The cover story: uncovering the origin and evolution of pool covers

One whiff of a skunk will typically send people running. In 1957, a skunk that met an untimely end in a swimming pool did, indeed, make one man run--to his drawing board to devise an effective way to keep kids, critters and debris out of the pool and chemicals, heat and water in.

The unfortunate skunk--Fred Meyer Jr.'s inspiration for the mesh pool safety cover--has become part of industry lore. And Meyer, owner of a Melville, N.Y.-based tarp, awning and flag manufacturing firm called Meyco Products, joined the ranks of industry innovators.

Meyer was one of many pioneers, including Bill Donaton, Joe Lamb, Harry Last and others, who have shaped the pool-cover industry throughout the past six decades.

In some ways, the product hasn't changed much since its inception. The covers still keep the water clean and free of leaves and debris, decrease chemical loss through evaporation, prevent algae growth, reduce filtration time, and protect the pool from wear and tear.

But there have been developments on other fronts. More advanced technological components and materials on today's pool covers mean the products can work and look better, and last longer.

Here, a variety of manufacturers provide a closer look at the types of covers that have emerged over the years: winter covers, solid and mesh safety covers, and manual and automatic covers. In doing so, they share a history of the cover industry--how the concept started, how the materials have changed, and where the product is headed.

Seeing the need

In the early days, homeowners employed rudimentary methods to cover their pools. They'd fashion covers out of tarps or sheets of canvas, extend the material over their vessels and then place heavy bricks or blocks over the edges to weigh them down.

However, the start of pool-cover manufacturing as an organized industry can be traced to the 1940s. The first covers to make an impact on the swimming-pool industry appear to have been designed to protect the pools during the winter months.

"Covering a pool with fabric is an old technique," says Lincoln Christensen, vice president of pool cover sales at Anchor Industries. The Evansville, Ind., firm introduced its simple tarp covers in 1941. Christensen says the early covers were made of vinyl-laminated polyester and came in one color: aqua. Much like today, the cover material was cut wider and longer than the pool, and was held down with bags filled with water of sand.

While such tarps kept debris out of pools, the solid vinyl surfaces allowed water to collect on top, detracted from the backyard aesthetics and were a bit cumbersome for customers to handle. Also, they could not be used as safety devices.

The basic concept for winter covers has stayed constant over the years; however, the materials used to make them has evolved over time. In the '70s, manufacturers experimented with a solid, polyethylene fabric.

In 1976, Youngstown, Ohio-based Cantar worked with DuPont to create a triple-laminated polyethylene cover fabric that is still used today. The process increased the fabric's durability, allowing for longer warranties to be issued.

The latest covers are made from a mesh fabric encased in a plastic coating. These improved winter covers keep sunlight out, prevent algae growth, and are stronger, lighter and easier to use than their predecessors.

An element of safety

While the winter covers worked as shields during the colder season, homeowners sought greater year-round protection. Their request helped the product evolve--and safety covers soon entered the scene.

Thanks to the "legendary" skunk found floating on the water collected on his winter cover, Meyer devised a pool cover that would be an alternative, both in design and material, to the winter covers of that era.

Meyer's first safety cover was made of fiberglass, which became brittle and fell apart after several months of use. As a result, he began to experiment with a light-weight trampoline-style material (a tightly woven polypropylene mesh) that would remain taut and allow water to drain through, while debris remained on top.

Soon he had a prototype cover, which he fastened onto anchors installed on the pool decks. In 1960, Meyer and Bill Donaton, then the company's vice president, received a patent for the first mesh safety cover.

Thus, the safety cover industry was born.

Other companies spurred the industry on, including Anchor Industries, which began making its own mesh pool cover with tarp straps in the mid-'60s.

In 1978, Donaton started a safety-cover company of his own: Loop-Loc Ltd. in Hauppauge, N.Y. Companies at the time strove to make the highest quality safety covers available, and Donaton worked to get ASTM standards established for the product, according to his daughter, LeeAnn Donaton-Pesta, Loop-Loc's president/CEO.

Polypropylene mesh was, and still is, the standard safety cover material. As the industry matured, a number of adjustments were made to the weave and chemical makeup of the fabric.

