ABOUT Jason Tiepa, the owner of Havana Pools , has been working in this dynamic industry for the past 13 years. Shortly after relocating from New Zealand to the Gold Coast, he was given the opportunity to work in swimming pool construction. Realising that this was a field he excelled in and was passionate about, he launched his own business. His hands-on approach and experience over the past decade has contributed to his extensive knowledge, understanding and capabilities in this industry. Today, he runs his family owned & operated business with his wife Liz, providing quality workmanship and exceptional customer service to home owners throughout Queensland and New South Wales. As word of mouth and referrals being the most common form of new enquiries, it has proven to be a successful and thriving business with satisfied and happy customers. The Pool Building Process Planning and Certification The plans are drawn up by a pool engineer and certified by private certification company. Havana Pools handles this procedure for you. Before commencing construction, certified plans are lodged to council for building approval. This process will take approximately 3-4 weeks. Excavation The pool measurements are marked out and the soil is dug out using an excavator and/or bobcat. The soil is removed with 10 metre tip trucks to a suitable dump site. A standard excavation will be completed in approximately one day. Formwork Once excavation is completed, the swimming pool is boxed up (formwork) to the shape and height of the pool. Steel Fixing After formwork has been erected, steel fixing to engineers plans now commences. Usually the standard steel configuration is 300mm x 300mm centres with S12 Rio bar. A standard size pool will take approximately one day to be steeled. After the steel has been placed, the engineer will check steel configuration and will need to approve before the pool can be concreted. Concrete Once steel fixing has been completed and approved from the certifier, the pool is sprayed with a high 32 MPA concrete mix. The concrete will need to be kept wet during the first week to minimise shrinkage cracks. After 28 days the concrete will have reached the strength of approximately 38-40 MPA which means we are able to proceed with next stage. Coping and Tiling Once concrete has been cured, the coping and tiling is the next part of construction. The concrete shell is bedded up to the correct height and the water line is rendered for the tiles. The coping and tiles are then glued on and grouted. There are many colours and designs to choose from. Pebblecrete Once coping and tiling is complete, the pebblecrete is applied. Pebblecrete is the pool interior which acts as a water proofer. As an alternative to pebblecrete, the pool can be fully tiled as a luxury feature. There are many colours of pebblecrete and tiles to choose from. Filtration Once the interior has been installed, the filtration is fitted. The filtration system eliminates bacteria in the water and cleans the pool. Different filtration systems to choose from include Chlorine, Salt, Natural and Mineral. Havana Pools will discuss the best option for you. Handover Once pool has been filled with water and initial chemicals have been added by the pool builder, you’ll receive a hand over kit and care instructions to keep your pool looking beautiful all year round. CONTACT US TODAY FOR A QUOTE!