away with less because less materials can mean less cost/more profit, but in the end that comes back to bite the pool contractor and the homeowner, and that never ends well. The more steel one uses and the thicker the gunite – the stronger the pool. All one has to do is watch a pool being shot with gunite to get the sense of this structural relationship.

The great thing about reibar and gunite is that using such allows DEL VAL to build custom pools focusing on the customer’s vision of shape and integration into the back yard. (Sorry Elly May – we know your pool was a standard oval.) There’s also something to be said about the Biblical verse comparing a house built on stone to a house built on sand that translates well to pool construction and design. The thickest part of a pool is its keel – the base that can be imagined as the spine of the structure. If a contractor cheaps out on this part of the pool, the consequences a few years later can be disastrous.

At DEL VAL we love working in the tri State area. The soil is perfect for most applications, and thankfully, we have never had to blast away an excavation as it can get costly- plus makes one quite unpopular with the neighbors. Southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware are mostly sand and clay which is easy for excavation and holding back underground hydrostatic pressure while we do our magic. Pools at the Jersey shore on the coastal islands are a different type of construction and covered in a separate blog, but we love those too, because what we build, we know will stay – “Sandy-proof” as the locals like to say.

Popular upgrades like quartz plaster finishing, salt water natural chlorination systems, sun decks, spas, waterfalls, fountains, firepits, hardscape decking, and lighting can add to the costs, but it’s the pool construction end of things where the heaviest dollars are spent. That’s where one’s reputation and relationships become paramount. DEL VAL Pools are known for their structural integrity, their durability, and their quality. Planning Boards, Zoning Boards, and Permit Departments know us, and they know our pools. Frequently, we are called upon by municipalities and builders to provide counsel on pool construction and design.

Most important for our customers are the relationships DEL VAL has built with banks willing to assist our customers with financing. We have a number of strong financial partnerships with local and national banks as a result of the consistency in our custom pools, and with interest rates being at record lows, now is the perfect time to explore just how a swimming pool can fit into your budget.

Del Val Pools Innovates Coastal Pool Construction

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:16:32 GMT

DEL VAL POOLS of Southern New Jersey Develops Innovative Hydrostatic Pressure Technology in Coastal Pool Construction

(Wildwood, NJ) Developed to minimize the risk of pools lifting and sinking in sand due to varying hydrostatic pressures from tidal changes during lunar and severe storm cycles, the innovative steel cage and grade beam construction secured to three story below grade pilings is a creation of Bryan and Brett Hull, a multi generation pool construction and design engineering firm. www.delvalpoolsandspas.com

Many homeowners constructed swimming pools at the Jersey shore during the building boom from 1990’s up until the real estate market crash 2008. Shift in land’s best use occurred during this period making residential land more value than a commercial property. Commercial stores came down and houses went up fast, not necessarily of the best quality, and pools even lesser so. Most were vinyl pools wrapped over steel frames and some were concrete shot into simple frames dug into the sand relying on weight to keep them in place.

Hurricane Sandy, on October 29, 2012, hit the New Jersey coast as the largest Atlantic hurricane in history with an unusually low central barometric pressure of 940 mbar which set records in many cities as being the lowest pressure ever observed. The record setting barometric pressure helped drive the Category 2 storm with a surge of more than thirteen feet in places, and it peaked over a period of three full moon high tides.

Considering that a cubic yard of water weighs almost a ton, literally billions of tons of water pushed into the barrier isles of sand along the New Jersey coast fueled by eighty-plus mile per hour winds creating record setting hydrostatic pressure.

The majority of New Jersey coastal structures had water in their first floors, and many homes were completely destroyed. Swimming pools, unanchored and held in place by gravity, literally popped from the sand and were smashed against houses and carried inland with the force of the water. In many cases, the depression from the once existing pool completely filled in with sand erasing all evidence other than a few pipes sticking out of the ground.

