Look inside: enclosures' versatility make them popular in the pool world

Pool & Spa News, May 10, 2002 by Cynthia Caldwell

What do most prospective pool buyers dream about?

In a nutshell, they want to have the ability to swim in all seasons and enjoy a pool and leisure area whenever they choose.

Think pool enclosure. By most standards, a pool enclosure has a specialized appeal. However, there are consumer markets for this product in all areas of the country, both urban and rural.

Within this market, there are some customers for whom glass-house enclosures make more sense. It's important that builders be able to recognize this type of potential customer.

A perfect fit

The ideal candidate for a glass pool enclosure lives in an area with enough bad weather that the swim season is very short.

In parts of the Midwest and Northeast, for example, the swim season lasts only 90 days. Many people want to extend that swim time, either for fun, recreation, exercise or entertainment purposes. They have a need to get more than three months' use out of their pool annually.

Also, growing numbers of people need enclosures for physical therapy. They might not need a huge structure, but rather, an enclosure for a smaller pool where they can swim against the jets. Or maybe they want a pool designed for water aerobics, where the water needs to be kept warm.

For many people with arthritis, cerebral palsy or other physical needs, the enclosure won't be for entertainment. It will serve a more functional purpose and, as a result, a smaller unit will meet their needs.

Builders should think of enclosures in terms of the type of pool they're going to provide for the customer. Are they going to construct an 8-by-16-foot therapy pool? If so, what type of enclosure is needed? Or will it be a lap pool that's very long and narrow? Many times, the pool size helps the builder make recommendations that are proportionately correct for what his or her client's needs.

Become a know-it-all

It also helps to become really knowledgeable about the product. Just as builders know what makes a pool work, they should also become acquainted with what an enclosure can do for their customer.

When they know which options are available, they can steer clients in the right direction. For example, an enclosure can come with a fixed roof, or an electric or manual-opening roof.

Say the client lives in an area where they don't want glass all the way around the enclosure because they want a portion of privacy--that can make a huge difference in the cost, too.

A customer may come in requesting an 18-by-36-foot pool with 6 feet of decking all the way around it. However, if there are budgetary considerations, a glass enclosure can offer some flexibility. An indoor pool does not have to be centered in the middle of the building. A lot of enclosures will be tucked more into one corner, where there's less deck on one end and one side, but more deck on the other end and side--allowing more leisure space if the client wants to include some casual furniture.

One of the biggest mistakes a pool builder has to be careful to avoid is oversizing--namely, installing a building too big for the size of the pool. Customers tend to want that because they think they might have 10 people swimming at one time and they want lots of deck space to accommodate the crowd. That's fine, but increasing the square footage will increase the builder's price when it might not have been necessary.

If the client's family wants to swim in the winter, but won't really be entertaining at that time, then you can use an indoor/outdoor effect and get away with having less space around the pool. This can also cut down on energy costs if the client plans to heat the area.

They can still have a nice patio outside the enclosed pool and extend the entertainment area during the late spring and summer, when the weather is nicest--simply open some of those glass doors and enjoy the outside and inside of the enclosure.

Don't lose it

Sometimes builders can lose the whole sale by not looking at the option of an enclosure.

A customer may come in thinking, I will buy a pool if I can swim in it more than three months out of the year. But if the builder fails to pick up on that and doesn't work with the customer to find something to cover the pool, the customer may not buy the pool either.

Then the builder loses the entire sale rather than enjoying the financial benefit from all the amenities that would have come to his company if he had thought to offer the enclosure.

Cynthia Caldwell is national marketing manager at CCSI International Inc., based in Garden Prairie, Ill.