Pool tiling in Exeter, fitted around term dates and old streets.

Working to the academic year

With a large university and plenty of schools, a good share of Exeter's pools run to term dates. The long summer break is the obvious window, but it fills up fast with other building work, so we try to agree scope and materials well before it starts.

Hotel, health club and leisure pools in and around the city have their own quiet periods. We ask when yours is and plan to it. Outside the city, across the Exe valley and into rural Devon, there are private pools in homes where the timing is simply whatever suits the owner.

Getting in and out of the city centre

Inside the old Roman walls the streets are narrow and parking is tight. For a pool in the centre, it helps to know early where a van can unload, where materials can be kept dry and how waste will leave the site.

We would rather sort this out on the first visit than discover it on the first morning of works. The same applies to newer sites on the edge of the city, where a pool may sit deep inside a larger building.

• Loading point and any time restrictions
• Route from the van to the pool hall
• A dry, secure place for adhesive and grout
• Where tile waste can go

When epoxy grout is worth it

Epoxy grout resists pool chemicals and cleaning far better than standard cement grout, which is why we often suggest it for busy pools. It is not a cure for loose tiles or a failing bed, though. If the grout has gone because something underneath has moved, we deal with that first. Epoxy also needs careful mixing and cleaning off as it goes, so it takes longer to lay than cement grout, and that goes into the programme.