Penguin Pools » Pool Build

Custom Swimming Pool Digs, Depths, & Dig Specs

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:45:20 +0000

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.

To make things even more exciting, you can create a sport pool which puts the deep end of the pool in the middle . . . great for volleyball and basketball setups. This has recently become common place, but you would be surprised how many pool builders will not do this or even offer it to their customers.

Penguin Pools in Milwaukee & Minneapolis allow you to customize every part of your pool depth and layout. We personally recommend maximizing your shallow end for maximum enjoyment. You will never stand in the deep end of an 8′ deep pool, so why make it so big. Penguin Pools is about safety first, so we always make sure our dig specs meet Federal Regulations for diving envelopes. Basically the pool has to be a particular depth and the ramp a particular angle.

Here you can view a standard shallow end.
Here is the same pool with a larger shallow end, both meet regulations for diving boards. The extra footage in the shallow end really make a big deal on even smaller pools like a 16′ x 32′.

Penguin Pools also likes to put in safety ledges for all of our pools that have smaller children. A safety ledge is a walking platform all the way around a pool that is the same depth as the shallow end 3′ – 3.5′. Now when a child jumps into the pool, wherever they are, only have to get to the side of the pool to stand. They no longer have to swim all the way to the shallow end. While most safety ledges are 12″ wide, Penguin Pools can also put a safety ledge in a pool regulated for diving. Instead of the 12″ wide, it can only be 6″ to meet Federal Regulations.
To give you even more to think about, we can put a safety ledge on certain walls. Here you can view a pool that Penguin Pools of Milwaukee did that had a safety ledge on the back wall and is rated for a diving board.

If you have any concerns that your pool builder can’t do a custom dig, they shouldn’t be building your pool. Penguin Pools of Milwaukee & Minneapolis will and can provide you with custom dig specs before you even sign the dotted line. We will create the pool of your dreams, regardless of how deep it is.

Penguin Pools has custom dig specs throughout SE WI, we have very few “standard” digs for our swimming pools throughout Waukesha, Waterford, Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, Muskego, Merton, Hartland . . .

Free Form Swimming Pools are now Common Place

admin — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:46:37 +0000

Once upon a time, the only way to get a unique swimming pool was to have it made of concrete (gunite) and spend a boat load of money. Free Form pools were exclusive to the rich and people living in Hollywood. With the time (2 months) cost of a concrete pool, many people are moving towards building vinyl liner free form pools.

Vinyl liner pools are more economical and the technology has improved to the point that building a free form pool is no longer a problem. Free Form pools take more time to build, but not much more than a standard pool. Penguin Pools of Milwaukee & Minneapolis can build a “standard” vinyl liner inground pool in roughly 3 days. In three days we will excavate the hole, build your pool, plumb it, set fixtures, and fill it with water. The construction of a free form pool takes roughly 5 days as the excavation has to be very precise and takes twice as long.

Free Form Pool - Waterford, WI

When you consider the time that it takes between building a concrete (gunite) and a vinyl liner free from pool, the choice is simple. Why spend the extra costs, upwards of $25,000 +, to build a concrete pool when you can do the same thing with a vinyl liner pool? Many people have extreme ideas and wants when it comes to their pool and backyard oasis, but those can easily get squashed with they see the price tag. Penguin Pools can build a vinyl liner free form pool for roughly $5,000 – $10,000 more than a standard pool.

No project is to big for us to build. Seems like everyone says “No project to small, No project to Big”, however we mean it when we say it. Penguin Pool’s engineers will construct your pool and build it to your specs, yet comply with local and national regulations. Anything from a scribbled napkin design or a blueprint from a landscaper, our engineers will design it to your specifications.

Take for example that Olympic diving pool we built in our customer’s back yard. It had to meet local ordinances, collegiate diving standards and federal regulations . . . all done as a vinyl liner pool. To do this same pool in concrete would’ve cost the home owner an additional $72,000!

Diving Bobcat

Diving Bottom

Anything that you can envision, dream or fantasize can be done. Penguin Pools can add anything you like or want to see in your backyard, because there is nothing that a great pool that looks naked in your backyard. Swimming pools are made to be fun and look great, why not have both?

Above Ground Pool Build

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:04:53 +0000

The winter is the time of year when many people begin to think about their summer holidays with thoughts of lounging on a beach somewhere hot. But the colder months are also the best time of year to build your own swimming pool .

The current world-wide economic downturn is forcing many people to postpone their planned home moves as property values continue to depreciate. Uncertainty in the housing market is leading to many people looking at their existing homes and considering ways that they can enhance their property. Rooms in the roof, extensions, new kitchens and garden makeovers are all excellent ways to make the most of your current property and improve the quality of your life. Another is to install a swimming pool in your garden.

Many consider pool building as a summer project. But building during the cooler months brings a number of advantages. You will find that out-of-season swimming pool pricing can be very favorable indeed, providing some significant savings over the prices charged during the peak months. The availability of the swimming pool that you want is another factor that is influenced by the time of year. You’ll find it easier to find the exact pool that you want during the low-demand period of the year. Also, delivery and installation can be more favorable outside of the peak summer months.

The big advantage is that your new swimming pool will be ready to use as soon as the weather turns that little bit warmer in the spring. As soon as that warm weather appears you can be sure that your swimming pool supplier and installer will be immensely busy with a backlog of orders and installations to fulfill.

My advice to anyone who has been toying with the idea of having their own swimming pool installed in their garden is to gather a few quotes from reputable swimming pool suppliers now. You should be able to negotiate a substantial discount and get yourself a bargain swimming pool installed and ready for some summer fun.