Award Winning Pools.
Blue Diamond Pools and Landscaping brings brilliance to your back yard with our award winning pool designs and services. From commercial resort to private residential hideaway, we treat each project with the same quality, care and detail.
The experienced staff at Blue Diamond will guide you in the selection of the right pool style for you. There are several to choose from, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. We also offer pool opening and pool closing services and will work with you to ensure you start and end your pool season the right way.
Shotcrete/Gunite Pools
This pool type is one of the most popular in much of North America due to its totally customizable nature. Shotcrete/gunite pools are constructed with a mixture of cement and sand. We spray shotcrete/gunite around a steel-reinforced grid. Then, our skilled crew trowels the shotcrete/gunite to an even surface and waits for approximately one week while it cures before applying a smooth finish. We also can use shotcrete; a wet or dry mix that is run through a hose and applied at high speeds onto a surface.
There is a wide variety of finishes available for these high-quality pools. Your pool can be completed with various colours of concrete, pool paint, glass or slate tile, exposed quartz marbelite or natural stone products. Gorgeous waterline tiling is also available as is a variety of choice pool coping materials. Let your creative side lead! We can also assist in the installation of the rest of your personal paradise, from outdoor living oasis to gorgeous gardens.
Fiberglass Pools
These pools are fiberglass-reinforced with plastic molded into a basin shape. To install a fiberglass pool, our construction crew digs an accurately measured hole, lays the necessary plumbing, adds filler and lowers the preformed pool structure into the hole. We then level the pool, hook up the plumbing and backfill the area around the pool. Click this link to see the exiting Leisure Fiberglass pool styles available. The main advantage of these pools is the quick speed of installation. Afterward, our professional crews can also surround your new pool with a beautiful, decorative concrete deck and lush landscaping!
Poured Concrete / Cast in Place
These pools are similar to shotcrete/gunite pools, but concrete-formed pools are more extensive to build. Instead of spraying concrete material around a rebar framework, concrete is actually poured into conventional wooden forms. These pools are typically found in larger complex projects such as a hotel where the pool is on an elevated floor and not on the main floor. With this type of pool the pool shell is usually constructed within the original hotel foundation, then the pool is installed turning the concrete shell into a functioning pool.
Vinyl-Lined
Vinyl-lined pools are the most commonly used in-ground pool today. They are built using a galvanized steel frame of various sizes and shapes. Vinyl-lined pools have a two-stage concrete floor that is hand-troweled on the underside of the liner, then backfilled with a granular fill. We use long lasting Performance Pool liners. Click here to view the wide variety of liner colours and patterns available. Vinyl pools are usually more affordable, but customization is limited. Luckily your landscaping options are endless and we will happily assist is the implementation of your perfect patio, or seductive landscape lighting plan.
Natural Swimming Pools
This popular trend borrowed from the European movement is gaining North American popularity and is the ideal solution for the ultra ecologically conscious as they require no chemicals whatsoever. Their water is purified the same way that Mother Nature does it – with plants, beneficial bacteria, and microbes. These natural pools can have swim zone that looks much like a traditional pool, but have an adjacent planting zone with special pumps and filters that take care of the cleansing. Though they can look very natural blending in with nature, they are a far cry from a simple backyard pond. These complex bio-systems contain water clean enough to drink (though not recommended). They are able to withstand heating to 86 degrees Fahrenheit and since their water is always moving mosquitoes cannot breed and they have no marshy odor. The options for landscaping around these natural swimming are the same as traditional pools, so let your creativity abound!
Pool Opening.
Blue Diamond Pools will help you schedule an appointment for when you want to open your pool this spring.
This includes:
- Reinstall pool fittings and deck equipment
- Remove the pool cover and correctly clean and store it for the summer
- Get the pumps ready and check for any damage to lining and plumbing
- Turn on water for customer. Client is responsible for turning water off once the level has reached the centre of the skimmer.
- Check the water chemistry and make certain it is stabilized.
Important Note: All pools must be cleaned, debris free and chemically balanced
Pool Closing.
Blue Diamond Pools will help you schedule an appointment for when you want to close your pool after the summer season has ended.
This includes:
- Partially drain your pool and lower your water to the proper level
- Remove and properly store any of your equipment
- Install the cover on your pool for protection
- Prepare your pumps and plumbing to prevent damage due to freezing
- Any finalization tasks to ensure your pool is safe for the winter.
Important Note: All pools must be cleaned, debris free and chemically balanced
Pool Accessories.
Award Winning Pools.
It is the unique details of every pool project that have such a large impact on the final result. Read below for options to consider and make your poolscape perfect just for you.
Concrete Spas
Nothing enhances the enjoyment of a backyard like the addition of a spa. Hot tubs have many health benefits such as easing tension and helping one unwind after a busy day. Spas also expand social opportunities and are a fun leisure activity to enjoy with family and friends.
Water Features
We are dedicated to designing the perfect waterfall to fit your poolscape’s look and character. Though water features are often incorporated right into the construction of the pool, we can also integrate a beautiful water feature into an existing pool area, without extensive renovation. Water features can be created from tile, concrete, or natural stone.
Waterfalls generated with rock are perfect for pool styles that have a rustic or lagoon feel, whereas fountains and sheetfalls are ideal choices for a more contemporary pool setting. If you’re seeking a non-traditional but dramatic effect, deck jets are the perfect choice!
