Ledge Lounger Launches New Autograph Collection Of Outdoor Living Furniture - PoolMagazine.com

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Ledge Lounger, a premier name in outdoor living recently announced the launch of their new Autograph Collection. A modern and sophisticated follow-up to their award-winning Signature Collection.

Ledge Lounger is most commonly associated with their line of in-pool chaise lounges used on tanning ledges in the shallow area of the pool. Constructed of UV16-rated ultra-strong polyethylene, it’s basically the same material found in many commercial water slides. Created to withstand the harsh chemicals and UV rays found around the pool area, they’re guaranteed to remain colorfast for 10-15 years and have become a favorite add-on feature for pool buyers.

Already synonymous with the in-pool chaise lounges from their earlier collections, Ledge Lounger products as a whole have become near-ubiquitous in their association with high-end luxury pools and backyards over the past decade. We went one-on-one with Founder and Ledge Lounger CEO – Christopher Anderson to learn more about the product line.

Anderson has long been immersed in the world of outdoor living, and first developed the concept for the Ledge Lounger line while designing & selling pools. “My father owned a swimming pool business – Custom Design Pools in Houston, TX and I grew up in the pool industry,” said Anderson. “

I swore I’d never own a pool business after growing up in it but corporate America led me back to my father’s business,” explained Anderson, “that’s when I fell in love with the design and sales side. It was actually on one of our job sites that I noticed the need for an in-water chaise and it’s where the whole idea sprung from.”

Founded back in 2011, Ledge Lounger has its roots firmly planted in Houston which coincidentally enough seems to be where many pool innovations find their start. “I think there’s just a sense of entrepreneurism in Houston itself,” said Anderson, “there are a lot of opportunities. It seems like when most of the markets are suffering, Houston is growing. It’s a good area for innovation and development.”

Ledge Lounger as a company has come a long way since those initial forays into the outdoor living sector. The company which has experienced explosive growth in the past decade has become a recognized leader in the pool industry. Their popular line of in-pool seating products, as well as their line of outdoor furniture, umbrellas, pillows, and outdoor accessories, has been recognized for five years and running on the Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America.

The Ledge Lounger Autograph collection officially launched on March 16th, and features a robust catalog of new chaise lounges, chairs, headrest pillows, and side tables. The new designs are a sophisticated reimagined look for contemporary in-pool and outdoor living furniture.

The first design element you notice about the Autograph chaise are the chairs striking architectural silhouette. This chair is ideal for tanning ledges with up to 12″ of water. The Autograph chaise features improved raised ergonomics and increased lumbar support, allowing you to relax comfortably in your outdoor environment.

Meant to resist the elements of any pool or outdoor area, the Autograph chaise loungers are built to last. Made from color-stabilized UV16 resin, this in-pool furniture can withstand up to 16,000 hours of direct sunlight without ever losing its luster.

The Autograph collection chairs are equally as impressive in the water as they are sitting on the pool deck. Available in 4 distinct colors (white, sandstone, cloud and granite grey) these versatile chairs look stunning in and out of the water. Combined with one of the new Autograph side tables, this combination has all the makings for a resort-style experience right in your own backyard.

Perhaps one of the most innovative additions to the new collection is the Autograph Ice Bin Side Table. Ledge Lounger definitely hits the mark with this stylish and useful side table that accents its chairs handsomely. The sleeky appointed outdoor accessory can hold up to 12 cans of your favorite poolside beverage.

Anderson and his team are incredibly excited to get the Autograph Collection in the hands of the industry and consumers just in time for the upcoming pool season.

Already a hit at the various industry related tradeshows they’ve attended this year, Ledge Lounger is eager to connect with pool builders. The last two years of the pandemic, most industry tradeshows were on temporary hiatus. Quarantine conditions kept the industry from gathering, consequently it also created a heavy influx of new business for the outdoor living manufacturers. Like many, Anderson and company have made adjustments to living in a Covid-19 world.

During our discussion, we hit on current events such as inflation, increases in logistics and discussed what Ledge Lounger is doing to continue their plan for growth in an ever changing market. “Coming off the tailwinds of Covid, we’ve really got to focus on product development and continue to reach out to new customers and not get too comfortable with where we are at,” said Anderson. “We’re fortunate that 99.99% of our product is American made, so we haven’t had the same supply chain issues that a lot of businesses have had.”

