The demand for one-piece pools is growing year on year in the UK as the concept becomes more widely understood. Today’s portfolio of one-piece pool options is as broad as it is long. Production enhancements combined with high quality materials, customisable options, luxury finishes and extended warranties have led to a swell in the one-piece pools market – and the trend looks set to continue. “The pool trade are more interested in one-piece pools than ever before,” comments Ed West, Managing Director of Sunquest Pools. “The profile of one-piece pools has been raised considerably in the last few years, mainly within the consumer market, but it’s now the trade that are really seeing the benefits. “One-piece pools are generally easier and much quicker to install than concrete or liner pools, so the trade can benefit from more turnover with minimal input,” he adds. Buckinghamshire-based Sunquest Pools have recently teamed up with newly formed, to deliver a brand new one-piece exercise pool to the UK market. The Slipstream was launched at SPATEX this year and combines three important components, which make it stand out from the crowd. Firstly, the built-in Hydrostar turbine gives optimal performance of 160m3 per hour up to 430m3 hr, which means the pool suits a range of swimmers from amateurs up to professional triathletes or even iron man training. Secondly, the designers tapped into the British yacht and boat building industry when designing the GRP pool shell, resulting in a first class finish that is strong, highly durable and will last for many years. Finally, the integrated Ocea pool cover, within the Slipstream sits in specially designed GRP case that doubles as a seating area and shallow step, and offers insulation or solar heating depending on the type of cover selected. Alan Thorne, Managing Director of Ocea UK comments: “The reaction to the Slipstream by the pool trade has been very enthusiastic. They seem to like the overall package of a finished onepiece exercise pool that can be delivered complete onsite.
TRAINING POOL
“When we launched at SPATEX, everyone seemed surprised by the effectiveness of the 24V turbine powered counter current, especially when they saw our national-level swimmer put the unit through its paces. Most people couldn’t believe we were getting so much flow from a 16amp low voltage system! This, combined with the low noise and simple remote control of the speed settings was an instant winner.” Alan adds: “The icing on the cake was the ability for users to download an app on their phone so that they could record and view their swimming performance and session times with details of speed and distance swam in every session offering the ability to use the Slipstream pool as a true training pool.” Manufactured in the UK and designed as an all-in-one package solution, the Slipstream offers the convenience of a lap pool in a very small area. Slipstream pools come in a basic width of 2.4m and as standard come 6m length, however, shorter pool lengths are possible if space is an issue. Delivery times vary between six to eight weeks on average. Ed West of Sundance Pools adds: “The Slipstream meets the market for people looking for a small exercise pool. In the past this sector of the market might have opted for a swim spa. In fact, I would suggest that a large proportion of customers that buy swim spas don’t actually want a swim spa – they are actually looking for a Slipstream, and we are excited to have filled that gap in the market.”
MINIMAL LABOUR
The concept of one-piece pools is fairly straightforward; they offer high aesthetics on a short build time with minimal labour required. From a consumer perspective, one-piece pools are sold off-the-peg from a price list, which allows the customer to customise their pool at the click of a button. Customers are able to browse the range and choose their pool, which is delivered complete and installed within a couple of weeks from start to finish. For the trade, one-piece pools offer a quick installation and a controllable profit margin. The systemised one-piece installation is fast, straightforward and can be done in almost all weather conditions, therefore limiting the number of costly factors that can ultimately affect the profit margin. The one-piece Luxe Pool stands out for its strength and durability. Manufactured within a 15,000 square metre factory using more than 100 tons of resin every month, are designed to cater for extreme temperature changes found in northern Europe, Scandinavian and Russian climates. With over 15 different models to choose from, Luxe offer the perfect choice for indoor or outdoor swimming pools. Luxe also offer a carbon steel frame support system for above ground pool installations.
ACCESS ALL AREAS
Distributed exclusively in the UK by Paramount Pools, Managing Director, Steve Martin says Luxe Pools offer dealers versatility by delivering the complete package with many optional extras from stainless steel fittings, LED lights, swim jets to extra PU foam insulation for Part L requirements. Steve explains: “Accessibility is often the Achilles heel for one-piece-pool deliveries. “However, all Luxe pools are delivered on a low-level 8m trailer and transit van. If our van can access your site, so can your pool! The largest fabricated pool only weighs 1050kg so if access is restricted the pool can always be lifted over the dwelling!” To protect the integrity of the Luxe Pools brand and the pricing structure, Paramount Pools are currently supplying the pools through a network of 42 approved dealers, ensuring the end-user receives the best possible advice, installation, assistance and customer service. “There is no investment necessary, all we stipulate is for each dealer to attend site to either install or advise on installation,” adds Steve. “This procedure prevents the pool from being sold on price alone on a website and ensure after sales care is implemented.”
