Catalina Terrace Athletic Program

Today on CatGeo: Renovation Update

Renovation at the Catalina Terrace Pool got underway at the very end of November, 2016, and continued well into December before taking a break for weather & the holidays, resuming shortly after New Years. Two layers of old plaster were removed from the concrete pool shell (the second layer—complete with lane-line tiling!—was a complete surprise). The shell was then inspected for fractures and areas of attention and reinforcement. Meanwhile, the perimeter of the shell was trenched for new plumbing and electrical access. New holes were cut in the pool shell walls for new lighting & water fixtures. Repairs to reinforce the shell were simultaneously underway, water-line tiling was installed, plumbing and electrical piping installed, then trenches filled and deck concrete poured, all by mid-February!

A huge amount of hard work by incredibly skilled, talented workers, each an artisan in their own right, made this possible. They work together, orchestrated by years of understanding & learning on the job. Concrete must be finished quickly, before curing. Piping must be laid out accurately, before bonding. Tile, electric, masonry, all require the soil & talents of seasoned craftsmen bringing years of experience to renovating our pool, so that our team may again take to the lane lines this summer. Round of applause to our contractors!

Pipe circuits in trenches surround the pool: plumbing manages water delivery to the pool and surrounding hose bibs. Pool skimmers draw off water to send to the pool filters, return lines bring filtered water back to the pool. Electrical conduit supplies power to lighting fixtures and remote deck-side power sources.

Pipe routing in trenches near diving board.

Saw cuts in concrete. Significant portions of the deck were removed to allow for trenching surrounding the pool, and repairing of old, cracked & heaved concrete slabs. These pieces are cut by hand, removed with power hammers or sledge hammers and hauled away.

Once the concrete is flipped, denizens of the subterranean world see the light of day: a Black Widow spider from the underside of saw-cut concrete.

Waterline tile setting. Ceramic tile rims the perimeter of the pool at the waterline, where hard water deposits can be cleaned easily & accurate water level gauged.