https://digital.modernluxury.com/publication/?m=40380&l=1

LIQUID EVOLUTION POOLS has won the following 2022 Pool & Hot Tub Alliance International Award of Excellence:

 

• Merit Award: Pools with a Vanishing Edge

As you know, the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance’s (PHTA) International Awards of Excellence (AOE) program is one of the largest, most well-renowned design competitions in the industry recognizing pool, spa, and hot tub installations. Each year, hundreds of entries showcasing beauty, creativity, and innovation are submitted by builders around the world. This year’s submissions were all outstanding, and our judges had to make some difficult decisions. Your project truly shows the type of work that elevates our industry.

This Newly Renovated Home is Surrounded by Lake Views and Fairways

This Newly Renovated Home is Surrounded by Lake Views and Fairways

SOURCES

Interior designer: Karen Long, Scottsdale, karenlongid@gmail.com. Landscape and pool designer: Kirk Bianchi, Bianchi Design, Scottsdale, bianchidesign.com. Builder: Steve Wolf, Tools For Hire, Goodyear, (602) 319-3462.
BACKYARD—Pool builder: Liquid Evolution Pools, Scottsdale, liquidevolutionpools.com.
PATIOS—Outdoor furniture: All American Outdoor Living, Scottsdale, allamericanoutdoorliving.com; brownjordan.com.
LIVING ROOM—Sofa and armchairs: centuryfurniture.com. Chair and ottoman: S.R. Drost Custom Furniture, Scottsdale, (480) 998-8977. Coffee table: Ladlow’s Fine Furniture, Scottsdale, ladlows.com.
KITCHEN—Cabinetry: Concept Cabinetry, Inc.; Gilbert, conceptcabinetryinc.com. Countertops and backsplash: Arizona Tile, Scottsdale, arizonatile.com. Appliances: subzero-wolf.com; mieleusa.com.
DINING AREA—Chairs: crateandbarrel.com. Light fixture: Hinkley’s Lighting, Scottsdale, hinkleyslighting.com.
SITTING ROOM—Sectional and ottoman: S.R. Drost Custom Furniture, (480) 998-8977. Armchair: rh.com.
MASTER BEDROOM—Armchairs: rh.com. Bedding: The Linen Tree, Scottsdale, thelinentree.com. Chaise fabric: kravet.com.
MASTER BATHROOM—Plumbing fixtures: ferguson.com. Cabinetry: conceptcabinetryinc.com.

The home, pool, outdoor living, and landscape blend seamlessly together, a result of thoughtful design and intention. Unique in shape, the black tiling and clean lines are subtle yet striking. Offers one Pinnacle judge: “This design represents the couture of pool building.”

Project Team
BIANCHI Design
Liquid Evolution Pools

2022 Pinnacle Awards

Liquid Evolution Pools has been disrupting the pool construction market in Scottsdale for some time, and that’s not an easy task. With more existing homes and new construction properties demanding the addition of outdoor living areas and unique luxury pools, business is booming in the area, but for Liquid Evolution Pools, it’s not about numbers. Instead, it’s about creating value on every single job site. 

“We really try to deliver on the value, and it’s definitely a separator for us over other companies in the area. We always deploy the right materials and the right labor and the right effort toward making something great for every single one of our clients. It’s just what we do,” company founder John Smieszek said. “The hardest part is relaying that to the customer and having them understand the difference between our quote and another competitor’s quote.”

Liquid Evolution Pools was founded on high standards, and the industry as a whole doesn’t necessarily share the same commitment. Many companies are simply looking at the bottom line and going with substandard materials or inferior workmanship in favor of focusing on price over value and quality. That’s never the case for Liquid Evolution Pools. 

We hold ourselves to a pretty high set of standards. We’re always educating our employees and our customers. Sometimes having to explain why we want things done a certain way to somebody who has been doing it differently for a long time can be tough, but for us, it’s not negotiable. We are different, and our work speaks for itself.

