Idealcovers shelter the pool for warmth and safety
BY TRACEY ARIAL
A new retractable pool cover from Europe combines the comfy enclosed space of a solarium with the natural beauty of the outdoors on a sunny day.
“This product is the best of both worlds,” says Mark de Graaf, a senior design consultant with Four Seasons Sunrooms Vancouver, the B.C. distributor of the retractable cover. “We introduced it at the fall home show last year. Since then, we’ve completed quite a few, and people have been very happy. There’s nothing else like this in Canada.”
Known as Idealcovers, the retractable covers are made by the Czech Republic-based company, Albixon. They look like solariums but are structured as modular units that retract telescopically next to a pool, spa or deck. Solar-powered retraction is available. “These are made of aluminum alloy and polycarbonate, so they are light, easy to install and don’t require a foundation,” says de Graaf. “It’s a way of covering pools for a lot less expense than a traditional sunroom, because it costs from a quarter to one sixth of the price.”
Pool owners order Idealcovers for privacy, to extend the season, reduce chemical use, limit pool maintenance or ensure their children’s safety. “I had a client who was considering the cover when his two-year child fell into his pool,” says de Graaf. “He got there in time to save him, but phoned soon after to order the cover. If we can help save lives with this product, I’ll be very happy.”
De Graaf says that although Idealcovers are not custom products, his technicians ensure access, measure spaces and make drawings so customers get what they want. The aluminum alloy and polycarbonate are made in Germany and are sent to Albixon for the manufacturing process. They are then powder-coated to match a homeowner’s property.
Three or four months later, De Graaf’s team delivers crates and installs the covers as clients prefer.
