Cambridge pool tiling, fitted around the academic calendar.

Working back from the reopening date

A drained pool needs time for the work itself, and then time for adhesive and grout to cure before the refill. Water treatment has to be brought back up before anyone swims. Each of these takes the time it takes, so we start from the date the pool has to reopen and work backwards.

If the window is short, we may suggest doing the most urgent areas now and leaving the rest for the next long vacation, rather than rushing a full regrout.

Information that helps a college or school plan

Estates teams often have to book a closure months ahead. A few details early on let us give a realistic view of what can be done in the time available.

• The dates the pool can be out of use
• Photos of the worst areas and a wide shot of the whole pool
• Any record of past repairs or regrouting
• Who handles draining, plant and refilling on site

Beyond the colleges

Cambridge also has hotel and health club pools, school pools across the city, and private pools in homes in the surrounding villages. The area's water is hard, so scale on tiles and grout lines is common, and some of what looks like failed grout turns out to be deposits that clean off.

We check that before recommending a regrout. If the grout underneath is sound, a proper clean may be all it needs for now.

Pools inside older buildings

Some pools in and around the city sit within older or listed buildings, where the estates team may have rules on access routes, protection of floors and where equipment can be set up. We are happy to work within those, and we would rather hear about them at the start than on the first morning.