In today’s world people are always wanting the latest and greatest products available. This is why there are lines going out the door of cell phone stores every time a new phone comes out. The problem is that with some of this technology it is replaced within months and then the new phone you just got becomes old news. That is not always the case. In some instances a product can remain “hot” for quite a long stent. This is what we have found with our Only Alpha Evolution system of swimming pool. This new style of pool is revolutionizing the way people are building pools.
The Only Alpha Evolution swimming pool is a way of building a swimming pool using all the same components of an in ground vinyl liner pool except the liner. You may be wondering how this can be done. One reason is due to the use of non-corrosive building material. For some time now the swimming pool industry has seen an increase in the use of non-corrosive building material. Traditionally vinyl liner in ground pools are composed of steel walls. The problem with this is that over time the steel begins to corrode. The corrosion process may take quite some time or it can happen very fast. There are a lot of things that can contribute to the corrosion process. One of the biggest concerns is the fact that over the last few years there has been a increase in “salt water pools”. I think that one of the biggest contributors to this is the way our country is becoming more health conscious, and always looking to find ways to stay healthy. This has crossed over to the swimming pool industry. I think that there is a misconception when it comes to these salt water pools. People seem to think that they do not use chlorine to keep them clean. I am sorry to burst your bubble but let me inform you that a salt water pool still uses chlorine just like any other pool. The difference is that instead of adding chlorine to the water you are adding salt and allowing the pools’ salt cell to break down the salt into sodium and chlorine which allows the chlorine to treat the water and then convert back to salt. If you are wanting more information regarding salt water pools please see my post related to salt water pools and how they work. The reason that I bring this up is because the salt in those pools has a very negative effect on the steel walls that they are made of. This is why there has been an increase in the use of non-corrosive material. Now we get to the fact that not all non-corrosive pools walls are the same. In fact there is only one that has the upper hand. While other manufacturers were scrambling to quickly produce a non-corrosive pool system in an effort to get out ahead of the pack, Only Alpha Pool Products were taking a different approach. They understood that while there is a need for these non-corrosive pool walls, they also had to be strong enough to withstand the elements. This is where they jumped out ahead of the pack. It has been proven that Only Alpha’s non-corrosive pool walls are not only a true composite material but they are also stronger than any other non-corrosive pool wall on the market.
Another added bonus is the fact that Only Alpha’s composite pool walls are more efficient than any other vinyl liner building material. Basically they are far better at keeping the heat in the pool and the cold out.
It is with these panels that builders are able to build a swimming pool without a liner. You might ask yourself “haven’t they been building pools without liners longer than they have with liners?” The answer is yes, however with the use of Only Alpha’s pool panels this is the first time that they are able to do it at a fraction of the cost. Traditionally for a non-liner pool, builders would build the entire thing out of concrete. This results in a much more expensive pool that will eventually crack and require expensive repairs. With Only Alpha’s composite panel builders are able to provide the same look and strength of a concrete pool but at a fraction of the cost to the customer. So what makes this material better than the rest.
To begin Only Alpha’s composite pool panels are created from a single sheet of SMC (sheet molding compound) this is a thermally set material that will not warp, change shape or become structurally altered by the elements in the swimming pool environment. In addition to that it is infused with what we refer to as a fused fiber matrix. This basically means that there are 8 to 12 inch fibers running throughout the material. What this does is it makes the material extra strong and unparalleled by any competitor. The proof is in the tests. These tests can be seen on youtube and show a side by side comparison between Only Alpha’s composite pool panel and the non-corrosive pool panels of two of their competitors. Just check out the website and follow the Youtube link to see the tests http://www.onlyevolution.com. This type of material is unique to Only Alpha Pool Products, meaning that no other manufacturer has this. When we look at other manufacturers’ non-corrosive material we find that the majority of it is what is known as structural foam. When you look at structural foam you will see that it is like a laminated foam. Almost as if you were to take a piece of styrofoam and glue some thin plastic sheets on either side of it. I don’t know the exact process of how it is made. I am just going off of what I have observed. Here, take a look at this.
To the right you will see a cross section view of a structural foam panel. Notice how it is riddled with tiny voids. This is from the way the panel is made. Rather than using a single sheet of material they use a whole bunch of tiny pieces of material that get injected into a mold. This process leaves the end product with these small pockets of air. You can also see that “laminate” type material I was talking about. Basically there is no structural integrity associated with this type of panel. This can become a huge problem after the pool is installed.
Now take a look at the picture on the left. This is Only Alpha’s composite material. You can see the fibers right away, and notice that the material has none of those tiny air bubbles. This is because the process of making this type of panel is far different than that of structural foam. Only Alpha’s panels are not only made from a single sheet of SMC, but they are also made by utilizing heat and immense pressure. The pressure ensures that there are no air pockets while the heat activates the thermosetting properties of the material ensuring that it will never change shape due to temperature.
Only Alpha Pool Products has taken this awesome material and and created something that is totally unique in the pool industry. A vinyl liner pool without the liner. Basically the pool would be built with their composite pool walls. However, utilizing a specially formulated liquid gasket system and a specific type of coating, the entire pool becomes a water proof structure and no liner is required. This is beneficial for several reasons. One is that it allows vinyl liner pool builder the ability to compete in the commercial market. Another is that this allows homeowners to have the classic look of a concrete pool without having the excruciating cost of one. Another ideal aspect of this type of pool is the fact that you won’t ever have to replace a liner. So if you are thinking about getting a pool then you may want to consider the Only Alpha Evolution pool. For more information related to Only Alpha Pool Products, or in ground vinyl liner swimming pools in general, please check out my other blog posts. I have written a post on just about every topic related to in ground swimming pools.