As you consider your upcoming swimming pool and outdoor space project, think first about value and price. Which is really most important to you? If you would like more information on Liquid Evolution Pools custom luxury pool builders, please contact us at 480.744.2805 or visit https://liquidevolutionpools.com/.

Links to our Projects –

Luxury Pool with Flagstone and Boulders

While the construction can vary, Liquid Evolution Pools is one company that can offer you a dependable timeline, as well as an entirely different approach that means your backyard pool is far more than a simple add-on, it’s an addition to your lifestyle. So, what does a Liquid Evolution Pools luxury custom pool look like from start to finish? Take a peek. 

Phase 1: Planning

This is where Liquid Evolution Pools digs far deeper than any other pool builder in Scottsdale today. They not only look at the needed materials and the job site, but they also spend time with the homeowner, the architect, the landscape architect, and sometimes even the interior designer to understand the vision of the home and create a design that reflects that vision. 

Founder John Smieszek said, “Planning and preparation are key. Once we’ve been awarded a project, we dig deep and go heavy into identifying all of the design intentions, materials, job sites, and the timing of everything. We build a solid plan we can work from so that everyone involved knows where we are and where we can expect to be over the weeks to come.”

Phase 2: Site Prep

Once the plan is in place, the team begins setting up the job site and putting everything in place so construction can begin. With a Liquid Evolution Pools project, the goal is to make certain every subcontractor involved knows exactly what to do. Every subcontractor has been involved in the planning process, and the team meets everyone on-site to answer any questions they may have. 

Smieszek said, “We want to make sure that our plans are precisely executed, so we share our vision with everyone involved. Once the sub-contractors arrive, everything is really organized so they know what role they’re playing. Before we even break ground, we make sure everyone on our team really understands what’s coming.”

Phase 3: Construction

Construction typically begins with excavation, and while it would seem this stage is simple, even here Liquid Evolution Pools works to plan every aspect. 

Smieszek said, “Especially with the first critical pieces, everything is carefully done, all the way down to the rebar. “

Every process might involve questions or changes homeowners need to make, and Liquid Evolution’s goal is always to ensure their clients’ visions are actualized, and that can’t happen without the team on-site routinely. From the initial excavation to the plumbing, Liquid Evolution Pools believes that creating a pool that fits with the homeowner’s goals and the home itself is critical. 

Phase 4: Landscaping

Landscaping work is often dismissed as nearly unimportant in this process, but not every pool company thinks that way. In fact, in an ideal setting, Liquid Evolution integrates landscaping. 

For more information on Liquid Evolution Pools luxury custom pool builders, please contact us at 480.744.2805 or visit https://liquidevolutionpools.com/.

Links to our Projects –

Custom Luxury Pool in Lost Canyon

Camelback Canyon Luxury Pool (In-Development)

With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, this dedicated team understands the process from start to finish in a way few others can, and they know what works well and what simply doesn’t. 

According to this team, understanding these five things is essential before you ever begin a pool project. 

1. Planning Means Everything: Every project is different, but for the Liquid Evolution Pools team, it all comes down to planning. From beginning to end, we have a process that we follow and stick to, but every project is different, so we create a process, a schedule, and a budget that works. One problem can affect everything, and that’s where it gets expensive.” Liquid Evolution Pools has developed a number of processes that help them understand the entire project from start to finish, which always results in a better outcome. 
2. Communication SHOULD Be Part of the Process: Your design team should always keep you in the loop. If they’re not available to help you understand what’s happening, you might be working with the wrong team. Liquid Evolution Pools co-founder John Smieszek said, “We’re really lucky. Our clients are really patient and understand that we have to adapt, but part of that is because we keep an open line of communication. We make sure every client understands where we’re at any given time, and what they might expect to see next week.” 
3. Your Team Will Likely Rely on Subcontractors: Subcontractors are part of the business for every pool company, but a good project management team is likely to ensure you’ll never notice. Smieszek said, “We rely on subcontractors for nearly every phase, and but our project manager really shines here. He can come through and manage each part of the process all the way through and pick up on those little bits and pieces that sometimes get overlooked by subcontractors. He’s all over it, making sure that whatever project we’re working on is going as smoothly as possible.”

