Choosing the right Pool Contractor

Choosing the right pool contractor can be an endless game when you are looking for rock-bottom pricing! Sometimes that idea can really backfire on you and you will be stuck paying more money to fix problems created by the inexperience that comes with the low prices...

In my line of work, I have come across some great pool contractors and have come into projects where it has been absolute pool nightmares for the customer because their chosen contractor was not all he cracked up to be.

In the photo above we see a pool design I had put together. The drawing was completed a few months before the pool was dug in the ground. The chosen contractor sold the client on a great project and convinced them to change my drawing plan in an attempt to save them money. In reality, the contractor was essentially trying to save himself on construction costs so he could obtain more profit from this particular job.

My drawing showed the pool sitting lower in grade than what the existing grade at the back of the home was. The yard sloped downward and so it was important to drop the pool level with a small retaining wall between the home and the pool like in the picture...

The contractor's idea... leave the pool at the same level as the existing grade of the back of the home... which would give them more usable patio space and save them money! Well, on a flat lot, that would be true! Anyway, they trusted his advice and when he started the work, he only had to dig the pool half into the ground... there was the money savings...for him! After he set the pool up he realized that now the back of the pool called for an even higher and longer retaining wall than my original small step-down in the original plan.

He went back to the customer asking for a large sum of money to complete the project and that is when my phone rang.... questions arose as to why things were not working. When I came on site, it was obvious, the plan was not followed and this contractor did not have a clue about grade heights! Solution!...a painful one at best....pull the pool apart, dig the pool pit deeper and re-install everything...follow my plan and everything will work!!!!

The right pool contractor will start with the right design and the right contractor will consider all options before digging a pool in... How professional is it to start a project and ask for more money halfway through because the contractor did not see that what he was doing will end up needing a huge retaining wall!? My plan anticipated that factor and my solution was as shown in the picture. My plan was intended to save the client money and the headache of paying to build a retaining wall in TRCA protected land.

The contractor was fired shortly after my meeting once he fixed the pool height! The customer was forced to find someone else to complete their project...

Front Yard Ideas

Here is one project I worked on last Fall with the design and earlier this Spring with organizing the plantings. The backyard is currently in the process of being completed... those pictures will have to wait till next season.


Landscaping a property is never a quick and instant process... There are budgets that can keep projects from full completion...and then there is plant material that needs a few years to mature while filling in their spaces according to the visions I have created in my mind...

Anyway, I went by the other day to take some pictures of how things filled in over the summer. The client was looking for a very clean and organized feel to the front yard...nothing that would be overly messy and need a lot of maintenance throughout the growing season.

The standard driveway lines up from the garage to the street curb...the pathway can double for the odd secondary car that may park there when guests are visiting. The whole idea was to not make the front yard feel like one big driveway...


The knee-wall in front of the stairway defines a gathering area for visiting guests...and functions as a seating space as well. The wall is made from the same materials as the home so as to tie it in properly to make it look and feel like it is part of the house.

One of the unfortunate things with this project is the Eastern White Birch tree that was planted by the municipal forestry people... We could not prune it, cut it down and simply replace it with a strong and healthy looking tree. Birch trees are not the best street trees suited for urban areas as they are not a very long lived tree. They are also much happier trees in the forests where the air is usually cooler in summer. They are also better suited to the ground being moist and shady for most of the growing season...

Western Red Cedar Fence

I started this project back in the fall of 2010... the project is still under way as I have not had much time this Spring to complete. I have been so busy with design work for my clients.... but it is getting there... slowly....

My neighbour made me promise I would build a nice fence.... I don't think she was expecting it to be as nice as this one...

As you study the detail you may notice that there are not very many nails showing in terms of what holds the fence together...some carefully thought out trim details and board placement has allowed for that.

A fence like this is not something put up in a day... there is a lot of cutting and sanding involved. Every second fence board was ripped into a half piece on the table saw, sanded and then stained...in fact, every piece of lumber put on this fence was pre-stained before assembly and is now awaiting a second coat of stain to seal it up nicely.

I have just applied the second coat to the screens the other day and I planted some Honeysuckle vines to trail up and fill in along the trellis screens. The screen details in the fence give an architectural element that allows great interest to the eye as you walk down the pathways to the backyard or the side door entry.

My next project phase is to build a covered structure in the backyard...that is currently in the planned stage and materials pricing stage... Once the structures are built, the patio and pathways will be completed.

Mock Orange Flowering Shrub - Philadelphus coronarius

Well it's been a while since I posted about a plant or shrub to use in the landscape... Here is a shrub that I use consistently in my designs where space and growing conditions will allow...


This is a shrub that will tolerate Full Sun or Part Shade...but does better in full sun as it will develop more blooms. The fragrance of the blooms is amazing! They have a citrus-like scent to them and when the wind blows just right, it will carry the perfume all around.



