A diving board is a great addition to your swimming pool. It offers pure joy and thrill of jumping into the pool for a refreshing experience. The sizes of diving boards can vary from a little stone platform or springboard to enormous diving towers. When selecting this additional feature for your swimming pool, make sure to do your research and stress on the safety of the divers. Before taking the plunge, here are the steps to install a board for diving into your pool:
Do the Research
Before shopping around for diving boards, it is wise to research a bit. Some local authorities put a ban on residential diving. Therefore, you must ascertain if your municipality allows its installation. Also, check the requirements for obtaining permits from your local authorities. Don’t forget to ask about the applicable laws from your pool builder.
Determine the Diving Envelop of Your Pool
For installation of a diving board, it is essential to measure your pool and its diving envelope. Your pool builder can provide these figures readily. The measurements entail calculations of the depth. It can be tricky in a pool full of water. So, let the pool pros handle the task of taking measurements for depth, widths, and distances between specific points of the pool. Depending on these measurements, the experts will find the type of your pool and size of its diving envelop. As such, the height of the diving boards above the water line is determined.
Check the Material
The diving boards are no more lame accessories from yesteryears. Now, you can find them in the most stylish shapes, materials, and colors. You can choose natural stone diving board or wood, depending on your swimming pool. Whatever is your choice of material, prefer a pool-friendly and corrosion-resistant board that can prevent salt corrosion.
Check the Safety Recommendations
The safety ratings on pool products are assigned by American National Standards Institutes (ANSI)/ The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (PHTA). These organizations make standardized safety ratings for pool products. They have clear specifications about weight limits and other safety concerns related to diving boards. As per their specifications, you should use a slip-resistant board and affix a permanent label with manufacturer’s details on it. Also, there should be no pool features in the diving envelop and the platform must be flush with the pool wall. It is essential to avoid the divers from hitting their heads while taking the plunge.
Check the Technical Specifications
The installation of diving boards must be in accordance with the technical specifications. Any error in installation can result in hazardous slips and falls. Whether you are building a new pool or installing the diving board in the existing pool, it requires a metal base under the concrete for bolting the board. It is a major construction with several safety concerns. Therefore, it is a task better left to the professionals. They know how to drill the holes in your deck and insert the jig for installation of the boards safely. With these steps, you can ensure safe and sound installation of a diving board in your swimming pool.