Pools are a staple in the Scottsdale custom homes market, but not every pool building company understands what needs to happen. Liquid Evolution Pools, though, is different, and they’re disrupting the market like never before. 

Visit https://www.liquidevolutionpools.com to see more examples of luxury pools from Liquid Evolution Pools.

Links to our Projects –

Custom sPool in Gainey Ranch – Scottsdale, AZ

Custom Luxury Pool in Lost Canyon – Scottsdale, AZ

Custom Zero Edge Pool in Scottsdale, AZ

It All Started with a House

John Smieszek began to see the need for a different kind of pool builder.  Smieszek was more a part of the custom home construction. He hoped to find a pool builder to create something that matched the DNA of the house he was building. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly the specialty most pool builders get. Often pools were simply added wherever it fits in after the home design was completed. 

Company founder John Smieszek picks up the story. “Typically the pool is really underserved in the design end where what you’ll see on a set of plans typically is a blob that says permit by others for the pool. That’s where we really want to change the way things are done in a way and come in earlier and help with design and help it get built better really by getting the paperwork right and the planning right. That’s where we start. We bring that same thoughtfulness and concern all the way through the project.”

It was that need for change that led to the creation of Liquid Evolution Pools, custom luxury pool builders unlike any other. Instead of simply putting a pool to fit the space, they create a design that reflects the home itself, creating an outdoor experience that matches the fit and finish of the home, leading to outdoor space that not only increases the appeal and value of a home but also offers a comfortable environment of outdoor luxury. 

The Most Common Industry Mistakes

Over the years, the company has seen some pretty problems with the methods of other pool designers. 

The market disruption Liquid Evolution Pools has created all comes down to forethought. 

The Pool Builder Scottsdale Needs Now

Liquid Evolution Pools works directly with homeowners and/or Scottsdale builders to bring their luxury pool and spa visions to life. Pool projects are best when we are brought in early, and we are able to work with the architect and interior designers, landscape architect and understand exactly what it is everyone’s trying to pull off and how they want and see everything working so that we can make sure we create something that fits perfectly with every aspect of the design.

While the two often joke about doing more planning than necessary, the simple truth is that Liquid Evolution Pools begins with a solid, thorough plan that looks at the details and what makes each project different from every other. That allows them to create a process, a schedule, a budget, and ultimately a bespoke pool that is an extension of the home. 

The Liquid Evolution Pools team is changing the way swimming pools and spas are created for Scottsdale area homeowners, and that change will be reflected throughout the real estate market. 

For more information on Liquid Evolution Pools custom pool builders, please contact us at 480.744.2805 or visit https://liquidevolutionpools.com/.

This video covers all of the important steps in the system for a proper glass pool tile installation, from the concrete tank outward to the waterproofing, bonded mortar bed, to your thin-set grout and sealants.

This pool is in Arizona where it gets hot during the day and cold at night. So we’re going to be installing movement joints about every eight feet on this negative edge pool. Additionally, we’re going to be using bond breaker tape and Latasil 100% silicone sealant over the top of that to get a properly detailed high-performance installation, and this glass tile wall is going to last a very long time.

This negative edge pool will be getting ⅞ x ⅞ bronze iridescent glass tile. This glass pool tile paper face-mounted, which means it’s mounted into a sheet with a water-soluble glue on the front of the tile. Brian shows us the nuances of how to properly adhere to this tile to the wall with a multistep process for the mortar. This process creates a smooth surface for the tile to be pressed into. The next step is to then use a wooden block and hammer to tap the tile to make sure it is well bedded into the mortar.

Once the tile has had a chance to set for a bit it is time to remove the paper. This process requires wetting the paper with a damp sponge for several minutes. After about seven minutes the glue will start to release and the beautiful tile is exposed. Now is the time to make any little adjustments to the tile.