Mockorange grows in climate zones 4 to 8 and there are many variations that are native to a number of places around the globe. Good shrub for butterfly gardens as well... height and spread: anywhere from 8 feet tall to 8 feet wide up to 12 feet x 12 feet depending on which variety you find.

Make sure you read the plant tag when you purchase this shrub from the nursery to find out it's mature size and spread...then choose a spot that will fit. Also, consult with the people working at the nursery to ensure the variety of Mock Orange you pick is fragrant or not fragrant...again, depending on the specific variety, some are more fragrant then others. Once established The Mock orange shrub can tolerate somewhat dry conditions...

Busy Spring...

Well, once again the blog posts have slowed to a crawl...my apologies to my regular readers... It has been very busy for me these past two months and has taken me this long to finally sit and breathe on a Sunday morning while looking at a blog topic to post.

So today we take a look at one of my most recent projects. One that I designed last year for a customer in Richmond Hill...

Here you can see the natural stone coping process that boarders a pool. The pool is a steel-wall construction and will later be measured up to have a vinyl liner inserted in it. The coping placed on the pool is a carefully crafted process in which each stone is custom-cut and fitted to turn the corners of the pool walls.

In this photo we have a close-up look at what I call the stone deck. I like level changes in the landscape... it gives that 3-D aspect to what is otherwise a flat backyard. Most of the time, with newer homes, you get backyards that have been graded relatively flat by the home builder. They have a slight slope going towards the rear of the yard for water drainage and that is it... nothing exciting happening in the topography of the yard. So wherever possible, I try to create level changes for a dramatic effect of separating spaces.

The upper patio will be ample space for a large dining table and BBQ area. The lower patio spaces will be where all the pool fun happens and you have a wide open view of the pool area from the raised patio.


In this last photo we see a pergola privacy screen that I have designed to house a hot tub. The wood structure is about 14 feet long by 5 feet wide. It is not meant to act as a shade structure or a rooftop over the hot tub... but more of a focal point or wood feature to dress up the hot tub corner. The other purpose of it is to block the views of the neighbor's house windows as folks sit in and enjoy their time in the hot tub.

In the screen detail there is a small diamond shape framed into the lattice... that was a last-minute addition I made when i noticed an extra piece of pool coping laying around the site...I had it cut into a 1 x 1 foot square and I framed the stone into the screen as a nice tie in to the natural stone pool coping used for this project.

I was speaking with the home owner yesterday and we talked about staining the structure and growing vines over top of it. I also mentioned that in some cases, years down the road... Hot tubs can become the white elephant in the backyard as a family can become less and less interested in using it... so in case of this ever happening... I have designed the space to function without the tub... they can easily sell the tub and put the money towards a gorgeous patio lounge set centered around the pergola...

My motto... When you are spending money on a landscape...always design with function and purpose for years to come so you don't have to spend again! I will update you with more photos when this project is complete in the next few weeks...

The backyard living space

At the tail end of 2009, Jason from Pool Craft came to me with this project. The customer had a small list of things they wanted in the yard (pool, patio and hot tub). Jason was asking me to do my best to lay out everything within the given backyard area. The end result was as follows in the pictures below....

As Spring of 2010 approached, a couple more things were added to the list of what to fit into the backyard space. There was an idea for a pergola sitting over a bar area and a lounge area with a gas fireplace feature...


Granted that the yard was not very big to begin with... I wrestled with the spacial limits in my head...then plugged away at the plan on my computer... I like a challenge where the design restraints must conform to what the customer wants... Sometimes the answer absolutely has to be "No" but in most cases I try to find a way around the "No" and look for alternatives that will make my client happy...


The end result was a yard without grass... (which conforms to my dream to not push a lawnmower around!) ... the end result is a yard that is now part of the home... a backyard living space that can be enjoyed for many months of the year. The addition of the fire pit can take the chill out of a cool September evening... the hot tub can be used year round due to it's proximity to the back door of the home.


The Pergola Bar... a place for the "adults" of the pool party to sit while enjoying drinks, conversation and shade! On a hot summer afternoon, while the kids are playing in the pool, this sort of space allows you to be out in the backyard and keep dry from both the pool splashing and summer heat...


Lastly, the most important part of the backyard, the pool! When you are considering a pool, most often the ideal design includes an entertainment space. Having a small strip of concrete around a pool with grass clippings and grass areas is not always fun when you come out of a pool soaking wet. You want a good sized patio to place chairs and allow time to dry off before going in the home... if the yard is large enough and budget is big enough... a Cabana house is always a welcome sight!


But as in most cases, the pool itself is a big investment for most families. So budgets are taken into very strict consideration as to what can be done with a backyard space. My advice to the potential pool owner... when getting estimates and quotes for a backyard pool installation, have someone plan it out for you first!

