Tips From Our Pool Experts
by Joanna Posner

The experts weigh in on screening for a contractor:

Gregory Gray of Pool 1 Pools recommends:
Look for qualifications such as being a member of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals. Check the Contractors State License Board website to ensure they have a valid license and don’t have any hits against them. Check their record at the Better Business Bureau.

Dan Dougherty of Sandpiper Pools asks:
Does the company provide unconditional lien releases? This guarantees that subcontractors are paid. Are contractors properly insured?

Jack Manilla of Portofino Pools says:
Look for contractors who can provide more creative options than a basic cookie-cutter formula. Speak with three to five people who have been supplied as references. Go look at some of the contractors’ pools so you can get a feel for their workmanship.

Consider the benefits of solar heating:
Ted Mount, owner of Natural Energy USA, says that if you compare solar heating to natural gas, a solar heating system usually pays for itself within 18 months. As an example, Mount adds that a pool solar system in Escondido with a cover averages a nine-month swimming season at a very desirable temperature. A solar pool heating system conserves energy and, in turn, can help you go green.