Pool tiling in Cheltenham, planned around the school year.

Working to a school calendar

School and college pools usually get one proper shutdown a year, most often in the summer holidays. Once the dates are fixed, everything else has to fit inside them: draining, the tiling, cure time and a controlled refill before pupils come back.

The earlier we can inspect, the better. A visit during the spring term lets us agree the scope and order any tiles in good time, so the summer is spent working rather than waiting.

• Inspect in spring, while there is time to plan
• Agree the scope and the closure dates
• Order matching tiles and materials early
• Drain, repair, cure and refill within the holiday
• Final check before term starts

Hotels, clubs and homes

The town also has hotel and health club pools, and private pools in homes around Cheltenham and out into the Cotswold villages. Hotels here see busy spells around the big events at the racecourse, so it is worth avoiding those weeks for any work, and for booking accommodation for a longer job.

Private pools are usually more flexible on timing, but owners still tend to want them back for summer. A winter or early spring repair leaves time for cure and refill before the warmer months.

Steps, floors and markings

Teaching and learner pools take a lot of traffic on the steps and shallow floor, and those are often the first areas to show loose tiles or worn grout. Lane and depth markings can fade or crack too. We can replace damaged tiles, regrout worn areas and renew markings while the pool is down.

Where a lot of children use a pool, a sharp edge or lifting tile on a step needs dealing with straight away, not saved for the summer. Close the area off and send us photos so we can advise on a short repair visit.