Welcome to the comprehensive guide on swimming pools and spas for your home. Here we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about adding, upgrading, or maintaining a pool or spa.  

The Homeowner's Guide to Swimming Pools & Spas

EL SOBRANTE — I strongly urge homeowners to hire licensed companies to work on their pools or hot tubs—the safety of your family is at stake. Modern pools incorporate a variety of heating and lighting systems for our enjoyment and comfort. When these systems are installed or repaired, the work must adhere to the specific codes of the pool and spa industry to ensure swimmers’ safety. The individual working on your pool should have a license attesting to their ability to understand and meet these unique regulations. California doesn’t require a license to maintain or repair pools, despite the depth of knowledge required to safely work on electrical systems that are in such close proximity to water. Read more

<h1>Gary Heath: Diving into a New Business</h1>
<h6>By James Florence, Senior Writer</h6>
EL SOBRANTE &mdash; Gary Heath was selling construction and mining equipment when the Great Recession hit in the late 2000s. “It was my fourth time going through a major building dip, and I realized I didn’t want to keep working in a sector that was going up or down 80 percent every few years,” he says. Gary decided to step away from the rollercoaster of heavy equipment sales and started searching for a service-oriented company to purchase, which would have a more regular revenue stream. In 2010, he bought The Pool Doctor, which he currently runs with his wife, Kelly. 
Gary says his background in sales gives him a unique perspective on how he operates his business. “Kelly spent years working in pharmaceutical sales, so we both have a lot of experience in professional sales and customer service. Compared to the average person who comes and cleans your pool, we’re much more focused on customer satisfaction.” Gary takes pride in helping his clients make the most of their outdoor spaces, and he also enjoys developing strong relationships with his employees. “It’s been great watching the growth and cohesion of my team over the years and seeing the strides they’ve made both personally and professionally.” 
Gary grew up in Pinole and currently lives in Danville with Kelly and their daughter, Ashlan. “After going away to college, I never thought in a million years I’d be living and working back here in the East Bay, but my office is actually only a few miles from my childhood home,” he says. “It’s been like a homecoming. I’ll run into people I grew up with and now they’re our clients.” Outside of work, Gary enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his daughter’s softball team and traveling to his vacation home in the Sierra Nevada foothills. 
Gary and his team treat each pool they care for as if it were part of their own home. “That’s our business philosophy,” he affirms. “Taking this approach means we’re providing the same advice and level of service that we’d give to our own families.” 
Dedicating so much time to his business and family has had one negative consequence for Gary. “I can never find time to play golf anymore!” he says. “I used to play competitively in high school. Now, I’m lucky if I can play four times a year.” If he could retire tomorrow, Gary says the first thing he would do is book a tee time. 
<h8>Ask Me Anything!</h8> 
Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant? 
A: Sakura Japanese Cuisine in San Ramon. 
Q: Are you an early bird or a night owl? 
A: An early bird.
Q: Do you prefer the city or the country? 
A: The country. 
Q: Do you collect anything? 
A: Wine. My favorite winery is Merryvale Vineyards in St. Helena.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? 
A: When the sun shines, I’m usually not in the office, so on rainy days I finally get to clean my desk and catch up with office work.

Owner

Gary Heath: Diving into a New Business By James Florence, Senior Writer EL SOBRANTE &mdash; Gary Heath was selling construction and mining equipment when the Great Recession hit in the late 2000s. “It was my fourth time going through a major building dip, and I realized I didn’t want to keep working in a sector that was going up or down 80 percent every few years,” he says. Gary decided to step away from the rollercoaster of heavy equipment sales and started searching for a service-oriented company to purchase, which would have a more regular revenue stream. In 2010, he bought The Pool Doctor, which he currently runs with his wife, Read more

Gary Heath is a veteran of the swimming pool and spa industry and owner of <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/report/the-pool-doctor">The Pool Doctor</a>, a Diamond Certified company. He can be reached at (510) 223-7537 or by <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/contact/the-pool-doctor">email</a>.

