Hello! We are in the middle of a new pool build. We went with the Latham Astoria fiberglass pool with an auto cover. All the photos on Latham’s site show really nice, sleek looking pools with auto covers. Our PB just informed us that our auto cover has to be installed about two feet off the back end of our pool because our skimmer is down there and that the cover will go over the skimmer. This was news to us! And nothing at all like the photos we had seen anywhere! Our concern is that we are going to have this unsightly gap at the back end of our pool between the pool and auto cover. Does anyone have experience with this?? One thought we had was to have the cover housing installed at the shallow end and have tile added on top of the housing. Has anyone done this? Thanks for your help!
Auto cover on a fiberglass pool
- Thread starter SarahC320
- Start date
Sarah, you don't want the cover vault down at the shallow end cause it will get more walking on, and be more obvious there.
You'll need to open the cover every few days during Spring-Fall just to let the pool "breath" so that is the time to check your skimmer basket. It doesn't matter in function that the skimmer lid is covered at times.
What is the plan for your decking? Some folks have tied their decking in to the vault lid so its less apparent to view.
Maddie
You'll need to open the cover every few days during Spring-Fall just to let the pool "breath" so that is the time to check your skimmer basket. It doesn't matter in function that the skimmer lid is covered at times.
What is the plan for your decking? Some folks have tied their decking in to the vault lid so its less apparent to view.
Maddie
Our decking will be concrete but we will have stone coping around the pool. We are really just afraid that the large “unfinished” space between the pool/skimmer and the cover housing will be an eyesoreSarah, you don't want the cover vault down at the shallow end cause it will get more walking on, and be more obvious there.
You'll need to open the cover every few days during Spring-Fall just to let the pool "breath" so that is the time to check your skimmer basket. It doesn't matter in function that the skimmer lid is covered at times.
What is the plan for your decking? Some folks have tied their decking in to the vault lid so its less apparent to view.
Maddie
You can put tile over it, that's probably the best option if you can find something that looks like your stone coping. Epoxy paint is also an option but wears down and doesn't look as good. Who installed the skimmer?
Mine is the same way. Minor inconvenience really, since you don't usually need to open up the lid but once a week or two usually (more of course when leaves fall...).
Skimmers are best placed where the natural breezes around the house are so that they help push surface debris into the skimmer.
Skimmers are best placed where the natural breezes around the house are so that they help push surface debris into the skimmer.
Probably. Or had them ship it without the fittings installed (which Latham will do) and installed it on site.Latham…our PB should of had them install it on the side.
I believe yours is actually a little different. You have a deck mounted system, where I believe Sarah is getting a recessed cover box. The issue with this is that there is a section between the box lid and the edge of the pool where you will see the concrete bond beam and the top edge of the shell as well. It also creates a bit of a step down, since the coping can't go in between the autocover box and the deep end edge of the pool.
Would you mind sending a picture of what yours looks like with the cover open?
Yes, that is exactly what our PB is telling us! We are not happy about this…my husband was ready to have them rip it all out and fill the hole in! We are trying to come up with other options/ideas and weren’t sure if anyone else had a similar issue and how they dealt with it.
Paging 
an1vrsy
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 10, 2018
- 1,240
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
an1vrsy
Bronze Supporter
- Jul 10, 2018
- 1,240
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I would like to see photos of @SarahC320 cover vault and space betw the vault and pool. I can’t imagine what you are describing.
We do not have a waterline tile and I’m not sure what you mean by gelcoat?
Gelcoat is the finish that gives the pool its color, so Sapphire Blue, Night Sky, etc.
I want to preface this by saying I've never personally done it, but it is possible to move a skimmer on a fiberglass pool. It would involve patching the opening with fiberglass and applying new gelcoat. The problem is that the new gelcoat will be noticeably different that the existing gelcoat, especially above the waterline. If you add waterline tile it would cover up a significant portion of the repair, and repairs under the water are less noticeable. Likely not something your PB would be willing to do.
I want to preface this by saying I've never personally done it, but it is possible to move a skimmer on a fiberglass pool. It would involve patching the opening with fiberglass and applying new gelcoat. The problem is that the new gelcoat will be noticeably different that the existing gelcoat, especially above the waterline. If you add waterline tile it would cover up a significant portion of the repair, and repairs under the water are less noticeable. Likely not something your PB would be willing to do.
We don’t have the cover installed yet; we were trying to come up with another solution prior to installation. Here is a photo I found of someone else’s pool with the same set up.
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,283
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I would love to see the outcome of that link above... Auto cover installation questions I can't find any finished pictures on any of their threads showing how they finished the in between section. The OP may see a DM if you send them one. They were last on the site last August, long after their project was finished.
I'd think that having the same decking or coping style on that in between section would make it look quite handsome, making lemonade kind of thing. You can't change the issue, so it's the next best solution. In the thread above, I think the concrete was poured too high to accommodate full thickness pavers, so it would have been harder there. You also don't want waterline tile there because it would be too slippery. Trust me. I have waterline tile on my dam wall and it's slippery. Here's my cover area - to show you the mostly horizontal waterline tile that you really don't want.
I'd think that having the same decking or coping style on that in between section would make it look quite handsome, making lemonade kind of thing. You can't change the issue, so it's the next best solution. In the thread above, I think the concrete was poured too high to accommodate full thickness pavers, so it would have been harder there. You also don't want waterline tile there because it would be too slippery. Trust me. I have waterline tile on my dam wall and it's slippery. Here's my cover area - to show you the mostly horizontal waterline tile that you really don't want.