Bouncing a Few Questions off Rebound Pools

By: Joe Trusty - Pool Magazine

Rebound is a soft and slip-resistant pool texturing that is becoming increasingly popular with homeowners who are looking for a safer pool deck. Not only that, but swimmers can actually enjoy the same bouncy texture inside the interior of the pool. To get a better understanding of the product and how it works, we reached out to Rebound Pools to get with Steve Walsh and Lance Johnson of Rebound Pools.

“Our new system for decks and pool interiors creates a soft surface. This is a pretty simple system that can go over existing pool interiors including concrete, plaster, pebble, and stone finishes. It creates a beautiful finish for pools and decks,” said Steve Walsh. The product, which is available in a wide assortment of colors, resembles floor safety systems that many with small children will already recognize existing in their local playground or schoolyard. Rebound is very similar to that bouncy texture found in areas where small children play. To see this type of material showing up around the pool deck is a new feature that is catching on with homeowners concerned about safety. The slip-resistant and soft bouncy feel of the texture provide better traction and feels great on bare feet.

When looking at where the product is being installed, it’s primarily homeowners with small children that are looking for safer alternatives and additional slip resistance around the pool deck. “Side by side, if you compare rebound to all the other decking products on the market, on the safety issue – it’s a slam dunk for our product,” said Lance Johnson. “In addition, if you’ve applied the product on the interior, this product offers a huge benefit if you’re worried about safety at all. Walking around in the shallow end is a lot safer,” explained Johnson.

For those who are wondering how durable this surfacing is, the two part polymer and plastic thermo granular material is designed to be submerged under water and hold up year after year in wet / dry conditions. “It’s really impervious to water,” said Walsh, “it doesn’t react to it and we think it has got a really long life on both decks and pool interiors. The granules we use feel like a squishy soft rubber but are actually a high end product called TPV – it’s a type of plastic without any fillers. It lasts a long time and doesn’t leach or interact with anything. Because it’s completely inert, it’s a great product for the pool environment.”

Rebound pool surfaces are becoming increasingly popular with pool contractors and homeowners concerned with safety.

Photo Credit: Rebound Pools

While the product has only been around for a few years, there is considerable data from the splash pad/ playground sector to indicate that the product will have an equally long life in pool interiors. Steve Walsh helped explain, “I think the best test for us has been the 10 years or so that it’s been used in splash pads, which has heavy traffic and high chlorine water. The product is exposed to the sun all day. It gets wet and dry, on and off constantly. Holding up to that is much tougher than what is happening when it’s sitting in a pool.”

In terms of how the product feels, Walsh described the end product. “That quarter inch you get is very durable and very flexible. It has some elongation properties to it. We call it rebound because it’s kind of a soft squishy product,” said Walsh.

One contractor that swears by the product is Sacramento pool industry veteran, Gregg Sample of Gregg’s Pool Works & Pool Yoda. An early adopter, he was one of the first installers of Rebound Pool Surfaces. “The low start-up cost of becoming an installer make it a really viable business for pool contractors to get into,” said Sample, who has been installing the products in pools around El Dorado County.

With a short learning curve to become an installer, Walsh says that learning how to apply a Rebound Pool Surface is incredibly easy. “If you can use a paintbrush or a roller, you can learn how to install this product,” said Walsh, “the product can be applied in fiberglass, gunite, and composite wall pools as well as on decks and steps.”

Learning how to apply a Rebound Pool Surface is incredibly easy.

If you can use a paintbrush or a roller, you can learn how to install this product,” said Walsh

“The product works well vinyl liner pools,” said Walsh, “the whole industry has been looking for a product that can fill in the nasty cracks that develop in broken pool stairs and are finding this product works better than a patch.”

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