RECORD YEAR
2018 was a record year for Certikin in terms of sales of one-piece pools. As the official UK distributor for bespoke , Certikin is forecasting another year of continued growth in the sector. “This market is a real growth area for us,” reveals David Steptoe- Brown, Sales Manager for one-piece pools at Certikin. “With the Niveko product we have entered the premium end of the market where as historically one-piece pools have tended to be in the lower end.” Niveko pools combine the benefits of a concrete pool with those of a traditional one-piece pool creating a completely unique product offering high end aesthetics, completely bespoke design and quick installation. All pools are pre-plumbed and pressure tested at the factory ready to plug and play with the filtration system. New for this year is the skimmer invisible which is exclusive to Niveko. This unique design allows for minimal freeboard which creates a minimalist transition between the pool wall and water run off whilst maintaining the maximum water level. The traditional skimmer is built into the rear part of the pool shell. David adds: “We think the one-piece pools market can only grow. With this product we are competing in new arenas that we have not done before and the top end of the market is a real growth area.”
NATURAL PROCESS
Lewis Savage of HTP Hot Tubs & Pools has been installing Niveko one-piece pools for over nine years. He made the leap from hot tubs to pools after a client asked him to oversee a pool installation project. The Niveko pool was brought into the UK three weeks after the order was confirmed, followed by a further two weeks of groundworks, pipeworks, filtration and landscaping. Since then, HTP have worked closely with Niveko to successfully install one-piece pools every year, which runs parallel to the hot tub side of the business. “Making the move into pools from a hot tub background was a natural process for me,” explains Lewis. “I was used to running large projects – sometimes multi-million pound projects that would run over 12 months or more. The pool build system from Niveko means I can have ten pool projects underway at any one time and it’s easy to manage.” Lewis says that one of his biggest learning curves was realising that the traditional pool building methods are greatly reduced in time when building a concreted one-piece pool: “It’s remarkable how quickly you can save time and install in any weather,” he comments. “However, it’s important to remember that a one-piece pool is not a quick fix and the installer has to have an understanding of pool construction. This is a permanent, high-end finished pool build that requires attention to fine details and must be handled correctly. As I always say ‘knowledge is power’.”
AWARD-WINNING ONE-PIECE DESIGN
HTP Pools & Hot Tubs took Gold in the Residential Indoor Pool of the Year category at the 2018 UK Pool & Spa Awards with a high-end Niveko one-piece pool project in the Cotswolds. The brief was to create a luxury pool with a simplistic and clean line finish that would require a low level of maintenance. HTP specified a Niveko one-piece pool and a Heatstar XF EC air handling and recovery system. The pool also features a Bayrol Pool Manager automatic dosing system and a fully automatic concealed cover. The project was completed on time and came in under budget. “Niveko’s turnaround time for production is one of the best in the industry, we just need the ancillary suppliers such as the hard landscaping products and service supplies to be up to speed,” comments Lewis. “A project can be delayed several days or even weeks when in the hands of ancillary product suppliers from the building or infrastructure industries. Niveko have a team of highly qualified engineers, so when you couple that with HTP’s ability to write proper construction programs it proves and highlights a delay quite quickly – especially when we get a hot summer and we all just want to swim!”
FULLY TILED OPTION
In addition to the GRP range, Luxe Pools also offer a onepiece fully tiled pool, the Tilestone, available as a skimmer, overflow or infinity edge type pool. A unique manufacturing process ensures 100% leak-free pool structure prior to tiling. All Tilestone pools are fully insulated with a thermal conductivity of 0.25 W / m²k. The self-supporting 100mm carbon steel box frame enables the pool to be installed above or below ground, ideal for roof-top installations or basements. Sectional pool structures are also available.
COMPANY CONTACTS
ASTRALPOOL UK
TEL. 01329 514 000
WWW.ASTRALPOOL.CO.UK
CERTIKIN
TEL. 01993 777200
WWW.CERTIKIN.CO.UK
NIVEKO POOLS
TEL. +420 734 231 760
WWW.NIVEKO-POOLS.COM
HTP HOT TUBS & POOLS
TEL. 07730 003 934
WWW.HOTTUBPEOPLE.COM
SLIPSTREAM POOLS
TEL. 020 3973 9999
WWW.SLIPSTREAMPOOLS.COM
PARAMOUNT POOL PRODUCTS
TEL. 01256 748 380
WWW.PARAMOUNT-POOLS.CO.UK
