COVID's Lasting Effect: Backyard Investment
It's been as big a year for pool renovation as it has been for every other element of the backyard, from outdoor heaters to casual furniture to new pool construction. One company that has seen an uptick in sales is Kelley Technical Coatings, Louisville, Ky, as homebound pool owners across the land were forced to take a long look at the backyard — a lot of them didn't like what they saw, and decided to upgrade. We spoke with Brink Spruill, president, about what the renovation market was like for coating products, and prospects for a great summer.
AQUA: What did you see this year?
Brink Spruill: We had an uptick in business due mainly to the "staycation" effect as they like to refer to it. People couldn't go anywhere — couldn't go on vacations, couldn't go to Disney — so they put the money into their backyard environment. And renovation was a very strong segment of that backyard market.
For some homeowners in the years before 2020, they would look at their budget, band-aid their pools or band-aid their decks, and then go to Disneyland or someplace like that. But last year, they put more thought and money into actually upgrading their backyard, both through contractors and from a do-it-yourself standpoint.
For us, we saw it in interior pool coatings and deck coatings. People were spending money there. (That's what's in the can, but what we're really selling is protection and the aesthetics.)
AQ: How is this spring looking so far?
BS: It's still a little early (as of Feb. 1) to think about renovating pools in the North, but every year, we see our shipments move north following what we call the Frostline. In Waco, they'll start activity prior to Dallas, then Dallas up into Arkansas and then Missouri. As the Earth moves around the sun, pool renovation season moves north. But surprisingly, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and the Midwest in general is a really big market for pool renovation and the solutions we provide.
AQ: Why the Midwest?
BS: Mainly due to the construction of the pools themselves. It's a huge market for upgrade and renovation of inground concrete and gunite pools. The South is a big market, too, but you have a lot of steel-wall vinyl liner pools, which for obvious reasons don't require an interior coating. They still might need a deck refinish. And we renovate fiberglass, too, with an epoxy finish system.
AQ: Who's your typical customer?
BS: We have pool service guys that resurface pools of course. Often a pool company will subcontract that work to an outfit that specializes in it. And the do-it-yourself market has grown exponentially — it has just exploded.
AQ: Everybody in the industry has a bet on what's going to happen this year. What do you think?
BS: We think the COVID effect and the trend to keep upgrading the pool area is going to continue, so we're expecting a lot of activity this spring and summer. We reached a very successful plateau this last year, and I think it's going to stay at that level for another year.
Our product is an amortized value type of product where you do it once and you're finished for the next five or six years, and then you cycle back to it. It's not an every-year product. But I think 2020 forced people to take a closer look at their pools, and it really hit home that the pool needs to be maintained and upgraded periodically so they can get the longevity and the life out of it that they paid for. I think that will be a lasting effect.
Below, we continue the topic of renovation. Take a look at the renovation products from top-tier manufacturers that are designed to refresh and refurbish.
CMP
DEL UV-C 50 sanitizers from CMP are an easy upgrade system featuring plug-and-play capabilities and simple maintenance. High-flow, high-capacity UV-C enhances pool water better than a residual sanitizer alone, according to the company. Natural ultraviolet rays break down contaminants and chlorine-resistant organisms like Cryptosporidium at the DNA level. UV-C is ideal for customers who want something less complicated. This product fits on any equipment setup.
c-m-p.com | (800) 733-9060
NPT
Visualize your new dream pool with the NPTBackyard Mobile App. Select the shape closest to your existing pool, then choose from a wide range of NPT products — pool tile, pool finish and decking — then see it in seconds, right in your own backyard space. The NPTBackyard App has been newly updated with new tiles and a collection of 3D Dream Pools for inspiration.
nptpool.com | (888) 476-7665
LOOP-LOC
LOOP-LOC introduces the DECK-LOC No-Drill Anchoring System for composite decks. This product allows for pool cover installation on composite decking without drilling a single hole. DECK-LOC anchors secure in seconds by simply turning the clamps until they lock under the deck boards. This product is manufactured in marine-grade stainless steel and is made for composite decks with 3/8-inch board spacing.
looploc.com | (800) LOC-LOOP
Concrete Countertop Solutions
Concrete Countertop Solutions will be stocking and selling a new product from HIDE Skimmer Covers. HIDE covers are designed to have any surface material installed into the cover, enabling it to blend into the landscape for an uninterrupted outdoor space. HIDE's covers for skimmer boxes, access points and drain covers allow an upmarket finish and are compatible with nearly any decking material including concrete, stone and wood. Manufactured from marine-grade 316L stainless steel, HIDE covers are pool safe compliant, durable and resistant to deterioration from harsh UV exposure and corrosive pool chemicals.