“The only reason that we’ve had longer lead times is that demand for our product outperformed our plan which is always a great situation to be in as a business,” explained Anderson, “it did create some scenarios though where we weren’t able to follow through on our commitments from a lead time perspective.” It’s a problem that Anderson has taken steps to prevent this year by making certain they have enough product on hand to facilitate incoming orders at the height of the season. “We’re really focused on improving lead times this year so that we don’t miss any deadlines and ensuring that we’re able to meet the demand this year.”

Like many manufacturers, Ledge Lounger has had to raise prices on their products as well as on shipping. Rising costs for fuel are sharp increases the company has no choice but to pass on to consumers. “Absolutely, shipping costs have risen – we’re dealing with higher costs,” explained Anderson, “some of the material costs have increased. We haven’t had a price increase in over 6 years. This was the first year where we’ve had to raise prices. Ultimately over the last 6 years prices have gone up but we’ve found more efficient ways to manufacture our products. This was the first year in recent history where cost increases outpaced efficiencies we could find.”

This year’s pent up demand for pools appears to be the last thralls of what became an unprecedented demand for backyard improvements during the height of the pandemic. Many analysts predict that the sharp incline in consumer interest is beginning to fade. Ledge Lounger however, is positioning for growth in other ways.

While very successful at attracting a long list of distributors, Ledge Lounger is putting more emphasis these days on connecting with the direct point of sale, namely pool builders. Leveraging the market penetration of industry standard design tools like Structure Studios, Ledge Lounger is now closely integrated with the 3D design software. “

What they’ve created since the beginning is just ground breaking,” said Anderson, “It creates a great opportunity for vendors like Ledge Lounger to be able to make their products available to the pool builders to enhance their designs. It also creates visibility at the consumer level for our products.”

Ledge Lounger has doubled down on that strategy by offering pool builders in-house design services. “A pool builder can send us their Pool Studio file and we will actually utilize our design team to layout a backyard space then send that file back to the pool builder with a cost estimate,” said Anderson, “They can then go offer that setup to their customer and know what their exact price is going to be, put their markup on it and sell it directly to the homeowner; really taking out need for the pool builder to design it.”

Ledge Lounger will be attending this year’s Pool & Spa Expo in Las Vegas later this year and will no doubt be showcasing the new Autograph collection at the show. Make sure you stop by their booth and check out their incredible new line.

Listen to our entire interview with Christopher Anderson, CEO of Ledge Lounger

Pool Builder Scams – What To Look Out For When Building a Pool

Editor in Chief of Pool Magazine - Joe Trusty is also CEO of PoolMarketing.com, the leading digital agency for the pool industry. An internet entrepreneur, software developer, author, and marketing professional with a long history in the pool industry. Joe oversees the writing and creative staff at Pool Magazine. To contact Joe Trusty email info@poolmagazine.com or call (916) 467-9118 during normal business hours. For submissions, please send your message to submissions@poolmagazine.com

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A growing number of pool builder scams are popping up from coast to coast. This comes after a recent increase in pool construction over the last two years. More and more consumers are complaining of mismanaged pool installation projects. A list of builders under investigation continues to grow by the day.

District Attorney Terry Houck is accusing 58-year-old Roger Kornfeind of scamming 76 people in Northampton County out of $1,378,146 in down payments for pools he never installed. Houck alleges Kornfeind had been collecting deposits but failing to install pools and hot tubs he had been contracted for.

Deputy District Attorney Jim Augustine suggested that a growing number of consumers looking to have a pool installed during the pandemic created an easy crime of opportunity.

“I think it certainly helped that Mr. Kornfeind was able to have a steady stream of people looking for swimming pools because public pools were closed. There were limited activities in the public, in the community during the quarantine,” said Augustine.

The allegations are that Kornfeind’s company Hydro Dynamic Pools was undercutting the market with zero intention to complete any of the projects he was selling, telling customers: “‘I don’t care what anyone else is telling you, I’ll get you swimming in 90 days or 60 days,’ and that led to a lot of this,” said Augustine.