After a good day or so of setting up, a nylon scrub brush and water is used to get off any of the residual glue from the tiles and after a rinse and towel dry the tiles are ready for grout. Once the grout is installed you’re done, right? In many cases, yes, but if you want to be proactive and protect the pool there are more steps. Sealing the grout is highly recommended to prolong both its life and its color. There are other products such as a glass and tile shield as well as a calcium releaser, especially for iridescent glass tile.

Visit https://www.liquidevolutionpools.com to see more examples of luxury pools built with Oceanside Glass and Tile by Liquid Evolution Pools. Watch for the full reveal of pool in the Spring.

Video Transcription – Installing Glass Pool Tile on a Negative Edge Pool in Paradise Valley, AZ

Hey everyone, this is Brian Fitzgerald with Oceanside Glass and Tile. Today I am on a spectacular job site with Liquid Evolution Pools. Well, we’re going to show you how to install our new seven eighths by seven-eighths bronze iridescent tile the right way.

So an often overlooked part of working on an outdoor living project, particularly luxury pools, is site protection. It’s the environment. We happen to be working today in Arizona in November and it is absolutely beautiful out here. Its perfect weather for working, where the guys are installing tile is mainly shaded. So we don’t have to worry about it today, but if you’re in an area that freezes, gets a lot of rain, those types of things. Thinking about how you’re going to protect the pool tile both during the pool construction and installation. The curing phase is going to be an important part of your installation.

In every step of this process, the various materials we’re utilizing are going to have cure times that the manufacturer specifies before you go on to the next step. And it is super critical that you adhere to those cure times. So the layers of waterproofing, get to your thin-set in your grout, and then at that stage, your cure times can range anywhere from generally 14, up to 28 days before you’re going to fill the swimming pool with water. And if you do that too soon, you’re going to seriously degrade those materials and you can have some real problems.

Movement joints can be a controversial topic and advice on the subject will range dramatically depending on who you talk to. But here’s the deal, glass expands and contracts more than ceramic or porcelain. And giving it somewhere to go with a movement joint is absolutely critical, particularly above the waterline where you have environmental conditions that range widely. We’re here in Arizona, it gets hot during the day, it gets cold at night. So on this negative edge, we’re going to be installing movement joints about every eight feet. We’re going to be using bond breaker tape and Latasil 100% silicone sealant over the top of that to get a properly detailed high-performance installation, and this Weir Wall is going to last a very long time.

Well, everything we’re going to cover in this video is important. Ultimately what the performance of your tile installation their pool comes down to is going to be the installation system. And what do I mean by the system? I mean all the materials you utilize from the concrete tank outward. This includes a primary waterproofing that goes on the tank, a bonded mortar bed, a secondary waterproofing that goes over the mortar bed, and then your installation materials, your thin-set grout and sealants that you use with the tile installation.

So at Oceanside Glass and Tile, we provide full swimming pool tile installation instructions. These are available on our website at glasstile.com and this includes a full list of materials that we recommend for each layer within that system. On this particular project, Liquid Evolution Pools is utilizing some Basecrete product waterproofing for their primary and secondary waterproofing and all a lot of Creed installation materials, but it’s all from the list within our instructions.

So for example, the primary waterproofing that goes on the concrete tank, it prevents both negative and positive hydrostatic pressure. That’s just fancy words for water moving back and forth through the concrete, which can create a lot of problems. It can cause problems with the pool tile de-bonding and blowing off the face of a negative edge wall like this. It can cause problems with efflorescence, which is the white stuff that comes pouring out of the grout joints, which a lot of people see. Each one of these materials in the full system provides critical protection and performance in the installation, so it’s super important that you utilize the right products. Go check out the instructions and see the list.

The tile we’re using here today is Oceanside Glass and Tile’s muse seven eighths by seven-eighths bronze iridescent tile. Now, this product is paper face-mounted, which means it’s mounted into a sheet-like this using paper with a water-soluble glue on the front of the tile.