concretecountertopsolutions.com | (570) 587-3799
Kelley Technical Coatings
Kelley Technical Coatings offers a complete line of pool finishes, deck finishes and allied products. The company has been a major partner to the pool industry for over 70 years, and continues to be an industry leader.
kelleytech.com | (502) 636-2561
Frank Wall Enterprises
Frank Wall Enterprises is pleased to offer new Liner-Sure, an innovative pool liner bead lock with a unique profile to keep pool liners from falling out of coping. Frank's Liner-Sure is easy to install on pool corners and in areas where pool liners are prone to slip out of the coping track due to stress. This product blends seamlessly into the swimming pool liner and looks like a piece of decorative trim below the coping. Liner-Sure can be cut to any desired length and is available in white, blue, black or gray to match coping and vinyl pool liner patterns.
frankwall.com | (800) 488-9146
Sider-Crete
Sider-Proof FF-PR is a cement-based, roll-on pool plaster for gunite, shotcrete, existing plaster and marcite, concrete and ICF swimming pools. This product is packaged as a kit and can be applied with a standard paint roller and smoothed with a MagicTrowel. Suitable for residential, commercial, hot tub, chlorine and salt water system application. This coating is also designed to coat and waterproof waterfalls, fountains and concrete ponds. Sider-Proof FF-PR is not a pool paint: It is a true cement-based swimming pool plaster and resurfacing coating.
sider-crete.com | (478) 892-9800
Nationwide Industries
The TRIDENT Magnetic Gate Latch by Nationwide Industries offers a strong magnetic closure and significant vertical tolerance to avoid sagging gates. This product features the Safe-Notch to detect gate climbing and ensure the gate stays closed. If the cylinder is previously locked on the opened gate, the Latch When Locked feature will engage for added safety. The easily installed TRIDENT Magnetic Gate Latch has rust-resistant components and a one million cycle warranty.
nationwideindustries.com | (813) 988-2628
RAMUC Pool Paints
Ramuc's EP Hi-Build Epoxy offers a tough, durable finish for unsurpassed stain, chemical and abrasion resistance on swimming pool surfaces. This product is an ideal alternative to re-plastering at a third of the cost, according to the company. Packaged in a 1-to-1 mix ratio, EP Hi-Build Epoxy rolls easily and builds up to 8 mils dry per coat, rendering "smoothing" qualities on rough surfaces. Renovates aged concrete, plaster and fiberglass pools. Self-priming, two-coat system. VOC-compliant. Made in the U.S.
ramucpoolpaint.com | (800) 745-6756
SeaKlear
Thick Tile & Vinyl Cleaner breaks down and removes scale, film, oil and scum lines. This product is nonabrasive and reaches down into pores to remove soils. It can also be used on acrylic surfaces. Thick Tile & Vinyl Cleaner helps to remove stubborn scale and dull films at the waterline of vinyl pool liners.
seaklear.com | (800) 753-1233
RicoRock
RicoRock waterfall kits and coping/waterline products are masonry products engineered to install with minimal labor and offer the same look as custom projects that cost twice as much, the company says. The waterline coping consists of lightweight cast concrete rock that is mortared in place. Created to meet growing consumer demand for rock treatments around pools, this new coping creates an old-world look to complement RicoRock waterfalls and boulders. Ideal for pool renovations and particularly well-suited for vinyl liner installations. Made of high-density concrete mix that resists damage to freeze thaw.
ricorock.com | (888) 717-3100
Arriscraft
Adair limestone tile is natural quarried stone from Ontario, Canada. Over 60 years, Arriscraft has developed extraction and finishing capabilities to make it available for residential applications. Adair Tile is ideal for new construction or renovation of outdoor living spaces. Available in custom-sized blue-grey or sepia tones, designers and homeowners can create distinguished spaces that will last beyond a lifetime, the company says.
arriscraft.com | (800) 265-8123
Natare Corporation
The Natatec pool lining system is a flexible, PVC-reinforced blanket with an inner core of polyester mesh fabric that makes an aging pool or water feature new again. Natatec is custom-fitted and bonded onsite to provide a watertight, durable and slip-resistant pool surface. This product has a smooth, non-porous surface that resists algae, mold and mildew.
natare.com | (800) 336-8828