The companies tethered the initial covers to the decking with black derlin pop-up anchors, Donaton-Pesta says. Today those plastic-based anchors are made of noncorrosive solid brass.

Stainless steel springs were used to pull the cover taut and allow it to withstand heavier loads. In recent years, manufacturers have increased the strength of the springs and modified the anchor so that it can handle more torque. Stunts such as placing elephants, entire dance troupes and cars on the covers have been used to show the strength of the covers--much to the media's delight.

Today, more than 20 manufacturers continue to propel the safety cover market in the United States. The difference among their products can be seen in the thread count and color, and the amount of webbing and strapping built into each cover, according to Todd Mulvaney, national sales manager at Plastimayd Corp. in Clackamas, Ore.

"Remarkably, the mesh material is not much different than it was when the industry started," Mulvaney says. "The hardware is almost identical, except for the change to commercial springs."

In the '90s, several companies, including Merlin Industries in Trenton, N.J., introduced solid safety covers. Made of long-lasting polyester fabric coated with vinyl, these covers used the same anchoring system as mesh safety covers.

In addition to the safety aspect, solid covers prevent fine sediments from entering the pool. They also block the sunlight, which inhibits algae growth. The most recently introduced covers are as much as 33 percent lighter than typical solid vinyl covers, are faster draining and more durable, according to Donaton-Pesta.

In 1993, Cantar introduced a cover that blended the materials. Its solid safety cover features a mesh window in the center so that water can drain through, while debris is kept out.

The technology behind the cover-manufacturing process has progressed from hand measuring and cutting to the use of digital laser measurement and computer-aided design. Once the customer's pool measurements are entered into a software program, they are e-mailed to the manufacturing facility, where a CAD program determines strap placement and provides a 3-D orientation for optimal layout. Computers then automatically help cut the required material.

The future of safety covers lies in new materials that will allow for lighter weight and stronger, more durable safety covers, manufacturers say.

Adding a touch of automation

While customers flocked to the new mesh and solid safety covers, they wanted more convenience--an easier wag to cover and uncover the pool. Manual and automatic safety covers answered that need.

In the mid-'50s, Joe Lamb, a Salt Lake City pool builder and the founder of Cover-Pools Inc., sought a way to protect his children and keep leaves out of his pool. He knew covers that didn't require a lot of time or people to put on or take off would be used regularly, creating safer and cleaner pools.

Lamb, an avid skier, received his inspiration from a rope tow--a precursor to the chair lift--used on the Utah slopes. "That was when the light bulb went off in his head," says Rick Clark, current president of Cover-Pools. Lamb's idea: Automate the product by incorporating a similar pulley system on either side of the cover.

Lamb made several automatic-cover prototypes based on the rope-tow concept. His first cover used an electrical mechanism with a clutch drive to move the ropes. He put one cover on his own pool and tested other versions on customers' pools. They worked well, so in 1962 Lamb quit his pool-building gig and began manufacturing automatic covers full time.

Several automatic-cover manufacturers are spinoffs from Lamb's firm. Notably, Poolsaver in Walnut, Calif., and Coverstar in Provo, Utah, originated from two of Cover-Pools' original employees: Lanny Smith and Steve Bushnell. These firms and others continued to fine-tune the product.

In the late '70s, Harry Last, the father of three competitive swimmers, desired an automatic cover for his indoor pool in Canada. The man who would go on to establish Aquamatic Cover Systems wanted a cover that would maintain a pool's heat and control humidity, according to Tom Dankel, vice president of the Gilroy, Calif., firm. Last, a mechanical engineer, developed an updated version of the automatic cover. His first cover system was electric; however, it had a compensating drive instead of a clutch. The compensating drive helps manage the rope reels, keeping the slack rope from piling up and the cover from becoming uneven.

In the late '80s, Aquamatic took it one step farther and debuted an all-fluid-drive hydraulic system to open and close the cover. Most manufacturers now offer electric and hydraulic automatic cover options. However, the hydraulic systems are more expensive.

