As the recession fades, builders report that the middle class customer is coming back into play. And while homeowners remain cost-conscious, they also want design elements that set their pools apart from others. Builders working in the package pool market must offer both affordability and design flexibility to make these customers happy.
Traditionally, the common knock against package pools has been that theyโre essentially cheaper versions of their concrete counterparts. In response, proponents of vinyl-liner pools have promoted technical advancements, saying they now compete with concrete even in the high-end custom marketplace.
Indeed, package pool builders confirm that advances in design and manufacturing technology have empowered them and their customers to think more broadly about what they can achieve with various package concepts. That freedom, coupled with the traditional advantages of affordability and serviceability, has resulted in a wide niche for pools that fall somewhere between so-called โvolumeโ or โproductionโ vessels and those identified as purely โcustom.โ
The beauty of this โtweenerโ class of pools is that builders can deliver environments that still inspire pride of ownership while also remaining attainable for people who canโt afford six-figure installations. In that sense, package pools represent a reliable and attainable option for the working class.
GROWING SOPHISTICATION
According to package pool builders, the expansion of manufacturing technology has enabled them keep pace with clients who are now more sophisticated and informed thanks to their own online research and TV programming like HGTV โ a trend thatโs made it tough on companies that have refused or have been unable to evolve.
โCustomers have definitely become more knowledgeable,โ says Mike Mancini of Fox Pools in Toronto. โAs a result, the guys who are suffering for business are what you might call the cookie cutter companies. A lot of homeowners want to differentiate their pools from someone elseโs. When you spend a large amount of money, they want those features that will make the pool more useful for them or that will make the pool more enjoyable.
โI used to say we can do anything but a pool the shape of Texas or a guitar,โ he adds, โand last year one of our dealers came up with a pool that was a guitar. They made the strings right in the liner.โ
While Mancini acknowledges that such truly outrageous projects remain rare, manufacturing and design technology opens the door an ever-increasing spectrum of variations.
โThe CAD-drive manufacturing process changed everything,โ he says. โToday, some of the companies will offer a hundred and some odd shapes. Youโll see pools some will call a lagoon or mountain lake, basically free form pools, and they might offer each of those in different sizes. Then you go and tweak, make it smaller or make larger. Most of the package pool companies have a design center you can call and adjust the shapes and sizes.โ
That spirit of invention and customization for some has meant not only customizing the design but also developing their own techniques for construction, in some cases taking the hybrid concept to an even higher level. Thatโs the view of Kyle Tripp of Tripp Construction, Raymore, Mo., a builder in the greater Kansas City area. Tripp has been involved in his familyโs business since early childhood. Established in 1960, the firmโs work has evolved along with its middleclass clientele looking for the affordability of package pools and the design freedom typically associated with concrete.
โIn our case,โ says Tripp, โwe build concrete walls with a vinyl liner inside of it rather than the metal walls. Anything thatโs straight is concrete, anything thatโs curvy is metal. We call those pools hybrids. The package walls do provide a nice consistent radius, so weโll tie them into the concrete, which gives us the best of both.โ
The reasoning for the combined approach: โFirst of all, we can pour a concrete wall more affordably than buying the manufactured walls,โ Tripp says. โBut the main reason weโve gone that direction is that weโve seen so many situations where the metal walls corrode or get pushed in. I saw a pool recently where a tree fell and collapsed the wall. A concrete wall probably wouldnโt have suffered that kind of damage. I sometimes ask homeowners, what kind of wall do you have holding up your house, is it metal or concrete?โ
GAINING TRACTION
For all of the creativity in design and construction that now characterizes the work for many package pool dealers, itโs been some of the seemingly less dramatic developments that have gained the most traction with homeowners. Among those features: liners that tightly fit over steps and benches appeal to homeowners looking to avoid the look of vinyl liners.