Gary Heath: Diving into a New Business

SEBASTOPOL — Following its winter dormancy, you’ll need to spend a little time getting your swimming pool ready for summer use. Preparing your pool primarily consists of two aspects: cleaning and sanitation. Cleaning Use a vacuum and/or handheld net to remove stray leaves and any other debris that has accumulated in your pool during the winter. In addition to cleaning the pool itself, you should clean your filter by disassembling it and using a garden hose to wash off the individual parts. Keep in mind that once you start using your pool again, you’ll need to adjust your filter’s runtime from the offseason minimum to about eight hours a day. Sanitation One of the main aspects of sanitation is obtaining a proper pH balance, Read more

<h1>John Pittman: Swimming With the Tide</h1>
<h6>By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter</h6>
SEBASTOPOL – Just prior to entering the swimming pool business, John Pittman found himself at a crossroads, both professionally and personally. “I was in between careers and had recently gone through a divorce, and I didn’t really know which direction to go next,” he remembers. A relatively recent Bay Area transplant, John had been provisionally working as a carpenter after spending more than a decade building yachts in Southern California. It wasn’t long, however, before a fateful meeting altered his course for good. “I met a fellow named Roger Shipley who owned a swimming pool maintenance business. We hit it off and became friends, and he actually hired me as a service technician. That was back in 1986. In 2001, Roger decided to retire, so I bought the business with another partner, and we’ve been running Roger’s Pool &amp; Spa Service ever since.”
John grew up in the hills of Tennessee (“literally in a house with a dirt floor,” he says), but he’s spent the last three decades in Northern California, and he says he still has a deep appreciation for the aesthetic appeal of his adopted locale. “The Bay Area is a beautiful place to live and work, and I’ve really grown accustomed to the Mediterranean climate here.”
When he’s not working on pools and spas, John enjoys venturing out on extensive road trips with his wife, Donna, a retired school administrator and Sebastopol native. “So far, we’ve gone on three 7,500-plus mile trips in our class B motorhome,” he says. “My schedule isn’t as tight these days, so we like to seize the opportunity to just take off and explore America.” John also adheres to a strictly regimented golf routine. “Everybody who knows me knows I play golf on Thursdays,” he laughs.
Looking back on his life and career, John says one of the most valuable things he’s learned is to not get hung up on unresolvable issues. “I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about things I can’t change. Of course I try to resolve issues whenever possible, but experience has taught me that it’s pointless to dwell on things that are outside of my control. In some cases, it’s best to just let it go and move on.”
When asked what his retirement might look like, John says he’ll have to take a page from his wife’s book. “Donna is completely retired, but she still manages to stay busy all the time. I think it’ll have to be the same for me, because I’m the kind of person who always has to have something going on. Who knows—maybe I’ll take up painting!”
Ask Me Anything!
Q: Do you have a favorite sports team? 
A: I’m a big fan of the Giants and 49ers.
Q: Did you play sports in high school? 
A: I played football and basketball. In football, I was an offensive lineman.
Q: If you could time travel, would you go to the past or the future? 
A: I would definitely go to the past. I’m an early American history enthusiast, and I’ve spent the last 27 years escorting eighth graders on trips to Washington, D.C., so I’d definitely be interested in going back to that period.
Q: What’s your favorite smell? 
A: Vanilla
Q: Who makes you laugh? 
A: Steve Martin.
Q: What’s your favorite fruit? 
A: Cantaloupe.