So when you look at it out of the box, this is actually the back of the tile. Now this is preferable in a submerged application because you’re not dealing with mesh and glue that can be a questionable quality and can break down in a water environment. So you’re getting 100% bond to the back of the tile, which is awesome. The nuance to it though is that it’s mounted from the front with this paper, which not all installers are familiar with, but it’s a very basic, easy process to install it and there are some pretty simple steps to it. So the first thing you’re going to do is take your three-sixteenths by quarter-inch V notch trowel, and you’re going to use the flat side of that trowel to apply a little bit of mortar to the wall and you’re going to really key it into the substrate. Press it in, smooth it out, just a really tight coat to just start your application process.

Then next you’re going to use the notched side of the trial and you’re going to pull nice full notches in one direction. And it’s key here to keep contact with the substrate. Keep a nice consistent angle on the trowel and pull through in one direction. Nice clean, full notches. Next, you’re going to clean off your flat side of the trowel and you’re just going to lightly roll those notches over to get a nice smooth, even, consistent mortar bed. Now, this is really important if you’re working with a translucent tile, we happen to be working with a pool tile today that you can’t see through, but some of our products you can. If you don’t flatten those notches and do that step, you’re going to end up seeing those trowel March through the tile. It can be incredibly unsightly. It can actually be a place where you can get mold and mildew growth as well down the road.

Once you have a nice, smooth bed of mortar that tile sheet is going to get placed into the mortar paper side out. Once it’s in place and just lightly pressed in, you’re going to use a beating block and a hammer to tap it in. Supercritical to get a flat installation, work from sheet to sheet, across the tile, make sure it’s really well bedded into the tile. After that’s been in place for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the weather and the mortar you’re using, you’re going to start wetting the paper with a damp sponge. After about seven minutes of keeping that paper wet, the glue is going to release and you’re going to be able to pull that paper off the face of the tile and expose the tile for the first time.

Now at this point, if you’ve done it correctly, the mortar should still be flexible enough that you can make adjustments and that’s really what separates a decent installation from a great installation is making those fine adjustments, particularly paying attention to the sheet lines, making adjustments between sheets and unifying the overall mosaic pattern.

So once you’ve made all your adjustments so you get a nice uniform installation, you’re going to want to set that up generally 24 hours at which point you can come back and clean off the residual glue from the mounting paper, just using a little of water and a nylon scrub brush. It’s a water-based glue. It comes off really easily. Give it a little scrubbing, clean, rinse, towel dry and you’re ready to put in the grout. Once you’ve got your grout installed, your movement joints detailed, everything cleaned up. Most installers would think they’re done.

And in a lot of cases, they’re right, but if you wanted to be proactive and really protect your installation, you can go the next step. Set yourself apart. First, I’d highly recommend you seal the grout with Ocean Care Products, High-performance Penetrating Sealer. With a cement-based grout, sealing the grout is really going to help prolong the life of the grout, keep that color locked in and prevent staining.

Next, I’d highly recommend applying Ocean Care Products Glass and Tile Shield. Now that’s a surface protectant that’s going to keep calcium from sticking to the tile and keep the tile cleaner longer. And then lastly, I’d highly recommend getting your customers some Ocean Care Products. Calcium Releaser, which is a non-acidic cleaner, which is supercritical when dealing with an iridescent glass pool tile like this.

Iridizing is a really thin layer of metal that’s fused into the glass. And those metals can be susceptible to damage from acids, particularly strong acids like muriatic or hydrofluoric. So Ocean Care Products Calcium Releaser is not acidic, highly effective, and safe for glass tile. Not to mention it’s non-toxic and environmentally friendly. So go check it out.

Resources & Mentions from the Video

• Oceanside Glass & Tile Website – https://www.glasstile.com/
• Oceanside Glass & Tile 7/8″ x 7/8″ Bronze Iridescent – https://www.glasstile.com/product/mus…
• Oceanside Glass & Tile Cleaning Products – https://dev-glasstile.pantheonsite.io…

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