Some automatic-cover manufacturers also introduced manual versions of their products, which opened the market to customers looking for a more economical option. The cover materials and tracking system remain the same, but the system doesn't include a motor. Instead, users pull the cover onto the pool and then turn a crank by hand to remove it.

Many manufacturers can convert a manual cover to automatic operation. Because the system uses the same tracks and cover, the electric of hydraulic mechanism can be added later.

Automatic covers have evolved dramatically over the years due to the following factors:

* Cover materials

Manufacturers have traditionally used a form of reinforced vinyl for the cover fabric. Over the years, though, the vinyl for mulation has been modified, increasing the covers' longevity and durability, and allowing for greater consistency during opening and closing, Clark says.

Some manufacturers have shifted from laminated to coated vinyl, and many have increased the mil weight of the vinyl they use. Automatic Pool Covers in Fishers, Ind., for one, started using coated vinyl in 1995. "It's one of the best changes we made," says President Michael Shebek. In recent times, Aquamatic introduced covers made out of rigid PVC material to the market.

The use of pure plasticizing agents, algae inhibitors and UV blockers has evolved as well. Manufacturers have worked over the years to achieve the correct blend of these elements, according to Clark. The covers come in a wide range of colors and can even include a corporate logo or family crest.

* Activation

At first, automatic covers were opened and closed using a drum controller. Users would move a handle left of right to operate the system. In 1988, most manufacturers introduced a key switch to activate the cover, Clark says.

In the late '90s, the activation mechanism became more high-tech. Cover-Pools, for one, debuted a wireless control, which enabled homeowners to operate the cover from multiple touch pads placed around the pool area.

* Track systems

The track systems for automatic and manual covers have been made of aluminum since their inception. The first systems did double duty as the track for the cover and as coping for the pool. The original automatic pool covers were designed to cover only rectangular concrete pools, and the tracks were typically mounted on top of the pool deck.

Today's covers can top an inground pool of any type or shape. They also come in three variations: recessed/universal/surface-mounted and under tracks. They can be anchored using a deck-on-deck tracking channel of a coping track channel. Some manufacturers also offer vanishing-edge pool cover kits.

* Drive components

Automatic covers use either an electric of hydraulic mechanism to extend and retract the cover. However, the systems' drive components and gears originally were made of brass, in recent years, manufacturers have beefed up drive components and gears, which are machined from stainless steel, according to Wesley Mathis, board chairman of Pool Cover Specialists Inc. in West Jordan, Utah.

The use of noncorrosive materials such as anodized aluminum and stainless steel components throughout the mechanism has enabled some manufacturers to offer lifetime warranties on drive-system components.

Currently, motors are waterproof and incorporate a number of sophisticated electronic technologies that were not present in early models. These advances include electronic stops that prevent the cover from overextending or over-retracting, impact-free stops and technology that senses an obstruction and shuts down the motor before damage or injury occurs.

In years to come, automatic-cover manufacturers expect to introduce alternative installation techniques as well as designs that do not affect the aesthetics of the pools they cover, Mathis says. Maintenance-free covers and simplified installation requirements also are on the horizon.

Into the future

The benefits of most covers include heat retention, and reduced water evaporation and chemical usage. As further advances are made, however, many manufacturers want to put greater focus on the product's safety benefits.

Some have recommended an industry-wide roundtable. "It's better to join forces and focus on the safety," says Paul Autry, general manager of the Southern California division of Poolsaver by Sun Systems Inc. "We're in this together, and we're all representing safety."

Pool & Spa News thanks the following companies that contributed photos for the cover pictorial: Aquamatic Cover Systems, Cantar, Cover-Pools Inc., Loop-Loc Ltd., Meyco Products Inc., Poolsaver and Vyn-All Products Corp.

RELATED ARTICLE: Floating solar covers.

Floating solar blankets first emerged in the late 1970s. Not sold as a safety product, these covers provided customers with a quick fix to reduce heat loss and limit water and chemical evaporation.

The first solar covers were made of polyethylene fabric with bubblelike cells. At that time, there was no way to heat-seal individual panel widths together, so these ear[y covers were sewn together by machine.

