Swimming Pool Construction
Block - Concrete - Gunite
Block Swimming Pools
Prior to 1950 the vast majority of residential
swimming pools were homebuilt and constructed with block (cinder or
cement) walls and a poured concrete bottom. The walls were then
finished with plaster, later to be known as "marcite". This type
construction was relatively common until "gunite" pools brought down
the cost of professional construction during the 1970's.
Concrete Swimming Pools
Concrete swimming pools have been built in the US since the
beginning of the twentieth century and were primarily commercial
swimming pools. The exception being those built for extremely
wealthy homeowners.
After the second world war, we saw the birth of concrete pools
designed and marketed to local homeowners in a number of suburban
metropolitan communities. These pools were really well built and are
still in use today.
The concrete was poured and hand lathed onto the surface by
highly trained workers. The wall were often 2' thick. The surface
was then finished with plaster to overcome the roughness inherit
with concrete. Around the top of the pool, a blue or black line
about 8" thick was painted onto the plaster to hide the scum line
that clings to the plaster.
During the 1970's, a technique was developed to shoot the
concrete onto the surface. This procedure became known as
"shotcrete".
Gunite Swimming Pools
Developed in the late 1960"s in California by Anthony Pools,
Inc., this method replaced concrete with cement. This cement was
shot onto the surface with a hose controlled by the "nozzle man",
who added water to the mixture. Obviously far less expensive than
concrete, the mass marketing of swimming pools began. To date, the
company who developed and most successfully marketed this product
has installed over 300,000 swimming pools coast to coast.
®
Pool Resurfacing, Inc.
67 Buck Road
Suite 140 Box B-43
Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
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