It’s a problem that isn’t isolated to one particular market and has been popping up anywhere and everywhere that there is a white-hot demand for pools. Consumer confidence and low-interest rates on pool financing have caused a spike in consumer interest.

One company Amore Pools out of Indian River County in Florida is facing serious allegations that include 16 crimes. Charges include seven counts of identity fraud, four counts of money laundering, insurance fraud, contracting without a license. In addition, they’re charged with making false statements of compliance and participating in a scheme to defraud.

Owners Chrystal and Brian Washburn of Treasure Coast are accused of taking large deposits to build inground pools, but never completing the projects. One alleged victim, Alice Patterson, claims after paying Amore Pools $21,000 in deposits she was left with a stagnant and dangerous hole in her backyard – and nothing else. She claims the couple was charismatic and had a believable sales pitch which she bought into. However, after months went by with excuse after excuse without any work being performed. Patterson says she discovered a Facebook group where other alleged victims were sharing similar stories.

Officials claim the Washburns were accepting large deposits to begin pool projects. Prosecutors allege the work that was performed hurt the structure of buildings. There are accusations that work also passed property lines, and remained untouched for months at a time.

The now-defunct company faces a litany of charges stemming from over 150 homeowners in six counties. At least a 25% deposit was collected on the majority of them, FDLE agents said; with the overwhelming majority of those projects left uncompleted by Amore’.

The pervasive problem of pool builders taking advantage of unwitting customers is an issue that recently arose in South Carolina. There is a long list of unsatisfied customers who want their day in court with Travis Taylor. Officials have since revoked his ability to obtain a permit and construct pools in Aiken County. Court documents go so far as to accuse Taylor of a “scheme to defraud”. Records cite “multiple incidents” where he took deposits for inground pool projects and failed to complete the job.

Taylor is by no means a licensed pool contractor. In the state of South Carolina, he actually doesn’t have to be. Right now the official laws on the books in that state only require a license if you’re going to be building commercial pools in places like hotels and water parks. State legislators tried to change that earlier this year but the bill failed to pass.

The enthusiasm to capitalize on the momentum of the pool industry has drawn many inexperienced and unscrupulous pool companies who are eager to start installing pools. The state contractors board began fining ex-Cabot firefighter turned pool builder – Austin Logan $400 each day after leaving 14 pool projects abandoned in various stages.

The Cabot fire department to which Logan was employed fired him. Citing conduct that brought into question the integrity of the fire department and mayor’s administration, Logan was terminated.

Jamie Wilhite, an investigator for the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board, has been investigating Logan. “We’ve had around six pools at $126,000 that nothing has been done and we’ve got a little over half a million dollars of about eight pools that the projects are not finished,” said Wilhite.

The situation isn’t much better for homeowners down in Miami who have been dealing with pool builders who have allegedly taken deposits and skipped town altogether.

Angel Lacasse said he contracted with Ricardo Villarroel’s company, Villa Pavers and Pools. Lacasse says he paid a deposit of $21,000 to have a pool built in his backyard. Villarroel has been arrested by authorities and is charged with defrauding homeowners for over a million dollars.

Luis Alvarez Daboin of Conquer Pools, and Villa Pavers and Pools salespersons Michael Borrego and Laura Ballester Alpizar in addition to Villarroel himself, are now facing additional racketeering charges associated with the investigation. Over 100 homeowners across the state of Florida are claimed to be affected in this case.

The problem is symptomatic of the frenetic pace of which pools are being built across the country. Quite often state licensing departments simply can’t keep up with the volume of complaints they are receiving from homeowners. The amount of open investigations into allegations of fraud and negligence has been increasing exponentially in sync with the increase in consumer interest.

*A&S Pools and Pavers is a pool builder who allegedly provided misleading information to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. They’ve been accused of dropping the ball and allowing A&S to operate. The company claims that it is licensed on its website but investigators couldn’t find any license that is attached to the owner or the business. A search of permits uncovered a completely different company name listed on them.

