Vermiculite is the preferred base for vinyl liner swimming pool bottoms as they require a smooth, level, & nonabrasive base.  Strong is the leader in vermiculite (pool krete) for the swimming pool market.  Strong premix pool krete is easily applied and gives a perfectly formed bottom so the liner will not slip or wrinkle.  All of the pools the Penguin Pools builds in the Milwaukee, WI  and Minneapolis, MN area, have vermiculite bottoms.

Along with just doing vermiculite bottoms on all of our inground vinyl liner pools in WI, MN, & IL, we also apply it with a special mixer and pump from Strong Manufacturing.  The mixer and pump give us a perfect consistency throughout the entire pool so we don’t have to worry about some areas being too dry or wet.  The time that it takes » Continue reading “Strong Pool Krete Mixer & Pump – Vermiculite Mixer for Pool Bottoms”

When it comes to inground pools, nothing changes the look from ordinary to exceptional like a good set of steps.  While most vinyl liner swimming pools come standard with fiberglass walk-in steps, they very common.  They don’t look bad and are extremely durable, but they have become common place over the years.  Also, walk-in steps aren’t idea for undertrack auto covers as they need to be perfectly square.

This step is perfectly functional and will last for 30+ years, however it doesn’t jump out and say “look at me”.  While white walk-in steps are common, you can dress them up by » Continue reading “Custom Steel Inground Swimming Pool Steps”

Everyone wants an inground swimming pool build to go smoothly, but things always come up when you least expect it . . . usually when you start digging.  The biggest variable is usually what you are going to find once you start digging over 3′ in the ground. 

Penguin Pools often comes across rock or bad fill in many newer subdivisions.  Builders take fill from one site and put it on another site until they don’t have any more sites to hid the fill.  Rock and buried construction trash makes building an inground pool very challenging.  When building a vinyl liner pool, the walls have to sit on virgin ground so there is no worry about settling.  When you hit soil or earth that doesn’t hold its form / collapses, you need to find away to create virgin soil.  » Continue reading “Building an Vinyl Liner Inground Swimming Pool on Rock”

Getting a custom dig or layout for your inground swimming pool isn’t hard  & shouldn’t cost you more.  Do you want your pool 8′, 6′, 3′ deep?  Depth really shouldn’t matter all that much for your pool builder.  Most builders consider 8′ deep a standard inground pool depth, anything less will take less time to dig and dump the dirt.  While depth is just one aspect of your pool, the amount of shallow end is your other main decision.

Many inground pool builders don’t give customers the options to maximize your shallow end.  You may think that the amount of shallow end doesn’t matter, but think about it.  How often do you stand in an inground pool and not have to tread water?  Most people jump in, swim a little bit then go to the shallow end or a part of the pool that they can stand.  Face it, we aren’t all Michael Phelps in the pool and we need to stand.

» Continue reading “Custom Swimming Pool Digs, Depths, & Dig Specs”

By Megan O’Neill, Rodale.com

Public pools across the country are open for the summer season, but a recent survey could make you think twice about jumping in. According to the poll, almost half of swimmers admit to one or more behaviors that contribute to an unsanitary pool. And you’ve probably suspected as much, since the poll also shows 84 percent of us believe our fellow swimmers participate in unhygienic pool behavior.

THE DETAILS: The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted in late April and early May of this year by the Water Quality and Health Council, a body of scientific and other experts who advise the American Chemistry Council, an industry trade association. One in five respondents (17 percent) admitted to urinating in the pool, while almost eight in ten (78 percent) are convinced that their fellow swimmers are guilty of this act. Plus, about a third (35 percent) jump in without showering first, and three-quarters (73 percent) think other swimmers do the same. Even though most people seem wary of the hygienic standards of the swimmers around them, only 36 percent say that pool water cleanliness is on their mind when they take the plunge.

WHAT IT MEANS: Besides being just plain gross, filthy pool practices can lead to unsafe swimming conditions. Urine—as well as sweat and even sunscreen—contain nitrogen, which eats up a pool’s free chlorine. Free chlorine is what kills waterborne germs that could make you sick if ingested. So if too many people are peeing in the pool or diving in while sweaty, that could mean less chlorine’s available to wipe out nasty critters.

