An Innovative (Pool) Cover Story
by Danielle Vigueria
For more than 15 years, the team at BBDeck, Inc. has been perfecting the appearance of inground pool luxury. Led by father and son, Mike and Cameron Bouiss, BBDeck specializes in the niche market of automatic pool cover concealment. “Our product elegantly conceals the mechanism that operates the pool cover,” says Cam. “The mechanics that run an automatic pool cover are situated in a space commonly referred to as a vault at one end of the pool or spa. Typically, that space is then covered with several heavy pieces of stone placed on shelf brackets that create the surface you can walk on. Our solution provides a whole new level of aesthetic opportunity and convenience for pool owners who want the best and don’t want to compromise their investment.”
“We hide the pool cover mechanism better than anyone else. And we care so much about providing a quality product to the end user.”
–Cameron Bouiss, BBDeck Inc.
Covering Basics
The traditional method of concealing the pool cover mechanism is something called a walk-on tray lid. Trays containing finish material are individually placed on shelf brackets across the length of the pool cover vault to create the coping edge of the pool and/or spa structure. The one-of-a-kind products from BBDeck provide a variety of advantages over this conventional method.
Superior aesthetics and customization: BBDeck systems operate as one solid unit and can accept virtually any finish material, allowing for a perfect match to every pool deck appearance. While the standard walk-on tray lids visibly stand out from the surrounding deck, BBDeck solutions seamlessly integrate into the design, without causing any visual disruption. While the options provided from standard pool cover manufacturers may be limited, BBDeck custom-designs and engineers every deck system and can deliver whether the job calls for four-inch-thick bluestone or a combination of finish materials. No matter the design pattern or material, they can make it work.
Instant access: BBDeck systems operate hydraulically, which provides instant access to the pool cover mechanism and the vault it occupies. With just a turn of a key, the BBDeck opens as one structure, pivoting like an airplane wing in the ground. In the tray lid system, each tray—which can weigh as much as 200 pounds—must be manually removed in order to reach the mechanism. After service is completed, the trays must be carefully put back into place, without breaking any of the pieces. With pool cover maintenance recommended three to four times per year, a BBDeck system makes that process much more manageable and cost-effective.
Unmatched strength: The traditional system that utilizes standard tray brackets can ultimately shift, crack, or even break, requiring costly repairs. The BBDeck solution is custom engineered to function similarly to other usable edges of the pool structure. It allows for all edges of the pool to be used to their fullest, even when the auto cover is part of an infinity edge design.
Patented & Perfected
Mike, a structural engineer who has been working in the Valley since 1978, first developed the idea for this product when he was approached 15 years ago by someone searching for an answer to a pool cover decking challenge. The resulting solution became the inspiration for BBDeck.
Since that time, the company has secured a patent and set themselves apart in the industry. “We really don’t have competitors that can do the same thing,” says Cam. “The only companies out there making products to conceal auto covers are the pool cover manufacturers themselves, and for them concealing the auto cover is more of an afterthought. There are only a handful of companies that make pool covers in the whole country and none of them can provide the quality solution that we can.”
And that solution has been perfected by a dedicated family of builders and creators, with a long tradition of producing impeccable work. BBDeck is operated with a deep sense of responsibility and the highest quality standards. “Each BBDeck system goes through project specific engineering analyses to exceed industry design criteria standards,” says Mike. “We know how important it is that our product works as it should and we have spent years ensuring that it does,” adds Cam.
BBDeck has completed projects across the country, working on luxury residential homes, coast-to-coast. They are currently producing the first-ever curved BBDeck system for a pool in Colorado. “This curved pool/deck project is one of the coolest jobs we’ve done so far,” says Cam. “We were able to develop a new operating method, a linkage system we call the ‘lift and tilt.’ It’s going to open up new opportunities for us, allowing for tighter finishes and working in trickier places. We’ll only be limited by the designer’s imagination.”
“The only companies out there making products to conceal auto covers are the pool cover manufacturers themselves, and for them concealing the auto cover is more of an afterthought.”
–Cameron Bouiss, BBDeck Inc.
Although they work on jobs throughout the country, all of BBDeck’s products are designed and built locally, and then shipped to the site for installation. And in keeping with their commitment to excellence, a BBDeck team member is present at every installation to ensure proper execution. Collaborating with architects, landscape architects, and general contractors, BBDeck strives to bring benefits to everyone: end users have a beautiful product that puts integrity back in their pool, design professionals provide unique solutions to their clients, contractors work with quality material, and service personnel have an improved working environment.
“We hide the pool cover mechanism better than anyone else. And we care so much about providing a quality product to the end user.”