*(not affiliated with Anthony & Sylvan Pools)

A company called Gabbidon Construction or Gabbidon Builders, both owned by Leonard Gabbidon was listed on 10 of the pool permits. The North Carolina Licensing Board filed a complaint stating Gabbidon failed to disclose a bankruptcy in 2020 and instead claim he misled them on his application.

Meanwhile, A&S customer Janet Hadjar’s backyard still looks like an abandoned construction zone. After paying owner Mario Salmeron $33,000, Hadjar claims construction came to a halt when A&S complained of delays and began making excuses. Hadjar says she has no idea who Leonard Gabbidon is and wants answers on why Salmeron was allowed to use Gabbidon’s license. “I am a little surprised that it has gone this far,” said Hadjar. “So when I found out he was using another contractor’s license, I was shocked.”

Ryan Baird, owner of Beyond Blue Pools said consumers should be on the lookout for “can’t miss deals” that are too good to be true. “Homeowners need to get quotes from at least a dozen pool builders and evaluate prices,” said Baird.

“Watch out if the builder is coming in ten to twenty thousand dollars under the lowest bid you are getting,” said Southern Poolscapes co-owner Aaron Rogers, “If they don’t know how to price a pool to begin with, that is definitely a big red flag.”

Emile Stinchcombe, owner of Aquaguard Pools said, “We’ve definitely seen more of this since the pandemic started. Homeowners need to really research and do their homework before hiring just anyone to work in their backyard. The consequences can be absolutely devastating.”

“Some of the things you want to look for are open litigations. Complaints on review sites or on social media are also an indication that things may be going south,” said Stinchcombe.

Jason DeBosky a Virginia-based inground pool builder and owner of Crystal Blue Aquatics said, “There are numerous things consumers can do to make sure the process goes smoothly. Research pool builder reviews. Also ask to go on a “pool tour” of past completed jobs and ask for references from past customers. Any pool company worth their salt will jump at the chance to provide solid references.”

“How you pay your contractor is extremely important,” said Brandt Gibert, owner of Windgate Custom Pools a pool construction company in New Orleans. “Avoid paying a huge down payment upfront. That gives the pool contractor incentive to continue to drive the construction process forward. Make sure payments are chained to major milestones of work being performed. Work with a lender that puts cash in your hands. Don’t sign off on work that hasn’t been completed to your satisfaction.”

We’re all about getting into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and here at Pool Magazine we have some creative suggestions on how to decorate the backyard for the holiday that we’ll discuss a little later. With that said, we can’t say that we’re very big fans of the social media fad of dyeing your pool water green to celebrate. In fact, according to most pool professionals, dyeing your pool water any color can be a recipe for an unlucky and costly maintenance headache that pool owners definitely will not want to deal with.

Your first experience with dyeing a large body of water may have come from witnessing what happens in the city of Chicago. The Windy City dyes the Chicago River green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day every year and has done so since the tradition first began in 1962. Each year a group dumps around 50 pounds of vegetable dye into the river which transforms the color of the water into a shamrock green color.

The Journeymen Plumbers Local Union 130 did the honors this year using 2-3 motorboats to spread the dye. The green color lasts a few days. It only takes around 45 minutes for the entire river to turn bright green. Over 400,000 attendees gather around the river to watch and it’s a lovely event for the city of Chicago.

To be perfectly clear though, this is not one that we recommend trying to recreate at home in your own backyard and there are some very straightforward reasons why. A few years back a buddy of mine was renting a home with a pool in the East Bay in California. He decided to throw an impromptu pool party for St. Patrick’s day and thought it would be a fun idea to dye the pool green for the party.

Wanting to imitate the look and party vibe that the city of Chicago has going is one thing, but the maintenance chore of cleaning up the pool after the party is one that perhaps he hadn’t anticipated. I seem to recall a prodigious and panicked scrubbing session to remove green dye residue that had discolored the tiles. Probably not the smartest thing to do in a rented home but that’s a whole other headache to discuss which has more to do about protecting your investment by setting some ground rules about how your rental property is used by tenants.

Friends who attended the party remarked how weird it was swimming in a green pool. The water was so cloudy that it was impossible to use the pool even with the lights on once the sun went down. Cleaning the pool proved to be harder than anticipated. My friend’s efforts didn’t pay off nearly as well as he would have liked and his landlord ultimately wound up charging him a fee to have the pool professionally cleaned.

