San Juan Pools: What goes into making them?

San Juan Pools distinguishes itself as a fiberglass pool manufacturer by emphasizing a hand-laid manufacturing process that heavily relies on the skill and experience of its labor force and using high-quality raw materials, distinguishing them from many competitors.

Raw Materials

Premium Resins: San Juan Pools utilizes a specific type of resin, Vinyl Ester resin, which is known for its excellent water resistance and mechanical properties. This is used for the critical first layer of fiberglass laminated to the gelcoat, providing maximum protection against blistering and delamination. They even use it throughout the entire laminate, distinguishing them from other fiberglass pool builders.

High-Quality Fiberglass Reinforcement

Hand-laid Fiberglass Sheets: San Juan Pools employs a minimum of 5 individual layers of hand-laid fiberglass sheets. This provides structural durability and allows for consistent thickness throughout the pool shell.

Fiberglass Mat: San Juan Pools use 1.5 oz per square foot of chopped strand mat as a layer, providing a skin for the hand-laid fiberglass.

Woven Roving: San Juan pools use at least 48 oz per square yard of woven roving everywhere, a fabric made by weaving continuous strands of fiberglass together, adding significant strength.Premium Gelcoats: For certain finishes (like White and Sulli Blue), they use an NPG/ISO (Neopentyl Glycol Isophthalic) based Gelcoat specifically formulated for the pool industry, offering UV stabilization and corrosion resistance. For their Iridium colored finishes, they utilize a solid surface material with oven-cured colored chips in a UV and chemical-resistant clear resin, backed by a color-matched gelcoat.

Labor in Manufacturing

Hand Lay-up Fabrication: San Juan Pools employs a hand lay-up fabrication process, which involves literally building the pool over a mold by hand, layer by layer. This is a distinct contrast to the chopped fiberglass method, where fiberglass is sprayed onto a mold.

Skilled Laminators: The hand-laid process relies on the skill and experience of their laminators. Many have been with the company for over 20 years, leading to a consistent product quality.

Detailed Lay-up Process: The hand-laying process involves carefully applying each layer of fiberglass and resin to the mold in panels. Deep pools receive additional layers. The careful application of each layer is checked for imperfections.

Rib Placement: Strategic placement of structural reinforcement ribs all around the outside of the pool is a critical step, further increasing the overall strength of the pool. This is also done by hand.

Hand-Laid Fiberglass vs. Chopped Fiberglass: San Juan Pools emphasizes that their hand-laid method creates a stronger, more durable product than the "chopped" or sprayed fiberglass method used by some competitors.

Quality Control: The final inspection process involves checking for visual imperfections and performing structural tests.

In essence, San Juan Pools' manufacturing process is defined by:

Premium materials: Selecting Vinyl Ester resin throughout the laminate for superior water resistance and strength.

Handcrafted Approach: Utilizing a hand lay-up fabrication method with skilled laminators to build each pool layer by layer.

Emphasis on Durability: Reinforcing the structure with multiple layers of hand-laid fiberglass and woven roving, strategically placing ribs for added strength.

By investing more in material costs and labor, San Juan Pools aims to produce a higher quality, stronger fiberglass pool shell designed to last. This approach sets them apart from competitors who might use less expensive, less labor-intensive methods. The emphasis on quality craftsmanship is a way of life for the company, resulting in pools that have lasted generations.