“It was a horrible time for homeowners,” says Bryan Hull, co-owner of DEL VAL POOLS & SPAS, “It was a week before we could get back to the coastal islands, and we received many calls about restoring pools that had been built during the new construction peak by contractors who had long since come and gone. When we examined the storm damage and what was left of in-ground pools, they either no longer existed, or were beyond any sense of salvage. It was best to start from scratch, and my brother Brett, who has been constructing pools for decades, knew we had to engineer a unique design that would hold fast in the next superstorm. The term ‘Sandy-proof’ became stuck in our vocabulary for several years.”

Renovation at the New Jersey shore was mired with insurance bureaucracy and more work than contractors could repair after Sandy and progressed slowly over the next three to five years. Many houses had shifted on their foundations requiring certifications for stability and safety in order for restoration work to begin. The lifting or raising of many houses by a full story was a factor of FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation known as BFE and renovation and new construction followed new guidelines, but inground pools, for the most part remained below the BFE.

During the months and years after Hurricane Sandy, DEL VAL POOLS engineered, perfected, and effected a new way of building pools at the New Jersey shore using a combination twelve inch diameter three story, pressure- treated wood pilings sunk into the sand – one piling for every sixteen square feet of pool cut down to just below the surface of the pool. Anchored to these pilings are steel reibar runners that form the base of a cage frame with riebar forming perpendicular cross points every twelve inches. The reibar runners are drilled through the top of the wood pilings and then filled with concrete to create structural grade beams to withstand varying water table or hydrostatic pressures.

Hydrostatic relief valves are created when the pool cage is shot with gunite to form the shell. These valves allow for equalization of water pressure inside and outside the shell as the form cures. DEL VAL POOLS requires the inground pool shell to be a minimum of eight inches, and twelve inches thick at the base of the keel. “It’s about over-engineering pool construction for us,” says Brett Hull, co-owner of DEL VAL POOLS. “Many of the failing pools at the shore were poured with regular concrete which simply doesn’t hold up and were built on foundations that Sandy was able to decimate. From the thickness of our plumbing pipes to the gauge and density of our steel frame to the tensile strength of our grade beams, I know each pool we build will remain when the next superstorm comes ashore. For us, it’s personal. The south Jersey shore is our community.”

Most Popular Features in Pools Going into the 2021 Season

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:02:50 GMT

By Bryan Hull, Co-Owner of Del Val Pools & Spas

A fun word for me to use is “poolscape.” I’m not sure where it came from and how long it has been around, but it’s a great term for expanding the vision of a pool. When one contemplates their poolscape, they should think about how they will get the most out of their investment and their time spent in and around the pool. Several features, some of which are new in concept, are the driving forces in contemporary pool design.

Sun Deck

This is the newest, and simply put, the most popular custom pool feature in years. It’s a deck typically under 6-8 inches of water with a built-in umbrella stand. An in-pool sun deck permits users to relax in chairs in the shade or in the sun with their feet in the water. Sounds simple – but it is hands-down, the most common requested feature in custom gunite pools. It can be large enough for 2-4 chairs and even reclining loungers. Usually located at the shallow entry end of the pool, it can a dedicated section or cover the entire width of the pool. It’s a custom feature – so it’s up to you!

Bistro

Here’s a new twist on an old concept – an in-pool bistro. We just completed a gorgeous pool down at the shore where one swims or wades up to built-in stools and a built-in counter height table for in-pool drinks or a meal. It’s not messy unless you let it, but it’s a heck of a lot of fun to socialize in the pool at your own private bistro with your feet dangling in the water.

Spa

Spas gain ground in popularity year after year. Whether it is simply detached or a spillover spa giving the illusion of continuous flow, the secluded section with jets for pulsating relaxation is an end of day or middle of weekend must. The spa is a great area for socializing, but also a source of hydrotherapy for stiff joints and sore or aching muscles. Kids love the area too, and ours go back and forth from spa to pool for hours on end.

Waterfalls & Waterplay

There is a myriad of options from elevated waterfalls via stone embankments or sheer rock formations, to deck jets, spillways, fountains, bubblers, scuppers, and jumping water. All lend to the imagination and expression of the homeowner. These elegant options soften the perimeters of the pool, create fun areas of play, and enrich the beauty of the poolscape. This is a subject matter for extreme creativity. If you can think it, we can build it.

