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together with the pool edge, it can take your breath away."

     In reality, nothing is vanishing, of course, says the Deck and Patio owner. The water is clinging to a recess in the pool wall, which then drops into a catch pool below. And while this sounds simple enough, it requires a good deal of mastery to design it correctly.

     For example, says Renter, an undersized catch pool can almost never be corrected.

     "I deal with an industry expert who is the foremost authority for vanishing edge pools. I asked him if I could fax him the drawings and he called back and informed me that the size of our catch basin could potentially be too small. We immediately changed the design to accommodate a larger one."

Renter explains that if the catch pool or basin isn't large enough there won't be enough water returning to the main pool and the catch pool will run dry. That can trigger huge water bills because it would have to be constantly refilled to compensate for not having enough room to store water. Or, he adds, during rainfalls, the basin could be overwhelmed, leading to it overflowing, or eroding or liquefying the soil behind it.

     "At the very least, it might cause the pool to shift, rotate or settle and then it's no longer a vanishing edge," says Renter. "That is why we take such great care to ensure it is done correctly."

     Renter's roster of experts are also useful in the construction of the pool itself.

     "The pools we build are typically vinyl, not gunite," says the Deck and Patio owner. "They have steel reinforced concrete walls, which are thicker and stronger than a typical gunite pool."

     He adds that all the stairs, benches, in-pool bar stools, spa and the catch basin are poured steel reinforced concrete.

     "The real challenge is measuring and accurately cutting and welding the three vinyl pool liners for a project like this, e.g., a spa liner, pool liner and catch pool liner. For that, we called in experts at Dover Vinyl in New Jersey who can do complicated projects. They came to the Glen Cove job site to verify all the measurements, to ensure the liners would fit perfectly, which they did."

     One concern potential customers have regarding vinyl pools, says Renter, is that some people are not certain they will like the feel of vinyl. In this case, the homeowner initially thought that a vinyl pool might not be worthy of her new resort-style back yard. Renter says that he took her to his own home to demonstrate what a vinyl pool/spa combination would look like and how the automation works.

     "She took off her shoes and stepped into my spa and swimming pool," says Renter. "Having been a gunite pool owner previously, she was surprised that she liked the smooth soft feel of the padded stairs in the vinyl pool. After that visit, she was really excited to go 'vinyl' and actually insisted on it."

     The entire finished project includes the vanishing edge pool with five water pumps, 3,000 square feet of Techo bloc tumbled stone patio, two natural gas campfires, and large evergreen trees that flank the left and right side for privacy. In the pool, there are two waterfalls, five bar stools, three staircases, and in-floor cleaning. Plus the original pond she had wanted to keep was in need of restoration. Renter says he and his team gave it a face-lift and expanded it. It now includes a waterfall, bridge, moss rock cave, a savio skimmer and aquascape biofalls.

     The lighting that creates the extraordinary night views was done by Outdoor Lighting Perspectives in Huntington.   "And just as their carefully hidden lighting gives wonderful effects - yet goes unseen," says Renter, "all the expertise and technology behind the waterfalls, water pumps, the DE filter, gas heater, LED lights, EOS wireless automation, etc. also go unnoticed.

     What you do notice, he says, are the breathtaking views and stunning outdoor living areas.

     "The homeowner, her family and friends, in particular, appreciate the swim up bar, which, on its opposite side, is also a walk up bar, and that it includes a barbecue, refrigerator, ice maker, cabinets and hot and cold running water sink," says Renter.

     In fact, the homeowner says she doesn't need to travel anywhere now. Her beautiful piece of Long Island has become more than a summer playground.

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