We asked pool professionals what they thought about the practice of dyeing your pool green for Saint Patrick’s day. “If I walked up on a pool that had been dyed green, I’m pretty sure my brain would short-circuit,” said Derrick Todd of Aquanut Academy, “Dyeing the water in a pool causes all sorts of maintenance headaches.”

“For instance, cleaning the filters (can be difficult) as the dye pigments tend to build up there,” explained Todd, “that’s if the filter can even catch them. A cartridge only filters down to about 10 microns. There is always the possibility of staining the pool surface,” said Todd.

“You also have to be careful with your pool chemistry as the dye can react negatively with harsh chemicals like shock or acid- which means (if you’re having a pool party); you will not be able to treat the pool for heavy bather loads like you normally would,” explained Cole Daasnes of Poseidon Pools, a Roseville Pool Service company located in Northern California.

Daasnes suggested that by attempting to fake dye your pool a green color, you may end up with a really green pool for your trouble. “If you’re dyeing your pool you’ll be limiting the amount of circulation and filtration after application to make sure you get the desired effect and that it actually lasts (and doesn’t just filter out). Consequently, by limiting your circulation, filtration, and chemicals- you may actually end up with a real green pool only it’ll be caused by algae instead of dye.”

“I would be nervous that if the right dye isn’t used it could turn everything green. Baskets, filter cartridges, etc.,” said Kelli Clancy of Legacy Pool Spa Service in Sacramento, “I would also be concerned about how long the dye is in the water although I know there are some pool water dyes that with chlorine will oxidize off. My other concern obviously is seeing the bottom of the pool clearly which is more to do with drowning prevention.”

“It seems to go against everything we stand for. After all, we’ve made an entire career out of keeping pools from going green,” said Rudy Stankowitz of Talking Pools, “A little bit of pigment and a surfactant as a spreading agent and voilà; you too can have a swimming pool that looks like you haven’t touched it in weeks just in time for St. Paddy’s Day. Not only that, overuse of color additive can run the risk of the plaster hanging on to that color longer than you had planned.”

Some folks opt to take things a step further than dye and use green paint. Cleaning the pool the day after St. Patrick’s day is when the real chore starts if green paint was used said Stankowitz, “It’s all Éirinn go Brách until the color doesn’t fade, that’s when the 911 calls on the 18th begin,” explained Stankowitz, “By the luck of the Irish, it doesn’t take a pot of gold to fix – the remedy involves the same steps one would follow in any case of vandalism involving paint. Add 40 oz of Pool First aid (the only enzyme product I know of rated for treatment of vandalized water). Filter, backwash, and repeat every 48 hours until the pool water is again clear.”

When you use dyes or chemicals in your pool water, you can inadvertently cause damage to the filter and other components. It’s also very easy to cause hard to remove stains. After the party, you must scrub clean the tiles and deck to remove any remaining residue from the dye.

It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive activity that is more trouble than it’s worth. Therefore, unless you love a good “I told you so”, avoid dyeing your pool green for a St. Patrick’s Day pool party.

Due to the fact that chemical dyes are not healthy for your pool, it’s a smart idea to consider other methods of hosting a St. Patrick’s day themed pool party. Green is the appropriate color, however it’s better to achieve the look with green LED lights to illuminate the pool and spa without using dye.

Bright LED lights will produce a green hue without the maintenance headache. To be clear, there is absolutely no reason why your pool water should ever be dyed to fit any type of party theme.

All it takes is some smart preparation and the right party accessories to create a St. Patricks holiday theme in your backyard. To create the right vibe for St. Patrick’s day, choose green-toned party décor, lighting, and other elements. To get into party mode, you can prepare green-themed food and offer green beverages in green glasses.

Additionally, decorate your pool with green pool accessories such as balloons, floats, floating lights, and floating hats. Whatever you choose, keep it consistent with the theme for the best results.

This St. Patrick’s day pool float is the ideal accessory for celebrating the holiday. A fun inflatable to add some themed decor to go with the day.