One of the most rewarding aspects of the AQUA Choice competition is the opportunity to explore great work in the manufactured pool market, such as this fiberglass charmer in North Carolina.
Able Installations of Wilmington, N.C., lived up to its name by taking this simple San Juan Pools Marathon shell and turning it into the cornerstone of a residential package that serves its owners perfectly.
They're an elderly couple that wanted not just a pool but an entire home that would draw their grown children and grandchildren and provide them with space where they could relax together. Thus, it became a collaboration between the home builder and pool builder - with a little overlap, says Frank Kearney, president of Able Installations.
"Since we are a Four Seasons Sunroom franchise, we were able to essentially help design the home, and we designed the roof system for it," he says.
It's a unique overall home design, focused on the simple and elegant pool. Surrounding the pool are various living quarters for the use and comfort of the owners, their children and grandchildren.
With the home surrounding the pool, the vessel came first in the sequence of construction, Kearney says. "After the pool was installed and stabilized, the foundation for the home was poured and the home was built around the pool. Once the structure of the walls was completed, Able Installations constructed the bull-nose glass room in the front and a barrier to keep moisture from the pool out of the home."
After the pool was built, it had to be covered for protection. Able Installations eventually used its plywood covering as a platform for scaffolding to build the sunroom which soared some 30 feet over the pool room deck.
"There's a huge dehumidification system in there, as well," Kearney says, "and there's also negative pressure in the room, so we don't get any warm, steamy chlorinated water finding its way into any nooks and crannies."
Such finely executed details put this pool on a higher level of manufactured pool construction. Perhaps the best testament to this project is the fact that two different companies worked well together to produce a single outstanding edifice.
"Everyone was conscientious on this job," Kearney says. "If you have a good relationship with the general contractor, it helps everything work out well."
Able Installations & Construction
Wilmington, N.C.
Category: Manufactured Pool