www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
StainlessSteelPools APR 2011 SPN
67
One of the most glamorous infinity edge pools in the world – the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, a stainless steel pool built on the 55th floor by the Natare Corporation
Nothing can match the durability and strength of stainless steel pools. Their popularity has grown steadily over the past 25 years, built on guaranteeing no leaks and no problems. They provide remarkably flexible options and can still be adapted to fit most shapes and they provide instant solutions when weight and access is an issue
I
t is a simple bold statement which can’t really be argued with.
Over the past 25 years in the story of building swimming pools – nothing has matched the durability, strength and versatility of stainless steel. In that time, pool construction systems have fluctuated and changed positions in any ‘league table’ of popularity – including cast-in-place concrete, shotcrete concrete, galvanized steel, fibreglass and moulded polyethylene. The big three benefits which make stainless steel pools so much in vogue these days are that
they have significantly reduced maintenance costs with no painting, patching or plastering: they are permanently watertight and they offer lightweight construction solutions. They also, according to Michael Thomas, who knows about these things, offer an option which fits a UK belief in investment in better quality. Michael Tomas from the Natare Corporation in Indianapolis has been building stainless steel pools for over 25 years.
“On balance, stainless steel pools seem to suit the European and UK markets perfectly. I think that is because those markets are willing to accept a higher investment in strength and durability. The United States is more of a throwaway market – where perhaps people want change and then more change.”
Natare say that ease of installation is a major benefit for larger pools as panels are prefabricated prior to arriving on site
Twenty five years ago stainless steel pools were difficult to find. It’s now a very different picture. Adds Michael Thomas: “Today, 40% of new pools being built are using stainless steel. It is green as a construction material; recycled stainless steel is 100% sustainable and has no negative impact on the environment whatsoever.” Natare offers 25 year guarantees on its pools. “We have a pool which we put in a state park facility in Indiana which is still functioning and has been used without any trouble and is reliable
today as it ever was. A stainless steel pool is permanently watertight.
“It just will not crack or leak like conventional pools. Concrete may not be ideally suited for holding water – it’s a surface which cracks, can shrink and won’t be watertight.”
Stainless steel pools also have a strong claim for use in locations where weight is a problem, so where there are space constraints or design requirements call for a pool to go above the ground floor, stainless steel is a much more attractive option. It is 10% of the weight of a concrete pool so building a rooftop pool, for example, gives it a huge advantage. The ‘stainless’ description comes from a time when steel was being adapted in the manufacture of cutlery. It became a generic name and now covers a wide range of steel types and grades for corrosion or oxidation resistant applications. Stainless steels are iron alloys with a minimum of 10.5% chromium. Other alloying elements are added to enhance their structure and properties such as formability, strength and cryogenic toughness. These include nickel, molybdenum, titanium and copper.
Mark Watson, who has exclusive distribution of the Natare branded services for stainless pools in the UK as part of PPK, says: “We are quoting more
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