The Elite Difference

Quality concrete pool projects take time, and sometimes it’s what you don’t see that matters the most.

A great outdoor renovation project starts with a great design. Elite Landscaping sources unique and durable landscaping products from all across the USA, which are installed by the best craftsman in the industry. From the first scoop of the shovel, to the last finishing touch, you’ll notice the Elite Difference through every step of our outdoor landscaping and pool projects.

“As the owner of Elite Landscaping, I know my company may not be the cheapest estimate, but that's because we abide by the highest standards. The quality of our craftsmanship and materials we use make it well worth the investment. When your swimming pool is built right the first time, it definitely costs less than having to fix it or rebuild it in the future.

-Jason Decker, Owner of Elite Landscaping in Omaha, Nebraska

The photos on this page are intended to illustrate examples of Elite Landscaping’s standards of excellence, as compared to improper work or shortcuts that other pool contractors may take.

LAYOUT AND POOL BASE

Before we get the project started, we are going to provide a comprehensive set of in-house designed prints. We use these for HOA application/approval when required, permits, legal surveying, and to assist with any testing or engineering required to accomplish our final goal of building a life-long project. We map out and layout the project for client approval, and to make sure things will set as designed.

Elite’s layout process and flash	Elite Landscaping coating

After we dig, hand shape the hole and our form ledge, we install a minimum of 6 inches of free-draining, crushed limestone. This product has no small particles or fines, so any ground water can drain freely. This material is compacted in layers to provide a solid base for our pool shape.

The Elite Layout: Clean, compacted sub-base and structurally-sound form	Sloppy Layout: No rock base, bags of concrete used as filler, and a piece of wood form is stuck in the wall

POOL FORMS

Forming is the backbone to your concrete shell. Flimsy, sloppy, non-existent, cookie cutter forms just don’t cut it. Loose, sloppy forms create rebound. Rebound is essentially gravel from when the shotcrete ricochets of rebar, loose forms, piping or previously shot material. You would not want loose gravel in your pool structure. We pre-build most of our forms in our shop so they are true, accurate and strong. We also use an immense amount of rebar, and add extra forming, which supports our vertical rebar mat.

Elite Landscaping’s forming methods ensure a stable foundation and densely-packed pool base. Contractors that don’t use forms or install proper backing material can create uneven shell thicknesses that lead to your shell not being as thick as the contractor has quoted, or the rebar not having enough encapsulation. Loose, sloppy forming can also become trapped in your pool structure, which cannot be removed.

Elite Landscaping Forms	Examples of Unstable Forms

POOL PIPING & HYDRAULICS

Pool piping and hydraulics are the key components of a quality pool. Pipes that are too big, too small, too few or too many can be detrimental to a project. Through experience and continued education, Elite Landscaping strives to provide the most effective and efficient pools in the Omaha and Lincoln market. We only use schedule 40 and 80 pipe with primers and glues designed and warrantied specifically for the pool industry. Pentair products are the industry leader in pool equipment and our preferred supplier. We use water stops on all pipes in our pool shell, and color-match main drains and fittings to blend in with the final surface selection.

Elite Landscaping Piping	Elite Landscaping Pool Pad	Example of flexpipe used without proper encapsulation

REBAR INSTALLATION

Elite Landscaping only uses American-made rebar because we trust the standards of domestic metal grades over inferior foreign requirements. Regardless of tariffs or price fluctuation due to supply and demand, we always use a minimum of grade 60, #4, domestic rebar. Imported rebar can have impurities in the metal, a lot of surface rust due to the length of time it takes to ship to the US, and it does not support our economy. We install a double mat of rebar in all of our pool walls from top to bottom, no matter the project. One out of two pools has a double mat of rebar in the pool floor depending on design, engineering, and soil conditions. Even on a sport-bottom or hopper-bottom pool we install our rebar on a 6-inch grid pattern in the deepest part of the structure.

Here are examples of Elite Landscaping rebar installations with double mat and/or tied 6” on center.

Be aware of insufficient rebar installations that use flimsy ⅜” rebar, or that are tied more than 12” on center.

SHELL THICKNESS

Our pools are shot at a minimum of 12” thick for the walls and floor, with a 14” thickened bond beam when required. Our concrete mix design has 756 pounds of Portland cement and is a 5,000 PSI mix, with a great, water-to-Portland-cement ratio and some great additives for pump ability and strength.

Our pools have a 6,000 PSI or greater strength at a 28-day cure. Most of our local competitors shoot a 4,000 PSI mix design that generally has to have water added so it pumps easier, thus weakening the mix design to far less than 4,000 PSI.

For our Midwestern temperature swings, and if you are doing a salt water pool, you need a minimum of 4,000-4,500 PSI. High-strength concrete and domestic rebar cost more money. But this is not an area to cut quality. We have no problem showing a client our delivery slips for the concrete that was actually delivered to the jobsite. Our shells are shot by highly-trained, experienced crews under our supervision for larger projects, and in-house for all the detail work, waterfalls and spas. Large scale projects require enough pumping power, air power and manpower. We shoot large scale projects with two nozzlemen, and plenty of air power to shoot a dense, solid, rebound-free shell.

We water cure and tank test our pools to hydrate the Portland cement particles in our pools shells for a minimum of 10 days after the pools shell is shot. A pool shell shot well will hold water with no plaster or waterproofing required for the life of the shell.

The photos below are Elite Landscaping’s examples of a nice, dense, clean concrete shoot.
Of note: You do not see a lot of rebound laying on the ground. There are nice straight, even walls, with no hand-stacked areas or areas of completely missing material. The steps are even, with level heights and level benches. There is no rebar or bonding wire sticking out of the shell that will rust or cause rust to come through the plaster finish. On the right is an example of a pool that we tank tested for 2 months.

Below are poorly-shot examples of what we like to call “lipstick on a pig!”
Safety issues in these pools include: Copper bonding wire actually sticking out into the infinity basin. Improper encapsulation, as well as rebar sticking out into the shell after the concrete has been shot. Parts of the shell are hand stacked or completely missing. Irregular step heights are a safety hazard, and the pillars are bowing out. There is also enough loose gravel to fill a sandbox.

FINISHING TOUCHES

The finishing touches on an Elite Landscaping custom pool are endless. From extensive glass tile work, custom natural stone, travertine coping, custom plaster blends, natural stone zero-entries, rustic stone coping, and/or waterfalls. Elite Landscaping uses the highest quality materials for waterproofing, grouts, tiling, and coping beds, which are specifically made for swimming pools and spas. This way, the finer finishes and extra touches to our pools will stand the test of time.

THE JOB SITE