Are there any pool builders who build per standards?

[otherstuff]

I've heard many diatribes beginning with "I/We have been building pools for xx years...blah, blah, blah..." whenever I mention standards (about which, they apparently never bothered to inquire in all those years - yikes!!!).

Anyone know of any pool builders who actually build to published standards? Isaan area preferred. Thanks!

Edited October 16, 2015 by otherstuff

[sappersrest]

what standards do you refer to, PWTAG or SPATA for the UK . I am sure there are trade organisations and governing bodies through out the world.

Ask to see previous projects.

If you live in an area that has a high water table or bad ground get a civil engineer involved.

Thailand does believe it or not does have regulations for public pools.

Depending on your background it may be worth buying one of the books listed in a previous post

A copy of the SPATA guidlines are available from them for 21,350 Baht.

Edited October 16, 2015 by sappersrest

[otherstuff]

what standards do you refer to, PWTAG or SPATA for the UK . I am sure there are trade organisations and governing bodies through out the world.

Ask to see previous projects.

If you live in an area that has a high water table or bad ground get a civil engineer involved.

Thailand does believe it or not does have regulations for public pools.

Depending on your background it may be worth buying one of the books listed in a previous post

A copy of the SPATA guidlines are available from them for 21,350 Baht.

Yes, I was the person who posted the International and USA standards in hopes some builder would front-run me.

Looking at past projects and speaking with past customers is indeed part of my vetting process for vendors. Still, they are not going to give me the contact info for the projects which are not reference-able; and THOSE are the ones which matter most.

Any Joe can claim to be a qualified pool builder, but I have come across more than one outfit which has zero clue and actually subs out the work to laborers who have zero clue. I'm not interested in choking a baht coin. On the contrary, I want a quality job and I am prepared to pay for said quality.

Step one, it would seem, would be to find a vendor who knows the standards (seemingly impossible so far). Step two would be to confirm their past projects were in fact built accordingly.

Queue "Theme from Mission: Impossible" music...

Edited October 16, 2015 by otherstuff

[otherstuff]

I took a look at SPATA

http://www.spata.co.uk/trade/trade-publications/

Those standards would be just fine. I would hate to rely on someone's say-so about how great they are and then regret it later. I am a veteran of having a "high-spec" [read: ordinary USA designed] home built here already. Ha!

[sappersrest]

I can remember the Spata guidelines are fairly technical, you would have to come to grips with the terminology used.

If however you are technical minded and don]t mind doing a lot of research there is plenty of good stuff on the net drawings etc you could perhaps write your own specication.

If I ever wanted a pool mine would be made from stainless steel.Easy to construct all you need a good supply of 316 stainless sheet and box section and a good welder.

A 25 m school pool that we designed the filtration system and pool hydraulics for built from stainless steel

Edited October 16, 2015 by sappersrest

[Chaichara]

No pool builder in Thailand is going to invest Baht 22,000.00 in a book about standards, especially if they are not even native English speakers. Also, Isan is an area the size of England and Wales although that may seem small for English speakers from other parts of the world. You don't have much choice in Isan. The further they have to come - and that could be 500Km (300 miles) and still in Isan, the more expensive they would be. AFAIK, there are reputable companies in or around Surin and Udon Thani but not much else inbetween. You'll probably get the best service and reliability from pool constructors who speak your own language fluently and who bring with them a knowledge of pool construction from the USA, Australia, or Europe. There are no pool builder associations here in Thailand. Like any diploma-mill worldwide, however, there are several organisations (from what I see , they are based in the US) who will sell you a certificate for several 1,000 dollars.

I would suggest you talk at length to a pool company (a genuine incorporated firm) and let your sixth-sense work. There is evasive and there is evasive, some kinds of which mean they haven't really got a clue, some which mean they are not going to reveal to you the trade knowledge for free so that you can go off and build your pool yourself. Some may only be interested in providing a turn-key project while others may offer a complete technical equipment package and/or other levels of assistance - a lot depends on the scope of your project: are you making a big fuss about a 3 x 6 splash pit in your yard, or is it a half-olympic for a golf club, an international school, or a fitness centre? But remember, this is Thailand, and if you're going to stand behind your chosen team and yell at them as one would back home, they'll just walk off the job. If you think getting quality here is 'mission impossible' try getting a law suit to make them come back to work!

Ask them some leading questions about what kind of waterproofing methods they use for concrete pool construction, what brand of tile adhesive and grout they use, what kind, size, and grade of PVC piping they use and what kind of glue. Ask them what components they put in their control boxes. Ask them what brands of filters, pumps, and underwater lights they install - then check out the Internet and see if those brands are officially represented in Thailand or if the products came across in a small pool builders luggage or are cheap Chinese copies. And see how long they hesitate before answering. But don't make it look as if they are having to pass an exam while you have the text book in your lap.

[kamalabob2]

I had my first swimming pool in Thailand designed and installed by the Bangkok headquarters of JD Pools. Steep learning curve on my part, even more so for my wife. Did not take long to find a better Buriram source of swimming pool chemicals and swimming pool salt. I run into Buriram Home Owners who have had swimming pools designed and installed by several different Bangkok based swimming pool builders. A friend is currently having a swimming pool built by a British expat from Surin who has other Buriram province references. I'll post photos of the Buriram Swimming Pool construction later this week. It is also the 2nd pool in Isaan for that expat who selected this Surin based swimming pool builder over same spec bids from Bangkok. It is NOT mission impossible to find and hire competent tradesmen in Buriram in my experience. Certainly easy to find and pay incompetent people has also been my experience.