Firepits

Dream outside of the box here. Many people elect to build firepits near pools as a place to warm up after swimming as we all push the season longer and longer. Firepits are also a great place to make s’mores. At one time, I was the self-appointed quality control inspector for all s’mores made in our backyard. However, more recently, elevated concrete fire pits have become decorative elements poolside with the flames fed by natural gas and burning over lava rocks, stone, and fire glass for magnificent effects. There is always something mystical about the juxtaposition of fire and water in close proximity at night.

Lighting

Every pool needs lighting as a safety feature, but it’s also a decorative welcoming feature with unlimited possibilities. Colored LED lights can enhance any aspect of a pool whether they remain one color as an overall theme or rotate through a palette of colors. An exquisite aspect, custom inground gunite pool lighting can turn a pool into a decadent night-time oasis.

At DEL VAL Pools & Spas, I like to think of us as the custom inground gunite pool builders in southern New Jersey. We may be one of the largest in the tri State area, but we work hard to be and feel small. Our three retail locations are staffed by family and friends who know you when you come in the door – maybe not always by name, but we strive to be the best in customer communication and understanding your needs. That philosophy filters down through our pool construction process. From concept to completion, we make every effort to make your pool unique – because every project we complete is ultimately our brand message.

How to Maximize and Extend Chlorine Levels

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 16:52:49 GMT

The pool season of 2021 is already ramping up to be a summer to remember. COVID has brought unique challenges to our industry, and to all of us, but now we must also contend with a severe shortage of chlorine.

A large fire at the BioLab chlorine production facility in Westlake, Louisiana last August, a consequence of Hurricane Laura, resulted in a shortage of chlorine that only continues to get worse with the increased demand during the warmer months. We are not able to guarantee a consistent supply through the end of pool season nor can we control the pricing. However, we can suggest some ways to maximize and extend chlorine levels.

Test Your Pool Water Frequently

Use test strips or bring a water sample into any of our three locations for a free evaluation. Our specialists will make any necessary recommendations to keep your chemicals at optimal levels. We suggest testing water twice a week at a minimum to ensure any imbalances are warded off early. At Del Val, we highly stress maintaining your balancers this coming pool season. Be vigilant. We recommend maintaining these levels:

Free chlorine: 2-3 ppm
pH: 7.2-7.6
Alkalinity: 80-120 ppm
Stabilizer/Conditioner: 30 – 50 ppm
Calcium Hardness: 200 – 400 ppm

Keep Your Pool Water Circulating for Effective Filtration

Moving water efficiently through your pool allows for the best filtration. Here are some tips to help this process:

Brush and vacuum the pool on a regular basis.
Keep skimmer baskets and pump baskets clean.
Increase your filter time to twelve hours to prevent bacteria growth.
Backwash the filter when the pressure gauge tells you to.
If it’s been more than three years, replace your pool filter cartridges.

Minimize the Amount of Organics in the Pool

We know this is a tough one. Organics are products such as sunscreen, tanning oils, sweat, hair products, cosmetics, and other bodily fluids (no we won’t say it.) Here are some suggestions to reduce the build up of organics in your pool:

If possible, have people rinse off before entering the pool. An outside shower or even a garden hose are ideal.
Treat the water with Pool Perfect Total or PhosFree by Natural Chemistry sold at all three of our locations. Our pool specialists can suggest the recommended amount when testing your pool water.

If you’ve been pondering about switching from a chlorine based system, now is the time to investigate salt and Pristine Blue systems as alternatives. Please call our main number in Turnersville to speak to one of our pool system specialists: 856-629-2999

A little extra pool diligence this summer will go a long way towards maintaining your pool’s optimum health. Buy your chlorine needs early, test your pool regularly, keep the water moving, minimize organics, and call us with any questions!

