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People look for new homes with spacious outdoor settings to keep them cool, entertained, and refreshed. When buying a new home, one of the most important things to do is expert pool inspection. If there is an existing swimming pool, you would need to know its current state to understand your payment. Thus, a pool inspection is one of the foremost priorities for your home inspection.

While most people prefer to have an empty yard where they can build their customized pool, many properties already come with ready-made pools. Below are some of the most important factors to consider in pool inspection, leak detection, structure, and system equipment.

What To Look Out For In Your Pool Inspection

All houses typically undergo inspection before the escrow closes, and a pool is no different. While pool inspection and leak detection might be considered optional, a professional must address several complicated issues to reassure a potential buyer that he or she is getting value for his money. These areas include:

• Safety features: Your pool must comply with the minimal local safety requirements. For instance, a permanent perimeter fence should be more than five feet high, and the gate should open outwards. Also, pools should have safeguards in the form of alarms, doors. Electrical wires should not be close to the pool, and walkways should not be slippery. The last thing anybody wants is to have their safety compromised.
• Pool structure: The interior, deck, and materials used for the pool are crucial. Experts look for deterioration in finishing, grouts in between stones and uneven spots on the deck. All potential new homeowners definitely want their pool looking at its best rather than patched up.
• Finishing: It is also referred to as plaster. Common types of plasters are Marcite, quartz aggregate, and pebble. Pebbles are easily the best because of their durability, aesthetics, and reasonable cost. Pool inspection for finishing involves searching for stains, discoloration, and mottled areas. Serious cracks could be detrimental and reflective of underlying structural problems.
• Other parts of the yard: Roof gutters should be in a good position to avoid rainwater from dripping too often in the pool. Natural features could interfere with your poolside delight.
• Pool Accessories: Accessories, such as diving boards and fountains, help to preserve the clean state of a pool. Hence, you should ensure they are in perfect condition to prevent future surprises. Rust and sharp edges should be taken care of to prevent injuries. Ensure that you check the designs, upgrade options, purification systems, and additional features, such as spa, automatic pool cover, and remote features for your convenience.
• Tiles: Chips, deteriorating grout, and sharp angles could easily be injurious to children and even adults in the pool. Inspecting the tiles helps to reduce the chances of such occurrence.
• Coping: Coping is used around pool perimeters for decoration. Coping materials might be made of bricks, concrete, or natural stones. Ensure that the coping is stale and that there are no loose pieces. The grout should also be in a good position, and a waterproof seal should be guaranteed. Furthermore, the deck and this should be intact to provide a watertight seal. If not taken care of, a shifting deck could lead to both minor and major problems.
• Decking: The deck surface colour and overall condition should be solid enough to channel water “splash-out” to effective drainage areas. Uneven surfaces caused by soil deposits could lead to both aesthetic and safety challenges. Pool inspection at the deck ensures that you avoid such problems.

• Saltwater effect: Chlorine deposits and erosion might damage pool structures such as railings, coping, deck, and other surrounding features. It is advisable to look out for such changes as they might be severe.
• Lighting: Multi-colour LED lighting systems provide efficient illumination for your pool, and they are much better than the old-fashioned light bulbs. However, they can accumulate mould and develop faults. An expert pool inspector would show you the best bulb for your pool.

Key Areas In Pool Inspection

The pump, filter, and heater are some of the most important features of any pool inspection. Therefore, we will consider them in details and highlight their importance when deciding to buy a house:

• Pump: A pump provides the water flow needed to maintain the swimming pool. It is essential for circulation and filtration. Furthermore, the pump controls other features, such as waterfalls and pool cleaners. The pump should be assessed for leak detection. Also, it should be evaluated to ascertain your utility bills and energy costs every month. A poor pump means that your pool cannot be used for long before it packs up.
• Filter: As the name implies, a filter removes dirt and debris from the water. The biggest cartridge provides better energy saving and only need annual cleanouts for maintenance. A properly functioning filter is invaluable to a pleasurable experience in the pool. Moreover, all valves should be working correctly.
• Heater: If present, a heater is one of the critical features of any pool, especially during the colder months. Since heaters are costly, you should make sure that they would last for a while before replacement.

Heaters run on natural gas or electricity, and they come in different sizes. Competent heaters warm the pool quickly and have a thermal efficiency of more than 90%.

Is Pool Inspection Worth It?

A professional pool inspector will give you a written report of all findings and areas of concern, if any. Therefore, you would address all malfunctioning areas within the checklist and subsequently negotiate the best deals.

Pool inspection costs depend on your location, size, the current state of the pool, and accessories. Thus, the costs might vary but are generally within a few hundred dollars. Nevertheless, it is an excellent price for the peace of mind and many years of use.

Pool inspectors are much more critical than traditional home inspectors, and they pay attention to the tiniest details of what is going on in your pool. Swimming pools are complex and have many parts, such as filters, pumps, heaters, etc.

More so, they might have extra equipment and accessories that only an expert pool inspector would be familiar with. While the process of pool inspection and leak detection might cost hundreds of dollars, it is worth it in the end because you would be saving yourself from potential stress, losses, and disappointments of investing in a pool with poor conditions.

Bottom line

If a pool is left unchecked, arising issues could be costly in multiple ways. By learning everything about pool inspection, you can rest assured and enjoy your yard in peace.

Professional pool inspectors are more knowledgeable in this area and provide the best information to those looking to move into their new homes with pools. If you want to enjoy better credits and deals on your new home, then you should consider pool inspection and leak detection.

Pool inspections should be done under good weather. Proper pool inspection ensures that all mechanical components are in optimum working condition, and you can repair or replace the necessary places. In the end, a pool inspection is a worthy investment that gives you peace of mind and a better home.