Keep in mind, water features produce a variety of moods based on the flow rate and size. Rock waterfalls are known for creating a loud gushing sound sure to mask any additional outside noise. Alternatively, you may wish to keep it understated with a sheer decent waterfall; a quiet and calming waterfall that still allows for poolside conversation. Regardless of the atmosphere desired, with the added ambiance of a luminous waterfall, you, your family and friends will enjoy your backyard oasis even more!
Fire Features
Fire features are a newer trend when it comes to the options available to bring your poolscape to perfection. They are the ultimate in element combination and depending on the style chosen, are ideal in contemporary, tradition or rustic landscape settings. Fire features can range from a linear firewall to flank the length of your pool to an upright outdoor fireplace or fire pit look; plus anything and everything in between. Visit our exciting line of Napoleon Fire Feature possibilities!
In-Pool Lighting
By adding submerged lighting to you pool, a whole new feast for the eyes occurs. You can choose from a classic blue glow to multi-coloured light show options to suit your mood. Lighting can also be fitted to any water feature adding focus and drama.
Steps, Ledges and Family Benches
Large entry steps and sunning ledges within pools are very trendy and functional. They are ideal places for safe water play for very young swimmers, and for those who like to soak up the sun while staying cool. Family benches are the perfect spot to take in a beautiful view and a great place to rest. Massaging jets can also be added to theses areas for the ultimate in pool relaxation.
Automatic Safety Covers
Anyone who owns a pool with an automatic safety cover will tell you, they are wonderfully convenient. Another benefit is they are almost completely hidden when not in use; meaning no unsightly pool roller! And for those with children and pets they can also give peace of mind that your pool is safe and secure when not in use. Visit Coverstar Canada to view.
Marbelite Pools.
Marbelite is a mixture of white cement and white marble dust used as an interior pool finish designed for resurfacing gunite or shotcrete pools. It can be given a colour, quartz finish, glass bead finish or be left white.
Marbelite transforms ordinary concrete into a beautiful and practical surface, resistant to chemicals, algae and staining.
We feel it’s important to educate our clients about the best ways to maintain their new marbelite swimming pool surfaces, in an effort to ensure lasting results.
Steps for Marbelite Application
First, we apply a scratch/bond coat that needs to dry thoroughly before we apply the marbelite finish. Usually, this requires three to five days. Next, we will hand trowel the marbelite finish smoothly over the previous coat. It takes approximately a month for the marbelite finish to cure, during which proper maintenance is essential to keep it new looking and maintenance-free for years to come. Sometimes it is necessary to chip, or key, below the waterline’s tiles to avoid unsightly bulges before the swimming pool restoration process can be completed. If the marbelite finish is more than a half-inch thick, “keying” the tiles will help create a seamless, “feathered-in” look with the finished product resulting in a beautiful, smooth marbelite finish in your choice of colour.
View our Marbelite colours here with Pebbletec
Caring for Marbelite
We feel it’s important to educate our clients about the best ways to maintain their new marbelite swimming pool surfaces, in an effort to ensure lasting results. Here are some helpful maintenance tips to get you started; but for a more in-depth look at Marbelite Care please click here.
- You should begin filling your pool with water immediately after we’ve installed the marbelite, unless you’ve been advised otherwise. You should also begin filtering the pool immediately to decrease calcium build-ups and to ensure proper pool circulation for chemical distribution.
- Ensure your pool’s filtration system is properly functioning at all times to maintain clear, sanitary water conditions.
- Whenever possible, only use name-brand products when treating your pool’s water. Don’t be tempted by cheaper imitation products that may contain damaging additives.
- Try to keep your marbelite surface wet and clean of debris. Please note that if some crazing should appear, it’s perfectly normal and will disappear after the marbelite has finished absorbing its moisture.
- For the first two weeks, you will need to clean your pool daily with a non-metallic brush and vacuum, but avoid using a vacuum with wheels that may scuff the surface.
- Your pool’s pH level may seem a little high for a few weeks, but be aware that this is normal. It should decrease with continued use. The desired pH level lies between 7.4 and 7.6. If it doesn’t decrease over time, contact us.
- When the pool is not being used for the season, be sure to cover it with a pool cover.
- Always try to keep the water’s level above your new marbelite finish to avoid crazing, delamination or discoloration.
Water Chemistry
Water chemistry is the single most important aspect of maintenance to understand. If you have heavy amounts of metals (such as copper and iron) that have precipitated in your water, it may result in unsightly stains around your new marbelite finish. Contact us to find out what mineral-cancelling chemicals we recommend to help neutralize your water’s chemistry to prevent as much marbelite deterioration as possible. Please view the table below or visit the National Plasterers Council (NPC) for more information regarding marbelite’s chemistry characteristics.
pH 7.4 – 7.6
Cyanuric acid (stabilizer) Below 50 ppm
Alkalinity 80 – 120 ppm
Sequestering agent 10 – 20 ppm monthly
Free available chlorine (FAC) 1 – 3 ppm
Metals 0 ppm
Combined chlorine 0 ppm
Total available chlorine (TAC) Equal to free (represents 0 ppm combined)
Calcium hardness 200 – 400 ppm (below 250 for exposed aggregate)
Total dissolved solids (TDS) Below 1200 ppm or no more than 800 ppm above fill water