Sheffield pool tiling, including warm-water pools.

The pools

Sheffield has public leisure pools, school and university pools, hotel and health club pools, and private pools in the western suburbs towards the Peak District. Like any large city it also has warm-water pools run by healthcare, care and wellbeing providers.

Changing rooms, showers and steam rooms that serve these pools can often be scoped at the same time.

Why spa and hydrotherapy pools need extra thought

Warm-water pools run hotter than a typical swimming pool, and spa pools add jets, seating and lights. The heat, and the water treatment that goes with it, can be harder on grout and sealant. These pools are also small, heavily used and difficult to close.

So the products have to be rated for the conditions and used as their makers intend. After curing, the pool is refilled and brought up to temperature gradually rather than all at once.

• Careful detailing around seats, jets and lights
• Flexible sealant at movement joints and changes of plane
• Gradual warm-up after the refill

What to tell us

For a spa or hydrotherapy pool, give us the operating temperature, the treatment regime, any areas that keep failing and how long the pool can realistically close. Where people rely on the pool for therapy, agree the closure early so other arrangements can be made.

If something hidden turns up once tiles are lifted, we tell you then and explain the options, and any change to the scope is agreed before it happens.