This pool is 20′ x 50′ so we needed to use 3 vacs to get the suction we needed on the liner, even though we always seal all the wall seams.

Here is a basic timeline of how we install our liners ::
1.  Place liner in deep end and open it to the shallow end of pool.
2.  Tuck bead into coping at couple of places around pool.
3.  Start at the step to make sure it is aligned perfectly, if the step is lined up correctly the rest will fall into place.
4.  Start working around the pool tucking the bead into the coping, making sure all the corners are aligned correctly.
5.  Once you see that the liner is where it is supposed to be, place your vacs behind the liner to start sucking the air out.  Cap all plumbing/lights/conduit that isn’t run yet so you are just pulling air from behind the liner.
6.  Install your gaskets and trim pieces around your step.
7.  Cut in your main drains installing all gaskets and faceplates.
8.  Start filling your pool with water.
9.  When the water gets to 1″ above the shallow end, cut in your lights and returns.
10.  Run pool lights before water gets to high.
11.  Cut in your skimmers.
12.  Pull vacs.

Depending on what you are viewing this on, the video is in HD (720)

When this bottom was poured it was 40 degrees out & snowing, so we made the mixture much drier than normal so that it wouldn’t freeze.

A vermiculite pool bottom is the only way to go.  (Click the maximize button in the corner if you are having troubles displaying the video)

Water takes the path of least resistance and will essentially find any gap around your pool to fill into.  If you have a high water table or a soil base that doesn’t allow water to run through it easily, you can get what is called a “floating liner”.  When the ground water pressure is more than the water pressure inside the pool, it essentially pushes the liner off the vermiculite bottom.

The pool water in the pool didn’t have enough pressure to hold back the ground water.  While this can happen to anyone that doesn’t have enough water in the pool, it can also happen when your pool is completely full of water.  The way to prevent this is to find a way to remove all the water from underneath your pool.

The traditional way to create a sump system is to ::
Dig a 3′ – 4′ deep hole next to the pool
Put a 4″ – 5″ diameter piece of PVC into the hole
Fill the bottom with washed rock
Put a sump pump into the pit to take out all the water.

I have a couple of issues with this system ::
1.  It doesn’t work, we replace liners all the time that have customers who accept the fact that liners float.
2.  The majority of the time liners float in the deep end where the most water collects, traditional sump systems only go 3′ – 4′ down.
3.  What happens in the winter when the discharge pipe freezes and the water has no place to go?

A sump system should do two things ::
1. catch the ground water to allow it to seep into the earth
2. have a way to pump the water out when if it gets full.

Penguin Pools builds sump systems for vinyl liner and fiberglass swimming pools much differently than anyone else.  We over-dig the depth of the pool 24″ – 36″ in the entire deep end hopper.  For this 8′ deep pool we hit ground water at 6′ down.

We then fill in the over-dug hopper with roughly 12″ of 1″ washed rock.  This rock doesn’t have any fine shards or powder in it, allowing water to run through it with no resistance . . . yet it will not settle!

When there is a good base of stone in the bottom of the hopper, Penguin Pools places a PVC rectangle in the bottom of the hopper.  The rigid PVC (1.5″ or 2″) has holes drilled into it every 2″ – 3″, allowing water to fill up in the piping.  This will be our way to remove the water with the pool pump . . .  Yup, we run a plumbing line directly to the pool pump.  * Notice how the rock doesn’t settle as the guys walk on it, even with it being saturated with water on wet clay!

Once the PVC grid is placed on the washed rock, cover it with landscape fabric to help prevent dirt from clogging it up over the years.

Fill the sump system with rock, holding the felt in place, until you get to the elevation you need for the vermiculite.

You can now pour your vermiculite like normal knowing that you have a completely functional sump system in the pool.

The sump system that Penguin Pools builds, allows water to collect at the lowest point of the pool and naturally drain into the ground.  It also allows you to simply turn a valve and remove all the water from under your pool.  You will have to install a discharge pipe if you use a cartridge filter (3 way valve after the filter) or simply turn your sand filter valve to waste if that is what you use.

While Penguin Pools has never had a floating liner with this system, there is nothing to say that we can’t.  However, this system uses standard home building practices to remove water while allowing the ground to absorb as much as it can.

