FEATURES
Diving In

by Jenan Jones Benson
Collaboration creates pool perfection

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARRINGTON POOLS. Tanning ledges along the pool’s walls allow hesitant swimmers to enjoy the water.

No matter how skilled and diversified you and your team may be, sometimes a joint effort is the ideal way to maximize business opportunities and customer satisfaction. In today’s world, opportunities to increase sales and drive down expenses are key to business success.

For J.J. Hayden, Inc. (www.jjhayden.com), a landscape design and build firm based in Woodstock, Ill., partnering with a company that specializes in creating swimming pools and spas is a marriage made in heaven. Both Hayden and Barrington Pools, Inc. say that their ongoing collaboration is productive and profitable.

Tim Borth, a landscape architect at J.J. Hayden, says it is imperative for a landscape contractor faced with a project that includes a pool to work with quality pool and irrigation companies and to develop a plan to pull all the elements together effectively.

“Communication and coordination is the key for everything working together in harmony,” he says.

Started by John Hayden, the company often partners with Barrington Pools when working on outdoor recreation projects. A member of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association and specializing in residential projects, J.J. Hayden provides its customers with design services and installs gardens, walkways, driveways, decks, retaining walls, patios, waterfalls and other water features, as well as Christmas light decorating.

Barrington Pools (www.barringtonpools.com) dove into the business in 1973. Based in Barrington, Ill., it continues as a family owned and operated venture, but that doesn’t mean the firm doesn’t change with the times. Sales Director Mike Murillo says the biggest industry modifications are seen as technology advances to offer more efficient pumps, heaters and cartridge filters.

“We design our pools so that maintenance is kept to a minimum,” he says.

In accordance with today’s trend towards more environmentally friendly living, Barrington offers a “green package” that reduces chemical use. Soft water is used, along with ultraviolet light, minerals and a minute quantity of chlorine for cleaning. Thus, eliminating the typical “pool smell.”

“Some of the water we are making for our pools is cleaner than what one would find out of tap water in some towns,” Murillo says.

A partnership at work

Last year, Barrington and Hayden collaborated on a residential project in Kildeer, Ill. The homeowner envisioned an outdoor living area fully outfitted for recreation, relaxation and entertaining. An outdoor kitchen with a dining area, fireplace, seating areas and landscaping flank the pool and spa. Crews spent about 12 weeks on the job, with over 60 people contributing to the project.

The waterfall is carefully secured with mortar, but appears to be dry stacked.

Prior to excavation, the contractors met to create an overall plan for the al fresco entertainment area that flows directly from a rear entrance of the residence. Hayden noted that there were some drainage issues on the site due to the flat terrain, so tiling, catch basins and subtle swales were worked into the plan to aid in moving water out of the area.

With plan in hand, the Barrington team painted lines for digging the pool. From the moment the backhoe commenced the excavation phase, the 20-by-40-foot pool’s ultimate modified rectangular shape was being sculpted. “Our backhoe operator is very good and is able to start the shaping,” Murillo says.

When the free-form design’s configuration was completed, steel and .5-inch rebar was placed, positioning the rebar 6 inches apart for the first few feet. Barrington finds that if plumbing is installed in the pool walls, the walls are weakened, so the company places pipes through the walls, which are thickened by 6 inches for additional strength. The pool itself was poured with shotcrete, which included a fiber mesh. “The fiber mesh adds strength and longevity and helps eliminate cracks and leaks,” Murillo says.

J.J. Hayden and Barrington Pools partnered to create an outdoor recreation area, complete with pool, spa, outdoor kitchen and landscaping. Ornamental aluminum fencing separates the pool from the barbecue and dining area. The dolphin design on the pool floor was created with mosaic tiles.

Pool features

The natural appearance of the pool’s stone waterfall belies the extensive and unseen structure supporting it.

“We bury the best material,” Murillo says. “That gives the longevity.”

To create the waterfall, a dig below the region’s frost line, about 2.5 feet, was completed, and three rolls of .5-inch rebar were installed. The fiber mesh-reinforced shotcrete was shot prior to installing the plumbing. A mason set the Chilton outcropping stone with mortar after each rock was put in place with a skid loader and slings. Because no mortar joints are used, the water feature appears to be dry stacked. Both the waterfall and the pool’s slide have individual pumps, allowing the owner to operate each independently and to control water volume.

Likewise, the diving stone’s substructure was put in place prior to the installation of cement, decking, tiling and coping. The stone, selected by the homeowner from a supply yard, was mortar set on top of the shotcrete base. Four stone tanning ledges were placed just inside the pool. A few inches of water laps over the stones, which are large enough to accommodate chairs.

The pool floor was adorned with a dolphin design fashioned with mosaic tile. Tile crews set the image with plaster, creating one smooth surface for the safety of pool users. Barrington will create custom designs for its clients.

A 6-inch lip houses an automatic cover. Murillo says that although the pool has a free-form shape, it is a basic rectangular configuration. The cover was designed as rectangular so it doesn’t sustain damage by moving over concrete.

All infrastructure elements, including gas and electricity hookups, are hidden in equipment pads. Each function, including heating and lighting, can be operated by remote control from within the home, saving trips to the equipment pad.

Completing the space

The design of the new outdoor space included new stone step outs at the back door of the residence that lead to a deck and patio created with Brussels pavers. In the center of the patio is a circle of patterned bluestone, which creates a seating area for the stone fireplace. A low stone wall delineates the patio from the rest of the yard.

A stone barbecue island, refrigerator and dining area were installed between the fireplace and fenced in pool area. This was the first project that Hayden used a prefabricated barbecue and fireplace, products which he found to work well.

Paths into the backyard were laid with flagstone. Plantings for the design included shrubs, small trees and perennial and annual flowers.

The overall finished product offers beauty, functionality and ease of maintenance thanks to the planning and collaboration between landscaper and pool contractor.

Based in Greensboro, N.C., the author writes articles about horticulture, landscaping, agriculture and travel. She has been a contributor to Moose River Media publications for three years.