Anyone out there with experience covering a municipal swimming pool with a timber structure. I hear timbers are less suseptable to chlorine dammage. If all goes as planned we will be building a new community swimming facility. I would appreciate any feedback or direction. Thanks
Kenneth M. Loucks, Bitterroot Valley Pool & Park Association. kpkad@in-tch.com

I believe the issue with timbers and swimming pools is more their interaction with moisture than with chlorine. The combination of poor humidity control with a species of wood that has poor rot resistance can be a disaster. -- structural failure in a few years. Thus, I have always felt that, with the exception of a few special species (like teak and cypress), timbers and pools don't mix.

On the other hand, I've seen examples of pool enclosures that have been claimed to perform very well. At our recent Western Conference, Bill Keir (moderator of the UK forum below) showed us photos of a beautiful pool building framed in English Oak that has had no problems whatsoever. Most framers who do high-end residential work have done a pool enclosure or two and could probably comment from direct experience.

[This message has been edited by Brian W (edited 04-15-99).]

Having built many pools over the years, I can state with certainty that you do not have any problems at all if you get the heating and air-handling right.
You must avoid condesation at all costs
the only times we have seen problems were to do with excessive condensation as aresult of a failure in the heating control system, (installed by incompetents!)
We only use Oak - this is probably not relevant.

Vermont Timber Works of Springfield, VT have done at least one pool enclosure, 802-885-1917