Even when chlorine levels are at proper levels, some illness-causing organisms can survive. For example, about two-thirds of all recreational water illnesses (or RWIs) are caused by Cryptosporidium, a chlorine-resistant microorganism that causes diarrhea. “Crypto can survive for as many as 10 days, even in a well-maintained pool,” says Michele Hlavas, epidemiologist in the Division of Parasitic Diseases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Which is why swimmers need to take on some of the responsibility for maintaining the safety of their pools. “Pool operators can’t do it all by themselves, as it’s the swimmers who bring the parasites into the water,” says Hlavas. “Swimmers have to get invested in keeping their pool clean and keeping themselves healthy.”

Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself, and other swimmers, from pool-related illness: » Continue reading “Peeing in the Pool . . . Go Figure It Happens”

Penguin Pools of Milwaukee, WI offers a full line of vinyl liner replacements.  While we specialize in inground swimming pools, we will do work on above ground pools also.

On standard rectangle or grecian pools our rate is $3,000 + water.  That includes draining the old pool, removing the liner, and up to 5 bags of patching for the bottom of your pool (vermiculite).  We will install new gaskets for your lights, skimmers, main drains, returns, and wall mounted fountains.

The vinyl liner is a standard 20 mil with a 15 year pro-rated warranty.  Upgrades can be done if you want a 30 mil liner, a solid pattern, or foam on the floor of your pool.
You can view all of our liner selections here.

» Continue reading “Vinyl Liner Swimming Pool Replacements – Milwaukee Branch”

Penguin Pools of Milwaukee is now accepting new accounts to open your inground swimming pool.  Pool openings start taking place the middle of April and run through Memorial Day.

Pricing for swimming pool openings are as follows ::
$200 for the pool opening
$75 to remove your cover

Generally most pools have to be drained some as the winter snow and spring rains fill them up past the mid point of the skimmer.  We will un-plug your return lines, return the plugs to your pump/filter/heater/chlorinator, prime your pump and to get everything running again.

Remember to dry out your cover before you store it away for the summer, you don’t want mold when you take it out next spring.

Penguin Pools also specializes in pool closings if you are also interested.  If you close your pool correctly in the fall, you will not have ANY green algae and will not need to use chemicals to get you pool clean and clear again.  If you pool company is charging you for chemicals in the fall, you shouldn’t have to USE ANY chemicals in the spring to get clear water.  When Penguin Pools opens pools that is has closed the year before, it has the same clarity as when we closed it!

Contact us directly if you have any questions.

Penguin Pools of Milwaukee, WI is now pleased to announce that we are offering and installing the full line of Harmony Outdoor Living Products.  Harmony Outdoor offers modulated outdoor living spaces made from Unilock Pavers. 

By having your designs pre-built, we can install them quicker and for less money than if we built the whole thing from scratch.  You can combine fireplaces, wet bars,  grills, benches, tables, firepits … the options are endless.

These units really transform and inground vinyl liner pool into something great.

If you have any questions or would like Penguin Pools to give you a free estimate, don’t hesitate to contact us directly.

Cavitation – the phenomenon of formation of vapour bubbles of a flowing liquid in a region where the pressure of the liquid falls below its vapour pressure.

This is what happens with the water is moving to fast, not to much or to little, but to FAST.  This happens when pool builders over size a pump for a pool or when return lines get plugged up.

Having a pool company that understands water movement and how it relates to the overall good of your pool is key.  Pump sizing is key for correct water movement along with proper filtration.  Bigger pumps can also push the water right past your filter media not cleaning properly.

What to use, Vermiculite or Sand for the bottom of your vinyl liner pool?

Rule #1 :: If you are putting in an inground swimming pool, never use sand.  If you are talking to a builder who only uses sand, politely say thanks and escort him out of your house.  Using sand is easier, less expensive, less messy; but it is also just being lazy, suck in 1980, and not good for the end user.  Simply put, you are working with someone who isn’t concerned with making the best pool possible.

Strong Pool Krete is made up of Portland cement, vermiculite, and sand.  When all three are combined and troweled out, you get a strong smooth surface for your liner to lay on.  Pool Krete will setup and turn into a hard “cork board” for your liner.