Pool Building For Oceanfront Homes

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 16:30:57 GMT

By Bryan Hull, Co-Owner of Del Val Pools & Spas

There’s been a radical shift in home construction and design along the coastal barrier islands since Hurricane Sandy struck the Jersey shore on October 29, 2012. Land’s present best use lends to increased residential development. From Long Branch to Cape May, older homes and commercial buildings are coming down with larger modern homes taking their place. New homes require a swimming pool for marketability, and the current hottest upgrade for an existing home is to build a pool. When I was younger and playing with friends at the shore, if someone asked where was the closest pool, my mother would respond with, “What do you need a pool for? You’ve got the ocean and the bay?”

Building a swimming pool at the shore is a lot different than building a pool in the center part of the State. Pools at the shore tend to be more intricate, must be integrated into tighter lots, and for the most part are custom designs as a result.

Pools built for homes facing the bay are built on soil that was fill from other construction thrown into the marshes by contractors of the 1950’s and 1960’s as away to expand buildable land. It was a time before the Department of Environmental Protection and the Coastal Area Facility Review Act. In many cases, it’s simply several feet of sand thrown over top of thick organic decay must of us know as “muck” that has incredible suction properties – especially when it comes to a young boy’s expensive sneakers, but that’s another story.

Pools built for ocean front homes face a whole other series of challenges. To begin with, houses right on the ocean are built upon loose sand deposited by changing tides, winds, and storms. There’s no bedrock, no clay, no real geological formations to hold a structure in place. At some point of time, a municipality and a builder decided a plot of sand was just close enough and just far enough to have a home built on it – and that home would be the “ocean front” home. Since that first nail was driven to construct that house, man has been fighting to keep the ocean just close enough and just far enough away to save his home.

With each catastrophic storm - one about every twenty years, efforts are made to rebuild the same coastline and berms, or seawalls, are built to stave off an invading ocean. Many berms after the storms were hastily constructed with storm debris, parts of houses, chunks of road, and washed-out cars covered with sand.

We recently built a custom pool in Wildwood for a homeowner on the ocean. A beautiful eight year old house, access to the back yard, which faced the ocean, proved quite challenging. When we finally got excavation equipment in and started to dig, we hit large broken blocks of concrete which were later determined to be part of a hastily constructed sea wall after the 1962 storm bifurcated many of the islands. In addition, between the backyard and the ocean, nature had carved out a large tidal pool which raised the water table near the house.

Pumps had to be run continuously while we drove twelve-inch diameter, three story, pressure treated pilings into the sand – one piling for every sixteen square feet of pool cut down to just below the surface. Anchored to these pilings were steel reibar runners that formed the base of a cage frame with riebar forming perpendicular cross points every twelve inches. The reibar runners were drilled through the top of the wood pilings and then filled with concrete to create structural grade beams to withstand varying water table or hydrostatic pressures. Hydrostatic relief valves were installed when the pool cage was shot with gunite to form the shell. These valves allow for equalization of water pressure inside and outside the shell as the form cured.

For an inground pool, our shell must be a minimum of eight inches, and twelve inches thick at the base of the keel. We use piping able withstand high pressure, fabricate tight steel cages for every 144 square inches, and build massive grade beams. We overengineer our pools to survive the next Sandy - and there will be another one. How quickly we forget – even while the Army Corps of Engineers is just offshore dredging sand.

For additional information on building pools at the New Jersey shore, visit www.delvalpoolsandspas.com ;

To set up an appointment for a no cost evaluation, call 856-629-2999 .

Del Val Why We Use Pilings

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 16:11:00 GMT

People often ask us why Del Val uses pilings when building pools at the Jersey shore. After all, aren’t pilings used to elevate houses above base flood elevation? The answer is an engineering solution and has become the Del Val standard for building “Sandy-proof” pools since Hurricane Sandy struck October 29, 2012. Hundreds of pools disappeared as a result of that storm. These pools are at the bottoms of the bay and ocean never to be seen again.

Cool facts: pilings have been used in construction since the Roman Empire – around 505 BC, and the first known drawing of a pile driver exists from 1475.

When a pool is constructed at the shore, Del Val works with the client’s vison to determine the size and shape and then develops a grid pattern for the pilings so that one is sunk for every sixteen square feet of pool. The pilings are pressure treated southern pine, a minimum of twelve inches in diameter and driven/sunk more than three stories into the sand. To a neighbor, this looks like the beginning of an outbuilding or an addition that might attach to the house. The confusion sets in when we cut the pilings down to just below the surface of the pool form.

