Real estate
BY JULIANNA WASHBURN
Steinbacher said safety features are an important priority for pool owners to consider when remodeling or planning for a pool.
PHOTOS COURTESY SUNRISE POOL RENOVATIONS
Pool remodel manager Karl Steinbacher shares pool safety tips With summer in full swing, Community Impact interviewed Karl Steinbacher, the remodel manager for Sunrise Pool Renovations, on what safety features he recommends homeowners keep around backyard pools as well as costs associated with common renovations. Sunrise Pool Renovations serves the North Houston area including The Woodlands. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. What trends in safety features have you seen recently? When it comes to safety ... that’s something that people have a tendency to put on the back burner just because they don’t necessarily think of it. We’re very safety-oriented people, so we do make recommendations, especially if young children are going to be around the pool, etc. My theory on pool safety is that denied access is by far and away the best remedy. So, some type of pool fencing is the best way to go when it comes to securing the swim area. Houston has always been a good pool market. I would venture to say that probably somewhere in that 30%-50% of the homes...have some type of water device.
Is a pool cover a feature you recommend for safety reasons? People do put covers on. The reason I’m not a huge cover guy is because they’re not easy to [put on] and put back. What happens is that the homeowners do it a couple of times and then it ends up rolled up in the corner and it doesn’t get used anymore. ... The homeowners get frustrated with it, it’s a pain or they forget, they swim late one night and they forget to put it back on, so that’s why denied access is my number one way to protect yourself. Are there other recommendations you like to make when homeowners have pools and young kids? One thing I always nd interesting is that homeowners won’t hesitate to spend a couple of $100 on a nice oat for the pool, but they won’t spend a couple of $100 on safety items—like what we call a ring buoy, which has a rope attached to it [so] that if someone is in the pool struggling, you can throw them a ring buoy and allow them to catch them on to it; or, like a xed pole with a shepherd’s hook. ... It’s things like that that we nd is the easiest to recommend, the most cost ecient as far as expense, but I think every pool should have either one or both of those items. What would be a good alternative for a pool cover if someone is focused on safety? They make a pool mesh that comes in 3-foot panels that they can congure so that you can secure the pool o and not kill your backyard or
Backyard pool safety options Pool fencing Ring buoy Fixed pole with shepherds hook
Floating monitors Security cameras
SOURCE: SUNRISE POOL RENOVATIONS COMMUNITY IMPACT
kill your patio, because it’s easy to put it around the perimeter of the pool or it’s easy to take in and take out if you’re having the adult party. ... I’m not against or opposed to covers. I just don’t think that should be your No. 1 way [of] securing your pool. What should homeowners know before looking to do a pool or a backyard renovation? First, they need to develop a plan as to what they want, and then the next thing is they need to develop a budget. You have to have a budget that you can live with. I always recommend whether you’re building a new pool, having a pool renovated, etc., you always get quotes from three companies.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com.
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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