Cool Pools

   Penguin Pools’ 31 years in the business of delivering pools to Southwest Florida is a tough act to beat. With a staff of 33, this is not a company that farms out a great deal of work. From the project design through the installation of the screen enclosure, to service for years to come, Penguin Pools caters to all lifestyles.
   “We are performance driven and aim to get our customers exactly what they want,” says Greg Fox, sales manager. “That is one big difference between Penguin Pools and most other contracting firms, which nowadays tend to use subcontractors for everything. We are kind of old-fashioned in that we have a large staff. Our customers appreciate a personal touch.”
   Certainly, during any season of the year, Florida homeowners find character and comfort poolside. Not just for swimming anymore, today’s pools are alive with the sound of the babbling brook. Forget about diving boards; homeowners desire stylish makeovers that include waterfalls and fountains.
   By the Gulf of Mexico, every single estate home has one focus and that is water. Walk through any new home and the view is a vision of beauty thanks to the water world out back. Whether the water cascades over a disappearing edge or is enclosed in a shimmering backdrop of glass tile, the result is the same. Water is a calming influence in our lives.
   When building or remodeling, the pool is a good place for finesse, as outdoor living is synonymous with Florida. Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces are fine and dandy, but pools are the key ingredient in any formula for a harmonious design.
   Color selection is often an integral part of the design process, with colors of the home’s interior often finding their way to the pool coping. Whereas the white pool surface of yesteryear appeared blue after water was added, a variety of surfacing materials made of durable exposed aggregate in a wide range of colors can hold their surface smoothness and color for 10 to 15 years. Glass tile creates a soft translucence on a water feature and around the pool’s water line.
   While Penguin Pools has a reputation for award-winning pools with raised spas, dazzling light displays, fountains and built-in landscaping effects, the company builds pools for every budget.
   “People buy home magazines to dream, but keep in mind that we offer pools for the average homeowner.” says Glenn Bechdel, president. “For the $400,000 to $800,000 home, a cutting-edge pool should be part of the plan. We have the track record for the extreme high end, but we’re here to design for all budgets.”
   Years ago the pool was a cookie-cutter affair with rectangular or kidney-shaped boundaries and a pump and heater with limited functionality. Those days are long gone.
   In place of the bright white lights of 20 years ago, new fiber-optic lighting is available in many colors and can be programmed in advance to put on a light show every night of the week.
   Today’s saltwater pool sanitation systems eliminate chemical smells, green hair, ear infections, burning eyes and irritated skin with safe and effective alternatives to liquid chlorine, peroxide or bromine. The product gives the homeowner the advantage of eliminating costly store-bought chemicals from pool maintenance expenditures.
   “When people come looking for a pool, they usually ask about disappearing edges, pool lighting and saltwater pools,” says Fox. “These features have been around for years and are more popular than ever thanks to industry advances.”
   Many homebuyers take one look at the dated cement pond out back and decide to rip it out in favor of a naturally shaped water feature in an open air oasis.
   “A good percentage of our business is pool remodels,” says Fox. “Sometimes the project is as simple as resurfacing the pool, updating the coping above the water line and the water line tile and installing a new screen enclosure. Ripping out the entire pool or installing an in-ground spa is obviously more expensive, so it all depends on your budget and what you want to achieve.”
   The Cape Coral showroom of this well-respected company is a virtual testing ground and research library with ideas galore for the most discriminating clientele.
   Stop by to test the waters. Penguin Pools delivers.

PENGUIN POOLS
239 542-3410

Written by Casey McCabe