This is where Del Val excels from an engineering perspective and why we are known for building the sturdiest pools at the Jersey shore. We drill through the top of the pilings and anchor steel rebar runners which form the base of a cage frame with rebar forming perpendicular cross points every twelve inches. Sections are then filled with concrete to create structural grade beams that reinforce the structure like a series of spines which can withstand the varying hydrostatic pressures.

So, do we build pilings under a pool to hold it down? The answer to that is also yes. Nature constantly alters hydrostatic pressures depending on tides, storms, and winds that want to push a pool up and out of the sand. Del Val’s rebar cage and grade beam construction is anchored in place to pilings driven several stories into the sand. The only way the pool can lift is if all the pilings were to lift simultaneously – and we have a preventative measure for that too - with the installation of custom hydrostatic relief valves that can be adjusted depending on what is happening with the water table below.

The oft’ used punch line is, “It’s not rocket science.” No, it’s not, but it is pool construction science, and many of the lessons which led to innovations were hard learned by disastrous northeaster’s and the hurricanes that visit the Jersey shore every few decades. I could end with a pun about “Jersey strong”, but simply put, there’s a reason why Realtors and Builders prefer Del Val pools. Our pools, like the third generation in our business, are here to stay. If you have questions about how to build a pool at the shore – the right way - call me directly at (what number).

Bryan

Del Val What To Do After A Storm

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 15:27:53 GMT

The EF-3 tornado that ripped through Gloucester County, New Jersey on September 1, 2021 devastated communities and has kept me busy the past few weeks visiting our customers and others in need facing a mountain of insurance claim processes. It also got me thinking that there isn’t really an official check list for inspecting your pool after a storm, and research on the internet confirmed such. So, here are my suggestions on what to do to check the integrity of your pool after a major weather event

First and foremost, make sure there are no downed power lines anywhere around the pool or in the pathways providing egress to the pool. If you see power lines, or Gas Heater Lines, call your utility company emergency line. Safety is always the first concern.
Do you have power? If you don’t have power and are awaiting restoration, we sugges tturning the breaker off at the pool panel as electrical restorations occasionally result inpower surges. Turn your pool back on when power has been fully restored for several hours
If you have power, do you have power to the house, but not the pool? Try flipping the breaker at the pool panel as it may have tripped.

What is the water level in the pool? Is it high from the addition of rain? Is it low because of a potential structural issue or hole in a vinyl liner pool? Has large or sharp debris entered your Pool? Try to evaluate if this is possibly compromising to your Vinyl Liner. Low water is a serious problem for Pool Pumps, Vinyl Liners, and your Structure overall. Call Del Val immediately and do not turn the pool on. Never drain your pool of dirty water, consult with your DVP Team of professionals first.
If the water level is where it should be, and you have power, turn your pool on and check all the pipes around your major equipment for signs of leaks or breaks. If you see problems, turn the pool off and call Del Val immediately.
If all appears stable, slowly go through the various pool accessories checking function such as waterfalls, bubblers, slides, and fountains. Is everything working? Not working properly? Turn the pool off and call Del Val immediately.
Still good? Remove all debris from the pool. Clear your skimmers and pump strainer so the pool can clean itself. Have a vacuum? Empty the bag.
Walk around and check your pool’s cosmetics. Tile okay? Coping okay? Any cracks visible anywhere? Take Photo’s & Be thorough! Should you need to file insurance claims they will want evidence of the actual cause of damage as it sits.
Finally, check your balancing chemicals as a rapid infusion of rainwater can throw off the pool’s chemistry. Bring a water sample in for free testing, and we will help you get back on track.

It should be fairly obvious if there is a problem with your pool, but always proceed slowly and systematically as you “reboot” your backyard oasis. Never (ever) drain your pool no matter how dirty the water after a storm. Call us first and we will come out and help you put a plan together to get things operational as quickly as possible. After a storm, things can be chaotic; above all else, safety first!

Del Val Pools & Spa Team