John Pittman: Swimming With the Tide By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter SEBASTOPOL – Just prior to entering the swimming pool business, John Pittman found himself at a crossroads, both professionally and personally. “I was in between careers and had recently gone through a divorce, and I didn’t really know which direction to go next,” he remembers. A relatively recent Bay Area transplant, John had been provisionally working as a carpenter after spending more than a decade building yachts in Southern California. It wasn’t long, however, before a fateful meeting altered his course for good. “I met a fellow named Roger Shipley who owned a swimming pool maintenance business. We hit it off and became friends, Read more

John Pittman is a 31-year veteran of the pool service industry and owner of <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/report/rogers-pool-spa-service-inc">Roger's Pool &amp; Spa Service, Inc.</a>, a Diamond Certified company since 2004. He can be reached at (707) 676-3984 or by <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/contact/rogers-pool-spa-service-inc">email</a>.

John Pittman: Swimming With the Tide

CONCORD — If you’ve decided to install a swimming pool on your property, you might be wondering what your first step should be. The answer is simple: find a qualified pool builder. While building a pool involves a multitude of crucial details, at the end of the day, the guidance of an experienced professional is the most important factor in achieving a quality result. A qualified pool builder will oversee every aspect of your pool’s construction, including critical features like its structure and plumbing. As the foundation of your pool, the structure must be carefully designed and engineered, and built to last. Likewise, as your pool’s “circulatory system,” the plumbing must be designed and constructed with the utmost precision. Read more

<h1>Val Toland: Jumping in With Both Feet</h1>
<h6>By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter</h6>
CONCORD — As an officer in the Air Force, Val Toland had been contemplating a long-term career in the military. However, following a spontaneous visit with a relative, he found himself poised to jump into an entirely different livelihood. “In 1979, I was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska, when my wife’s mother unexpectedly passed away,” he remembers. “After attending the funeral in Washington, we drove down south to get out of the snow and stopped in Pleasanton to visit my Uncle Joe. He had just started a pool company about six months earlier, and he asked if I’d like to come out and help him build the business. When I got back to Omaha, I looked around at the three-foot snow drifts and thought, ‘I liked it there in Pleasanton.’ Plus, things had been getting awfully political with the military, which had me second-guessing my plans for a long-term career. After giving it some thought, I decided to resign my commission in the Air Force, move my family to California and get into the pool business.”
Today, as owner of Classic Pools, Val says his favorite part of his job is making his customers’ dreams come true. “That’s no exaggeration—I really do get to make dreams come true! Many families, especially those with kids, dream about having a pool, so the fact that I get to make that a reality for them is very rewarding. I love going to a job every day where I get to be creative and make people happy.”
A resident of Clayton (where he lives with his wife, Cathe), Val says the weather and topography of the Bay Area make it equally lucrative and challenging for a professional pool builder. “There’s a lot of demand here, including both residential and commercial applications, so we stay busy. With all the hills, building pools here can be very challenging, but I enjoy the challenges and seeing projects come together from our hard work.”
Outside of work, Val divides his free time between leisure activities and community volunteering. “I’m LDS by faith, and I’m heavily involved in my church, as well as the local Boy Scouts troop,” he explains. “I’ve been working with young men for about 14 years now, and I enjoy teaching them life skills like respect, etiquette and integrity.” Val also likes to travel and visit family. “My wife and I have several children and grandchildren, most of whom are spread out around the country, so we take a lot of RV trips to visit them. We also try to go on a big trip every year to Hawaii or some other destination.”
In his life and career, Val espouses a philosophy passed down from his grandmother. “When I was a boy, I used to visit my grandparents on their farm, which was out in the boondocks,” he remembers. “My grandma used to say, ‘If you never turn anybody away from your door, you’ll always have food for your family.’ It always impressed me that, despite living in the middle of nowhere, she had faith that if she provided for others, she’d be taken care of. Today, I continue to apply that philosophy to my business. I have faith that if we take care of our customers, the financial aspect will take care of itself.”
When asked what his future retirement might look like, Val says he’ll have no trouble staying occupied. “After my son, Shane, takes over the business, I’ll probably still help run the sales end, just to keep myself busy. I’d also like to do some more traveling, as well as some missionary work. After all, there’s a whole world out there to see.”
Ask Me Anything!
Q: What’s your favorite restaurant? 
A: Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Walnut Creek.
Q: Are you a dog person or a cat person? 
A: A dog person.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day? 
A: Catch up on little projects and chores around the house that I usually don’t have time to do.
Q: What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? 
A: My children.
Q: If you could time travel to the past or the future, where would you go? 
A: I’d go to the past and try to correct an injustice or prevent a tragic incident from happening.