Today's covers are still made of celled polyethylene, but the technology behind the material has advanced. Some modern solar blankets will warm pool water by as much as 15 degrees and cut water evaporation by up to 95 percent.

Some innovations for solar blankets include an additive that maximizes the blanket's ability to absorb and maintain thermal energy, according to Brian Frost, director of marketing at Cantar in Youngstown, Ohio. "It actually magnifies the sun's heat rays," he notes.

--J.P.R.

RELATED ARTICLE: Spas under cover.

Spa covers have come a long way since their inception. In the late 1970s, the covers, made of closed-cell polyethylene, were used simply as heat-retention blankets.

Today, the vinyl and aluminum spa covers have several jobs to do. Most importantly, they provide a barrier to the water, protecting children and animals. They also maintain temperatures, reduce water loss, retain chemicals, keep debris out and add beauty.

In 1979, Sunstar Spa Covers in San Marcos, Calif., had those concerns in mind when it engineered and tested its first vinyl covers. These early covers, as well as those made by other manufacturers, had an expanded polystyrene core covered with marine-grade vinyl. The cover had flexible hinges and what was then a vapor seal.

These first vinyl covers lay completely flat on the spa and were sewn together, rather than having zippers, says Dick Moore, Sunstar's president emeritus.

Later, modifications improved spa covers' usability and durability. Zippers were incorporated on the exterior vinyl to allow the encased cores to be removed and replaced. Designers a[so wrapped plastic around the foam cores to protect them from water seepage.

The cover's proximity to water inside and around the spa has prompted design modifications. In the mid-'80s, manufacturers placed a plastic seal around the cores for additional protection from water vapor, Moore says. In 1983, companies developed tapered covers, which allowed rain water and other moisture to run off the spa top.

At about the same time, a different style of cover entered the scene. Inspired by the covers designed for the beds of pickup trucks, Be-Lite Inc. began manufacturing an aluminum-based cover in 1982, according to Ben Gargle, president of the Anaheim, Calif,-based firm.

These covers have an aluminum top and bottom, which is attached to a foam center. A gasket under the cover's edge creates a seal on the spa, "like a refrigerator," he says.

Originally, the cores of Be-Lite covers were fiberglass. "We eliminated the fiberglass a couple of years back, making the cover stronger and lighter," Gargle says.

Some spa cover products have come and gone during the industry's nearly 30 year history. Moore and Gargle remember seeing several innovative designs over the years at industry trade shows. "One guy had a seriously cool cover made out of plastic," Moore says. "It was 3 feet high and looked like a space ship."

Wooden slat roll-top covers and blow-up covers also joined the lineup. "A company out of Florida made blow-up covers out of vinyl with a bladder inside. You put it across the spa, strapped it down and pumped it up with air," Gargle says. Some failed in the field, but fueled further research and development.

Experimentation and product development in the 1990s led to thicker, "walk-on" type covers that could withstand up to 1,000 pounds. These covers were important for regions with heavy snowfall and ice. They also added another level of safety for inground spas, according to Moore.

Modern covers feature vinyl that is treated with mildew and UV inhibitors, and come in a variety of colors. According to Moore, spa covers are a product that has essentially "gone green." The covers reduce energy, water and chemical consumption. These covers also provide a layer of safety: Many manufacturers' products meet ASTM standards and are UL-classified.

As spa cover materials progressed, so did the hardware. In the '80s, the hardware involved a simple grommet with a twist-lock closure. In 1987, Sunstar introduced side-release hardware on its tie downs that acted somewhat like a safety buckle. This fastener was made of what Moore ca[Is "space-age" plastic. This hardware is still in use in some applications, while some vinyl covers now feature center-release hardware that activates with the push of a button.

In the early '90s, cover-lift devices, an offshoot of the spa-cover market, entered the scene. The products, including E-Z Lifter, Cover Caddy, Cover Valet and others, enable spa owners to more easily take off and put on the covers. One of the first nonhydraulic models, the E-Z Lifter, was designed in 1992 by Dimension One Spas in Vista, Calif. One year later, Cover Valet in Cerritos, Calif., developed its prototype hydraulic cover-removal product that stands the cover up on the spa's rim.--J.P.R.

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