First step - layout the site: Combining our  experience and your vision, we select the best layout and design for perfect placement into your backyard. We set up our equipment and prepare to excavate. Very exciting!

Second step - we excavate for the pool and the patio. It is very important that the soil under the pool and patio be removed and replaced with properly prepared sand and gravel. This step, so often skipped by other builders, ensures the long lasting integrity and quality of the project. Also a stone pit and suction line is permanently accessable for pumping ground water out from under the pool both during construction and at any time in the future when draining the pool for service or to change the lining.

Now the pool will begin to take shape. We set up the formwork for the creation of the concrete pool wall. This wall is one of the features that sets Poolside apart from most of the other builders. We will build the pool using a 10 inch thick, steel reinforced, concrete wall like the foundation of your home. Some builders are still using "kit" or "package" pools that use steel, aluminum or plastic wall systems. We believe completely in the strength and longevity offered by the concrete wall, and we'll proudly show you the benefits.

After the formwork is removed, we have the wall and foundation of the ulitmate pool for the Northeast climate. We will be attaching a fiberglass step case into the opening you see in the wall. Notice the crushed stone and gravel base that the pool is being built upon. Most builders skip this step, but we build every pool this way, ensuring that there will be a well compacted, solid base to support the pool and patio.

Here we are placing the concrete into the formwork. The boards sticking out help us to contain the concrete flowing from the trucks. Notice the pilasters that contain the skimmers (where the boards are). The skimmers are completely encased within the concrete. This design feature prevents any issues with skimmer movement or cracking that occurs in other types of pool construction in the northeast. All the other wall fittings are encased within the concrete also.

Here the pool wall has been poured and the coping has been attached. The coping serves to form an edge for the patio and holds the liner in place. Coping can be made of aluminum or we can custom build a cantilevered stamped concrete edge that you can see in other finished pool photos here on our site. The next step will be to build the concrete floor inside the pool. Most builders use vermiculite or sand, but we know that concrete is better. With concrete, the pool floor is forever, no pock-marks, no foot prints, no washouts or any issues for the lifespan of the pool. With this type of construction, hairline cracks are not a problem as with gunite or fiberglass because the liner is complaint and is not affected.

In this photo, the pool floor has been placed and the backfill sand is being graded and compacted. We backfill the pool and patio base with washed drain sand to provide the ultimate base for surrounding the pool and for supporting the patio structure. This is why we are able to build the patio at the same time that we build your pool. Also notice the strength offered by the concrete wall system. No "package pool' could withstand the pressure of backfill and machine compaction without failure. When you are shopping for a builder, be wary of those that will try to confuse you. We are hearing tales of folks being told that these are "concrete pools" and that they will crack. these are vynil liner pools with concrete walls. The lie and deception is this: If the wall should devolop a crack, it is of no more concern than the "cracks" that are built into every steel wall pool where they bolt the panels together. Think about it............    they tell you that these walls (that are many times stronger than their steel walls), will crack and somehow cause a problem when they are bolting a pool together with a "crack" at every panel joint. Those "cracks are not a problem are they? Why would a random and seldom occurring crack in a steel bar reinforced concrete wall be a problem then? It won't. No logic there.........  just lies and deceit. As you can see, the dog is very impressed with our work!

Here's another photo of an 18' x 36' pool with side steps. Backfill sand is being placed  and compacted in preparation for the patio construction. Note the details outlined above: skimmers encased in the wall; light fixture encased in wall ( no broken conduit issues here! ) Some local builders will not allow you to surround the skimmers with patio concrete because they know that they'll have to be dug up someday since their skimmers are hanging out in the backfill............  not with this system! they cannot move or break.....  ever! Also shown here is the concrete floor inside the pool. And the pool wall easily bearing the weight of our 12 ton excavator and 900 lb. mechanical compactor.

One more shot of a pool being made ready for backfill. Notice the separate plumbing lines. We always use flexible lines that do not require fittings that can freeze or break under the patio in future years. This pool is getting a cabana building at the far end with a bathroom, kitchen and wet bar for entertaining. You can see the utility conduits and plumbing lines running from the house to the cabana site. We have proudly built many such projects, so if you are considering a project like this, we can help make it happen the right way.

Building the patio is the next step in the process. Second to putting the liner in and filling the pool with water, this is our favorite part. We have over 30 years experience in concrete patio work and nobody gets better results or accolades than we do. Whether it will be plain, colored, stamped or other style of decorative concrete, we have the expertise and experience to make your project stand out and last a lifetime. If you think about what sets one pool apart from another, it's the patio. The patio is what you see, walk on & sit on. The rest is the water. The patio and how well it looks and complements your yard and pool is more important than the pool itself.