DAMAGE POOL ENCLOSURES RAISE CONCERNS.(Making News)
Pool & Spa News - January 31, 2005
Bob Dumas
 

When four hurricanes ripped through Florida last year, thousands of pool enclosures were destroyed. That created what many fear is a potentially dangerous situation because so many pools have been left exposed without safety barriers.

Enclosure contractors here have such severe work backlogs that many say it could be years before they can fulfill all the requests for repairs.

One contractor--Kruger Construction Aluminum in Vero Beach--told the Fort Pierce Tribune that it had been getting as many as 100 calls per day to repair enclosures, adding that it would be four years before it could accommodate new customers.

"My screen contractor, who is one of the biggest in the state, has a 9- to 15-month waiting list," noted Michael D. Manley, owner of Champagne Aquatech Pools of Florida, a builder based in Sanford.

Manley said he's lucky in that his business does a significant volume of new-pool construction, enabling him to get enclosures with a delay of only one to two weeks.

"Because of the size of my company, [the enclosure contractor] is very loyal to me," he said. "Other pool companies are waiting six to 10 weeks after the deck is poured to get their screen enclosures up."

What concerns health officials is the potential danger presented by unenclosed pools. Florida law requires barriers for residential pools, and homeowners whose enclosures have been damaged and can't afford to replace them are being encouraged to employ stop-gap measures.

"We are seeing some counties and municipalities leaving warnings that say [the pool owner] has to secure his backyard somehow," Manley said. "Inspectors understand it's a hardship, so they're being reasonable."

To try to help, the Swim Collaborative of St. Lucie County, a nonprofit drowning-prevention group, used the local school system to send brochures home with students to remind parents to put up barriers.

Meanwhile, the Florida Swimming Pool Association said its Pool Pal program has been instrumental in assisting builders and enclosure contractors. The program has members move from city to city to help out on projects where local contractors are overwhelmed.

Another trouble resulting from the enclosure repair Florida Enclosures

backlog: the sudden appearance of fly-by-night companies aiming to make quick profits.

"Shady dealerships are a real problem," said Mike Delahoz president of the Altamonte Springs-based Florida Pool Enclosures and president of the Mid-Florida Chapter of the Aluminum Association of Florida. "Companies have formed that were never here before the storms."

Delahoz said such companies are replacing screens, but leaving the integrity of the structure in doubt, then they "take the money and disappear."