J&M Pool Company is a company that has been around for many decades. They build and service pools all over Georgia. This beautiful vinyl-liner project in Senoia Ga. won GOLD at the 2022 PHTA Awards of Excellence International Competition. It proves that a well designed backyard can be just as beautiful with a vinyl liner pool, but is faster to finish and less expensive. Judd Wilson took the time to explain how this pool was built, from start to finish.
We don’t have any templates for this kind of pool. Wilson says that this is a custom pool, based on the wishes of the homeowners. Customers will often show pictures of jobs they like from Pinterest, our design studio or other projects we’ve completed to give our team a first idea about what they want. The couple liked the idea that a spa would spill onto a tanning platform, which they got from a photo of one of our previous projects.
The design phase started with a free consultation and estimate. This led to a 3D rendering, complete with photos and videos, as well as installation estimates and a 2D scaled construction drawing.
Wilson’s role is primarily that of a project manager during this phase. Wilson is a project manager at our company. During this phase, he oversees the work of the in-house designers, salespeople, and other staff.
Wilson was brought into the picture after the customer signed off the project. They had designed their vinyl-lined swimming pool with sun shelf, spillover spa, and other features that they loved.
Wilson says that his first step will be to go to the client’s property to paint the project. If the design is correct, then he will confirm the location of the project and the desired position by the customer. “All the other aspects, such as the existing patios or house, must comply with all code requirements. We make sure to offset any septic tank or sewer line. We then fly a drone above the paint and take a photo of it. We then send this image to the design team for confirmation. As long as there are no trees to be moved, or other obstacles, we can move forward with the excavation.”
Pour a vinyl-lined pool, pour the next step, pour the concrete walls. Make sure the plumbing is located correctly. The contractor will remove the forms the next day and pour the rest of structure. Wilson says that the contractor will pour the steps, benches and tanning ledges on day two. On day two, the actual spa pad and spa are also poured.
On the third day, they finish rough electrical and plumbing so that they can schedule inspections. After they receive the approval for inspections, masonry is started.
Wilson says, “This pool has a raised spa so we have to do the masonry and backfill afterward.” Once the backfill is in place and the equipment has been installed, the decks are poured, the liner dropped in and the pool filled. We worked on the landscaping and slide in between other phases.
The slide was a challenge for us, as it required precise placement and elevations of the footings. It was also difficult to make sure the plumbing came up at the right spot for the slide to work properly. This project also included boulder walls, planters and irrigation. This is not a simple one-day or two-day project. There’s much planning and thinking that goes into a project like this. We were lucky to have an in-house contractor who assisted us with the design of the slide and landscaping. Since then, J&M has added a landscaping team in-house.
J&M Pools mastered this tricky layout, which included a lot of steps and right angles. Wilson says, “We do a complete AB on the site, then we work with Latham, which was in this instance, until everything is lined up.” “Measuring pools is a tedious process. I believe it took our two guys four hours to do this one.”
J&M Pools, located in Georgia’s sunny state, receives many requests from customers for a cooler decking product. This is why Mortex Kooldeck was chosen for this project. Wilson says that customers enjoy walking on a surface that feels cooler. As far as colors are concerned, we use a lot the same combinations like a natural tanstone with a tan Kool Deck or a buff Kool Deck.
J&M VSPs circulate the water through a floor cleaning system, two skimmers, a dual drain main in the deep end and several wall returns. A bubbler is also installed on the tanning shelf. Wilson says that they like to place bubblers on as many tanning platforms as possible because this helps keep debris away. We also place returns in areas that make sense for circulation, and to keep benches and steps clean. We had separate suction lines for the slide so we could dedicate a return to it.
J&M Pools uses the same pump and equipment for both the pool and the spa. This allows the spa to spill into the pool. This particular spillover spa featured six wall returns and a single floor return.
The equipment pad was hidden from view by placing it in the corner of the home, inside the fence. J&M Pools utilizes Hayward products, and the Omni platform to allow customers to manage everything – except maintenance – from their phones. The couple were happy with the outcome of the vinyl-lined swimming pool, but it was the children who could not wait to get in.
The article was first published in AQUA Magazine, the leading resource for pool and spa retailers, builders, and service professionals. All industry professionals can subscribe to the print edition of AQUA Magazine for free. Subscribe by clicking here.
