Council looking at pool deck options

Nikki Jamieson
Vauxhall Advance
njamieson@tabertimes.com

This month, it’s all about getting a pool deck.

During their March 7 regular meeting, Vauxhall town council discussed decking options for their pool.

While fundraising is going on to save up for landscaping options such as fake grass, there is a concrete deck that wraps around the pool, and both council and administration wants to extend that decking to the existing community complex.

“I told them my preference is they (the pool contractors) do the deck work from the building to the pool – like the structure itself – and the walls that are still standing, because the north end of the current decking could be the perimeter before more funds are saved up to do the artificial grass or stones,” said Cris Burns, CAO for Vauxhall. “He said $10 per square foot, six inches deep, to do that decking.”

The cost to do that with their current contractor would be about $36,750. Work on the pool has been going ahead of schedule, and if the pool contractor puts in the extra decking, he would be responsible for it.

“I suggest we use them to put in the concrete finish work, from the building to the actual pool, since it’s going to attach to their structure, that way they are responsible if it pulls this pool out of the ground. That’s the worry right?”

If they didn’t use the pool contractor, they would have to wait for him to finish the pool before they could do the additional decking. Then there will be other costs and issues, such as designing drainage.

While council did accept administration’s recommendation, councillor Richard Phillips had some concerns about cracking.

“There’s the two aspects of course, and one is cost. You’re not going to get it a lot cheaper I don’t think… the best price you get isn’t going to be a lot cheaper,” said Phillips.

“But the other aspect, like I said, is what’s he giving you for that? Is he putting in a kind of guarantee on it? Because you know what it’s like, concrete slabs, people pour that nice new driveway, and then three months later it’s all cracked and settled… Pouring concrete on grade is tricky stuff, to have it last good, and it’s all in the prep below, and then the rebar too.

“You know engineers, we love rebar, that might sound impressive to somebody, but to me using 10m rebar, 12 inch spacing, single mat, that’s not a lot of rebar. I mean, this isn’t structural concrete, that’s just for temperature cracking, but it’s not very reinforced.”

If cracks start appearing around the pool, then it becomes a tripping and safety hazard.

While it would be impossible to guarantee against all cracks, council does not want to deal with any major ones that could threaten the pool use.

Council decided to approve the motion for the to accept the offer for the decking, provided if the contractor gives them two year-guarantee.

Get More Vauxhall Advance →