When using sand under your vinyl liner is doesn’t hold its form as well as » Continue reading “Strong Pool Krete (Vermiculite) or Sand?”

Seems easy enough to most pool owners, but for new owners it might be a little confusing.  Maybe confusing is the wrong word, maybe new pool owners aren’t patient enough.

A self-priming pump, by definition, is a pump which will clear its passages of air if it becomes air bound and resume delivery of the pumpage without outside attention.

If you are firing up the pump for the first time on your new inground swimming pool or if you are just opening your pool for the year, you will have to prime your pool pump.

1. Make sure your pump is turned off and slowly open the lid of the pump.  The lid to the pump is more than likely clear.  Opening the pump lid slowly is important as it is more than likely under pressure.  When you open it, you will hear the air “hiss” out.
2. Make sure there is no debris or “stuff” in the basket of the pool pump, if there is remove it.  If you pump is old and the basket is starting to break or fall apart, REPLACE IT.  A broken pump basket will allow debris to get to the impeller of the pump . . . not a good thing.
3. If you have multiple suction lines (skimmers, main drains) close them all off but one.  I prefer to close all the valves except the main drain as the main drain will have less air in it than a skimmer line.  Now get a bucket of water (2-3 gallons) or a hose to fill up the pump with water.  The water will go into the pump and fill up going back down the plumbing line that has been left over. » Continue reading “How to Prime Your Swimming Pool Pump?”

Seems like everyone dreads getting that liner replaced, “we can wait one more year”.  It really isn’t that bad is it?

Over time an inground swimming pool’s vinyl liner will start to dry out, crack, rip, or shrink.  While that might sound like a horrible thing to happen, it really isn’t the end of the world.  Now don’t get me wrong, having a fiberglass pool that doesn’t use a vinyl liner is great but you have to pay for that upfront.

The biggest killer of vinyl liners, or any pool equipment for that matter, is unbalanced chemicals.  The more your chemicals fluctuate and “bounce” the more damage you do to your liner and equipment.  Vinyl liners and concrete pools constantly absorb chemicals, when they are balanced not much happens but when they bounce it starts to dry the liner out.

In addition to chemicals, the sun plays a large part on how long your liner will last.  People with automatic covers see their liners last longer as they always have their covers closed, the nice part of having a cover that closes in 45 seconds.  The less a sun can hit the liner the longer you will resist fading and drying out the top of your liner.

Removing and replacing a liner isn’t as » Continue reading “Inground Swimming Pool Liner Replacements – Not So Bad After All”

Kafko Manufacturing is the supplier of vinyl liners to Penguin Pools, and they have just released their 2009 patterns.

Kafko’s heavy-duty vinyl swimming pool liners are specifically designed to withstand the harshest environments. Our 100% virgin vinyl is manufactured with bleach resistant inks to help guard against fading, and to ensure a long lasting, like-new appearance.

• algae inhibitors to help aid normal sanitizers
• wide array of styles and custom designed shapes
• computer designed excellence, for a perfect fit every time
• Cold Crack Temperature Protection to -40F
• fungicide protection
• available in 20 gauge and/or 30 gauge, or as 30/20 blend
• industry leading warranty

Computer Automated Vinyl Cutting

Kafko strives to stay on top of the leading trends in the swimming pool industry. And now, with our computer aided automatic cutting machine, we have once again broken new ground. State of the art, computer driven technology, in conjunction with an experienced and skilled designing staff, ensures a perfect fit.
» Continue reading “New Vinyl Liner Patterns for 2009″

Penguin Pools is now offering excavation services to DIY Pool Builders.  Many customers have been asking for excavation help on their “do it yourself” inground swimming pool builds.  Once homeowners purchase their pool kit online, they need help excavating the actual hole for the pool.

The difference between an easy pool build and a disaster is in the pool dig itself.  If you over dig you will have a lot of stone or vermiculite to fill in, but on the other hand if you under dig you will have hours of hand carving to do.

Penguin Pools has been digging swimming pools for years throughout WI, MN, and nothern IL.  We have three different machines that we can use to dig your pool.

Our Big Machine :: » Continue reading “Swimming Pool Excavation for DIY Pool Builders”