Val Toland: Jumping in With Both Feet By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter CONCORD — As an officer in the Air Force, Val Toland had been contemplating a long-term career in the military. However, following a spontaneous visit with a relative, he found himself poised to jump into an entirely different livelihood. “In 1979, I was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska, when my wife’s mother unexpectedly passed away,” he remembers. “After attending the funeral in Washington, we drove down south to get out of the snow and stopped in Pleasanton to visit my Uncle Joe. He had just started a pool company about six months earlier, and he asked if I’d like to come out and help him build the business. Read more

Val Toland is a 37-year veteran of the swimming pool construction business and owner of <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/report/classic-pools">Classic Pools</a>, a Diamond Certified company. He can be reached at (925) 201-6120 or by <a href="http://www.diamondcertified.org/contact/classic-pools">email</a>.

Val Toland: Jumping in With Both Feet

This comprehensive guide walks you through everything you need to know about adding, upgrading, or maintaining a pool or spa.

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Current pool and spa design trends are all about creating luxurious, functional, and sustainable outdoor spaces. Here are some of the popular pool and spa design trends for 2024:
Natural Aesthetics Incorporating natural materials, such as stone, wood, and plants, creates a serene and organic look. Features like rock waterfalls, natural stone coping, and lush landscaping enhance the overall ambiance.
Infinity Pools These pools create the illusion of water extending to the horizon, providing a stunning visual effect. Infinity pools are ideal for properties with scenic views.
Saltwater Systems Saltwater systems use salt to generate chlorine, resulting in softer water that is less irritating to the skin and eyes. These systems are also more eco-friendly than traditional chlorine pools.
Smart Pool Technology Automated systems allow you to control lighting, temperature, filtration, and cleaning from your smartphone or tablet. Features like remote monitoring and energy-efficient settings make pool maintenance more convenient and cost-effective.
Integrated Spas Integrated spas, also known as spillover spas, are designed to seamlessly blend with the pool. These spas share water with the pool and create a cohesive look. Spillover spas provide a relaxing space for hydrotherapy while complementing the overall design.
LED Lighting Color-changing LED lights can create different moods and enhance nighttime swimming. Underwater LED lights, accent lights, and pathway lights add both safety and style to the pool area.
Sustainable Design Eco-friendly features, such as solar pool heaters, energy-efficient pumps, and rainwater harvesting systems, reduce the environmental impact. Using sustainable materials and native plants in landscaping further enhances the eco-conscious approach.
Fire and Water Features Features like fire pits, fire bowls, and fire lines can be integrated with waterfalls, fountains, and scuppers. These elements add warmth, light, and visual interest to the pool area.
Tanning Ledges Tanning ledges, also known as Baja shelves or sun shelves, are shallow areas in the pool designed for lounging and sunbathing. These ledges are typically 6-12 inches deep and can accommodate lounge chairs, umbrellas, and built-in seating. Tanning ledges provide a relaxing space to soak up the sun while staying cool.
Outdoor Living Spaces Features like outdoor kitchens, bars, cabanas, and shaded seating areas extend the functionality of the pool area. These spaces are perfect for entertaining and enjoying the outdoors.
Natural Pools Natural pools, also known as swimming ponds, use plants and natural filtration systems to keep the water clean. These pools blend seamlessly with the landscape and provide a chemical-free swimming experience. Natural pools promote biodiversity and create a unique and eco-friendly outdoor space.&nbsp;
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Here are some of the popular pool and spa design trends for 2024.

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