โLiners on steps is actually an old concept,โ explains Mancini. โBefore the fiberglass and polymer steps they made them out of steel and youโd put the liner over the top. Back in those days, when youโd put the vinyl over the steps, there were issues with wrinkles; you were always trying to tuck it here or tuck it there. Thatโs why manufacturers developed the polymer or fiberglass stairs. Now with the CAD systems, what they can do with a liner is phenomenal, so weโve come back to the concept of installing the liner over steps and benches without all the issues we had before.โ
โWeโve been using the liners covering steps for about eight to 10 years and our customers just love it,โ Tripp says. We can freeform it where the customer can tell us exactly what size bench they want or what size and shape of steps they want. We probably havenโt put a set of fiberglass steps in within the last five years.โ
That sort of customized approach also works well for Les Gomez of Royal Enterprises, a builder based in Blanchard, Okla. โWe do a lot of custom swim outs, really depends on size and shape of the pool,โ he says. โThere are still a lot of people who do the fiberglass steps, but we havenโt done a dozen of them in the last 15 years. There are many lay people who canโt determine if itโs a liner pool or a gunite pool.โ
In addition to eliminating the telltale appearance of fiberglass or composite steps and swim outs, manufacturers more recently have addressed a major consumer concern regarding traction on vinyl-covered entry and egress components.
Says Gomez: โThat really used to be the issue with the vinyl on the stairs; they were slippery. Even when youโd explain that the steps would be slippery to the clients, when theyโd get in the pool some would say they didnโt like it and wouldnโt pay their last payment until you fixed it. It got to the point where we were discouraging people from the vinyl over the steps. Now the textured steps have addressed that problem.
โItโs become very popular,โ he adds. โThereโs not much we really canโt do with a package pool that the gunite guys can do. Before, if you wanted a sun ledge, you had to go with gunite, but now we do those easily in vinyl. Iโve even sold replacement liners for projects that are only three or four years old, but because the texture has come out, the clients say they want a new liner.โ
LINER LOOKS
One of the primary factors that have kept the wind in the sails of the package pool business has been the annual parade of new liner patterns. As these builders point out, that ever-changing selection gives them an aftermarket edge over both concrete and fiberglass vessels.
โAt least 90 percent of our clients get very, very excited when there are new prints out there,โ says Tripp. โOnly about 10 percent call me up and say they want the exact same liner as they did before. More often I have to limit how long they have to choose the prints. Iโll give the prints and say that we need their decision in two or three days, otherwise they might take weeks to decide.โ
Speaking from more than four decades of experience, Mancini sees pattern popularity as similar to passing trends in fashion. โWith patterns, youโll go through phases. For a few years youโll see dark liners become popular, then itโll be light liners. We even went through a phase where pastels were extremely popular,โ he recalls. โWeโve seen trends where people want a black liner that almost looks like a pond. From a safety standpoint you really shouldnโt use solid black because you loose depth perception. Now we have sort of tied-dyed patterns and other patterns that give you that deep reflective look without having problems with losing the ability to see how deep the water is.
To that Mancini adds: โItโs always changing, 15 or 20 years ago, Fox got into printing university mascots on their liners, which lasted for a season or two. Now we have jumping dolphins.โ
โWe do quite a few replacement liners,โ confirms Gomez. โThere are so many patterns available theyโre able to find a look they like. Iโve never had people who were unhappy with their choice.โ
Gomez also points out that the longevity of todayโs liners sweetens the deal for his clients: โWe tell customers, โYou will have 10 to 14 years, weโve had some last as long as 20, even if theyโre a little faded.โ They might change them a year or two sooner to get a different look.โ
That said, Gomez adds that there are some circumstances where vinyl does fall prey to damage.
โBecause weโre in Oklahoma, we do quite a bit of work in rural areas where weโve had several instances of horses or cows getting into the pool and doing damage with their hooves. Thatโs just a matter of replacing the liner and fixing the vermiculite if theyโve distorted the bottom.โ
Despite the susceptibility to damage from large animals, Mancini believes that maintenance will always remain one of, if not the strongest selling points for liners.
โIf you ever get algae, concrete being a porous material, the algae has a place to cling,โ he explains. โWith vinyl being a smooth material, you may have an issue or two around a gasket or some place like that, but you kill the algae, vacuum it up and away you go. Youโll use less algaecides and other chemicals in vinyl pool. Here we can replace a 16-by-32 liner for $3,500 whereas if you epoxy a gunite pool, youโre looking at $5,000 minimum.โ
KEEPING UP
The shared enthusiasm for the package pool market shared by these professionals is based on decades of experience in regions that are admittedly afield from the massive concrete markets of much of the Sun Belt states.
Nonetheless they see their role in the industry through the same lens of providing lifetimes of positive outdoor experiences for their clients. โItโs a great feeling knowing that we offer a product that brings so much fun and happiness to families,โ says Tripp. โItโs why I love my job.โ
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