A proper pool company (like Jason's company) will do this for you... understanding that there is a budget for the project and leaving room for expansion in the future is the key to a successful backyard living space. I often make sure that my plans take into consideration the patio space and structures that may come into play... be it a tool shed, cabana, or even an addition put on a home. If it is a phased project over a set number of years, the plan is a key factor to the backyard success.
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All photos used in this blog post are the sole property of Pool Craft. Pool Craft can be reached at:
Telephone: 905 884 2720
Toll free: 1-877-469-6649

Water Proofing Your Foundation

Often times you will get a damp feeling in your basement...or even more drastically, there is water seeping in from outside... As foundations settle they may incur cracks along masonry joints or cracks within a poured in place foundation wall.

When such an occurrence happens where you find your basement leaking, you are forced to call up a contractor and have them come in to dig up the foundation walls for proper waterproofing repair. Sometimes things can get messy where the waterproofing repair entails having to rip apart existing landscapes like planting beds of walkways around the home.


If you are living in an older home and considering investing your money into a landscape project, check the conditions of your foundation walls before hand... if a repair is needed in the near future, it may make sense to have that done before you call in someone like myself to design and build your project...

Outdoor Furniture

Okay, so you've had the patio installed and now it is time to find that perfect piece of furniture to add to your new backyard makeover....

Last summer I was out and about in cottage country near Burk's Falls, Ontario... I happened upon a quaint little wood furniture store that had this gem of a patio table on display....


This table set was made with fine craftsmanship by the Mennonites here in Ontario. I sat there and examined it's construction and attention to detail... everything was well put together and properly stained for maximum protection against the elements. Granted that anything made from wood will need upkeep... maybe and extra layer of stain every so often to keep it looking fresh and new...



But it's look and feel is something that can't be replaced by the generic (and dare I say it, cheaply constructed) tables being shipped in from overseas... The price tag on this table with the 4 chairs was a little steep at $2000.00 for the set... but steep when compared to what?


As I mentioned, your typical choices on a lower budget are things with the stamp or tag that says "Made in China" Usually they are fabricated out of metals that are not quite refined enough and end up breaking where air pockets exist inside the metal... or the welds are applied with "just enough" tack to hold things together...but not enough to withstand snow and heavy winds...or a BBQ dinner for 20 people... The next time I see a patio table sagging under the weight of the food on it...I am snapping a picture to update this blog post!

With a properly designed and crafted furniture piece you get things like the little detail you see in the above photo where there is a chair hook cleverly crafted into the table... a place for the chair to sit securely during a windy day...or even a spot to hold all 4 while you shift the table around for patio cleaning...

In my experience, some of the cheaper sets of patio furniture ends up being replaced after a few years because it was designed on a computer without any thought given to what Mother Nature can throw at it... Spending that extra bit for a good quality piece will stretch your dollars a lot further. The good thing about this set is that when it rains, it won't hold and store water within so it can start to rust the structure from the inside out and cause the paint to start flaking off to create a nice rust-orange stain on your patio or the piece itself.


Oh yes!!...and for those of you wondering why there is a trap door in the middle of the table... it is my most favorite detail of all (in the above photo). Not many of the "Made in China" sets come with this much thought put into them.... a place to put beer and or other drinks on ice... as you sit and chat with your guests you can help yourself to a "cold one"...or simply instruct your guests to please do the same... without either of you having to travel very far!!

Stone Masonry: perfect fit!

Yes folks, yet another reoccurring theme in my blog posts; excellent stone masonry work! When a true craftsman puts his hands to a stone wall, I cannot help but stare and admire it.

This past summer I was working on a landscape design for a custom home project built by a friend of mine, John Sever of Sever Homes, Custom Design and Build . The interesting thing for me was that I had ventured onto the job site to take pictures of the surrounding property so I could begin my design concept for the landscape plan...

Instead of focusing on the task at hand, my eyes were drawn to the stonework that was happening around the home itself. I snapped these pictures in admiration and decided to post them today to share with you... Once in a while you will see stone masonry projects where your eyes go immediately to mistakes in the stone layout, or forgotten corners of stone pieces that should have been chiseled smooth instead of left razor sharp. I've even seen cases where mortar is falling out of joints on a 2 year old house that is valued at about 1.5 million!...that to me would be like buying a Ferrari and having the wheel bolts shear off the first time you drive it....

Well, none of that scariness was evident on this project!... The masons took their time and poured their hearts into their craft as they put this exterior together. It was a pleasure to watch them work and always a pleasure to see what details John creates in his new home projects.... John will always demand good quality work from his trades when building a home... I do the same in my landscapes and that is why I like working with him, makes for a perfect fit.

The stone used here is a mixture of Dani stone mixed with Ebel stone... The Mason's technique is to mimic the style of stonework you would see on structures in the old parts of Downtown Toronto and in other various parts of Ontario where Credit Valley stone was used about 100 years ago.

The home is near complete and the landscape will be finished this spring... I will be sure to visit once everything is done and photograph it all for a future post update...