Penguin Pools can also use an existing main drain line to create a sump system and get rid of your water issues.  We take out the liner, cut the main drains out, and build the above system using the already run main drain line for your sump system.  This process is usually best when you get your liner replaced so you aren’t paying for you liner replacement twice.

Here is a sump system that we installed in Muskego, WI.  Notice how the ramp also gets washed rock, that way any water that gets to the ramp will drain to the bottom where it can be sucked out.

Major cities that have clay and that will result in a floating liner may include, Muskego, Waterford, Brookfield, New Berlin, Big Bend, Franklin, Menomonee Falls, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Whitewater . . .

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.

In the Milwaukee, WI area we hit clay or rock 90% of the time.  Rock is most common in the Waukesha, Merton, Hartland, Sussex areas; however we have had poor conditions in Waterford, Menomonee Falls and Brookfield areas.

The way Penguin Pools of Milwaukee & Minneapolis builds vinyl liner pools on rock is fairly simple.

1.  Dig your pool like normal to spec.  The earth will fall and crumble making your dig shelf and ramps useless . . . Like the above picture.
2.  Order Traffic Bond (usually 1/4″ with fines) and fill in the hole you just dug.  This is the same material that gets compacted under your concrete flat work.
4.  Once you pool dig is level along the entire dig shelf, leave it sit until it is completely dry.  It is usually fine to work with the next day, but may take up to 24 hours.

5.  Now you can re-dig your pool to specs and the walls will hold.  The compacted TB dries like concrete and you now have virgin ground to build on.  Your vinyl liner inground swimming pool will not settle or have issues due to poor soil.  Just be aware that hand forming will be difficult due to the strength of the compacted TB.

***  Just an FYI, this requires a lot of TB 10 – 15 full dump trucks (quads).  Don’t worry, this can then be used as backfill if you so choose.

Here is another slideshow of a pool we did in 2004.

Many pool builders will just use a patch to cover a wound.  Using vermiculite to patch voids is an easy and cheap way to rectify the problem, however it isn’t the correct way to do it.  You need to create the correct earth to build on so your pool will not have issues 5, 10, 30 years down the road.  This costs more, but it is the correct way to do it and will prevent you from having to pre-maturely get a vinyl liner replacement on your swimming pool.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Penguin Pools of Milwaukee or Minneapolis.

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 . . .

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:

Don’t swim if you have diarrhea.

It sounds like common sense, but it bears repeating. And don’t send your kids to the pool if they’ve been having stomach problems.

Get to know your pool operator.

Showing you care about pool cleanliness can ensure that certain standards are met. Ask pool management about the training employees receive to operate and keep the pool clean, and how often they check the chlorine and pH levels of the water (both should be checked at least twice per day, more often on crowded days). You can also ask about how they fared on the most recent inspection, and how they’re correcting any problems that were uncovered.

Test the water yourself.

Inspectors aren’t on site every day, so what’s happening when they aren’t around? To find out, the CDC recommends purchasing easy-to-use testing strips at a local hardware or pool supply store, and measuring the pH and chlorine levels before swimming. The pH should be between 7.2 and 7.8, and there should be 1 to 3 parts per million of free chlorine in the water, according to CDC standards.

Don’t swallow pool water.

Don’t even swish it around in your mouth! You don’t have to swallow large amounts of contaminated water to get sick.

Shower before swimming.

Shower with soap and water before entering the pool so you don’t bring anything unhealthy in to the water. Don’t think you need to? Consider this fun fact: The average person has about 0.14 grams of feces on their bottom! Parents should also wash their children before swimming.

Check diapers often.

And make sure older children take regular bathroom breaks when swimming. It’s also important to change diapers in the bathroom, or other designated changing areas, and never on the pool deck or anywhere near the water.

Know the signs of a clean pool.

These include clear water, smooth pool sides (no sticky or slippery tiles), and no strong odors. A well-maintained pool should have little smell of chlorine, as a strong chemical smell can actually indicate a maintenance problem. You should also be able to hear the sounds of properly functioning pool equipment, such as pumps and filtration systems.

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.

For free form shapes or a pool with excessive curves / bends, the price might go up as we have to take a lot more measurements to make sure your liner fits perfectly.

In certain circumstances it might be necessary to turn your main drain system into a sump system to alleviate water issue with your pool or to prevent future “floating liners”.

