Pool tiling in Durham, fitted around term dates and tight streets.

Planning around terms

With a collegiate university at its heart, Durham has student and staff pools alongside school pools, public leisure pools, hotel pools and private pools in the villages around the city. Where a pool serves students or pupils, the summer break is often the only time a long closure is possible.

Those weeks fill up, so we suggest getting in touch well ahead. An inspection in the spring lets us agree the scope and order materials before the window opens.

Working in an old city

The centre of Durham sits on a loop of the River Wear, with the cathedral and castle on the peninsula and narrow, steep streets around them. Some buildings are old and have limited routes in for materials and waste.

Before work starts we like to know a few things, so the first morning is spent working rather than finding a way in.

• Where a van can park and unload
• The route from the entrance to the pool hall
• Any restrictions on noise or working hours
• Where old tiles and waste can be stored and removed
• Who holds keys and the plant room contact

What to report between visits

Sharp or lifting tiles are a safety issue and should be reported straight away, especially on steps and edges. Grout that has gone dark or open, or a tile that sounds hollow, is worth photographing and dating so we can see whether it is spreading.

Staying close while the job runs

Durham is a long drive from Warrington, so for anything beyond an inspection Dan and Jay stay locally. That keeps the working day long and means curing and refill checks happen on time.

Before we leave, we go through the refill with whoever runs the plant room, so draining, filling and restarting the water treatment follow an agreed order rather than guesswork.

Spare original tiles are worth hunting out before we arrive. Older pools often used tiles that are no longer made, and a stock of originals makes repairs much less visible.