PUNTA CANA – Swimming pools are one of the most popular features for attracting buyers to a property. This amenity represents 25% of a property's value. Therefore, it has become one of the most desirable characteristics for buyers and a powerful draw for attracting clients.
But this added value is also one of the places where deaths most frequently occur, especially among children, whose families go from recreation to tragedy in seconds. The risks this precious space represents must never be overlooked when constructing it; it must be done according to appropriate codes and standards.
This was the position taken by experts participating in the “Social Media Talk Construction Sector”, held on August 8 in Punta Cana, a meeting attended by more than 300 people.
José Xavier Álvarez Blancas, a civil engineer and president of the Mexican Swimming Pool Association, with 27 years of experience in the design and construction of swimming pools and related works, believes that in the process of building a swimming pool, one must be methodical.
The experts during their participation in the meeting. (External source).
“The first thing to do is to be aware of the risks involved in building a swimming pool. There are codes and recommendations regarding depth. It has to be kept clean somehow, and hydraulically, it has to be done in a way that meets the required parameters. Electrically, everything has to be working so that no one gets electrocuted in the process. You have to be very methodical about that,” the specialist stated.
The Mexican, who was accompanied on the panel by Paty Abreu, also Mexican, and Flavio Di Lorenzo (Dominican-Uruguayan), also experts on the subject, recommended that for this type of work a specialist in the field should be hired who knows the regulations in order to reduce risks, save lives "and so that we can enjoy our private paradises.".
The professional explained that, prior to construction, many developers and individuals fail to verify whether their pools meet the required standards. "They invest a lot of money in a pool that, even after it's built properly, is not up to code. The fact that governments and professional associations don't have a specialized branch dedicated to this issue leads to a significant waste of money in the future," he stated.
Paty Abreu, from the Mexican Association of Swimming Pool Professionals, said that people want to build swimming pools "but we don't have that level of awareness; they should hire a specialist because such construction can be a death trap.".
He emphasized that water is the main transmitter of diseases, "there are risks of entrapment, multiple misfortunes can occur, there are countless risks," he stated.
“Once a week, a person dies in a swimming pool due to poor construction or improper recreation,” he said.
Abreu said that through the courses they offer, they work directly to ensure compliance with the requirements. "We have achieved a significant reduction in pool accidents.".
Flavio Di Lorenzo emphasized that he always makes the distinction that building underground is not the same as building above ground. "We conduct tests where we leave the structure under swimming pools for more than 365 days to provide assurance to the client," he stressed.
He said that nothing can be done about the services they offer if the structure is not properly built, after stating that a swimming pool represents 25% of the value of any property.
Di Lorenzo pointed out that 50% of pool maintenance is related to the construction process.