Penguin Pools specializes in custom pool builds and inground swimming pool service.  Please contact us with any questions you might have.

Penguin Pools services all the Southern WI including but not limited to ::
Hartland, Merton, Sussex, Brookfield, New Berlin, Waukesha, Elm Grove, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, Cudahy, West Bend, Menomonee Falls, Wauwatosa, Germantown, Waterford, Muskego, Franklin, Hales Corners, Big Bend, Wind Lake, Greenfield, Greendale, West Allis, Glendale, Shorewood, Burlington, Racine, Kenosha, Lake Geneva, East Troy, Caledonia, Mequon, Brown Deer, Delafield, Oconomowoc, Colgate, Cedarburg, Fox Point, Bayside, Mukwanago.

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 fall.

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 generally has the same clarity as when we closed it!

Penguin Pools does openings throughout SE WI so we have no problem scheduling in cities like Waukesha, Milwaukee, Franklin, Greenfield, Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, Muskego, Big Bend, Hartland, Merton . . .

Contact us directly if you have any questions.

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 Vermiculite.  The sand takes years to get fully packed down and not move anymore.  HOWEVER, before it packs down you can feel waves and even make indentations with your heel in the sand.  I am sure that you have been swimming in a pool when you felt their was a gap under your feet.  That is from the substrate, sand, moving or creating divots.

Some people, not many anymore that I know of, that also use concrete under the liner.  While concrete is strong, it is very rough and grainy.  The concrete can never get as smooth as the vermiculite and in turn it will slowly rub the underside of the liner making it weak.
You may not feel it, but each time you take a step on the liner it will move a little.  If you don’t have a smooth surface it will rub the bottom of the liner raw.

Above ground swimming pools are generally less expensive and move for the budget minded consumer.  Adding sand to the bottom is usually preferred as it is less expensive.  Using Pool Krete instead of sand is going to cost about $1,000 – $1,500 instead of the $300 for the sand.

Using sand in an above ground pool is more acceptable as it is more budget minded.  Inground pools need to last for 50+ years and more times the vermiculite will only need minor patching each time you replace the liner . . . every 15 or so years.

Simply put, if you want a perfect bottom for years to come use Pool Krete on your pool bottom.  When it is done, and done correctly, you will see how perfect the liner will fit.
Penguin Pools is so dedicated to perfect pool bottoms, that we have a specially made mixer just for Strong Pool Krete.  Most people use a simply paddle mixer, but we want and need a perfect mix so we have mixer and pump only for the Pool Krete.

Since we have a specific machine for Vermiculite, we do pools bottoms for swimming pools companies located in Waukesha, Wales, Merton, Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, and Muskego.

If you would like to purchase Strong Pool Krete and have it dropped shipped to your door, simply contact MyPoolBuild.com for your order.

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.
4. Now put the lid back on your pool pump making sure that the gaskets on the lid is secured correctly on the pump.  Make sure to only hand tighten the screws or knobs holding the lid in place.  The seal from the pump to the gasket on the lid is what makes an air tight seal.
5. Making sure that only one of your suction lines is open, turn your pump on.  You will see that all the water gets sucked out of the pump and water is no longer visible in the pump.  Your pool pump is now pulling all the air out through the open suction line and forcing it through the system.  You will hear the air bubbling out of your closest return line, or you will just see it bubbling out . . . that is fine.  You  will have to wait up to a minute to see a little bit of water coming through pump, but once you see a little it is only a matter of time before the water really starts to move.
   • If after a minute your pump is not moving water, turn it off and go through the process again.  This time however add twice as much water as you did the last time.
6. When your pump is fully primed, no air moving through the pump, and moving just water it is time to open up the other valve(s).  You will know when your pump is primed as you will look through the lid and not see any air bubbles, just straight water.  SLOWLY open up another valve.  The new valve will have air in it so the pump will loose prime, but don’t fear it will come back soon.

I personally like to open the valve slowly then close it once the pool pump looses prime.  The pump will then pull straight water from the line that you started with getting fully primed again.  You might have to do it a couple of times, but it generally works better than just opening the valve completely and then walking away.  Depending on the other lines and how much air is in the plumbing, you might loose prime and have to start the entire process over.

Clean Swimming Pool Plumbing by Penguin Pools