Which grid should I choose for my deck-level pool? Compact or Flex?

Rosa Gres is a pioneering company in the field of designing innovative solutions for deck-level, infinity and skimmer pools. Among its star products are two exclusive porcelain stoneware grids: the Compact grid and the Flex grid, internationally recognized as benchmarks in innovation. Their design earned Rosa Gres the prestigious architecture award Architizer A+AWARDS 2016

The Compact grid and the Flex grid offer unique features both on an esthetic and practical level. They are perfect finishing solutions both for private pools and public pools in hotels, Wellness & Spa centers and sports clubs.

We know from experience that choosing the right grid is a key part of designing a deck-level pool. In today’s post we will analyze the advantages of our two grids and discover the project types that best suit each model.

Tania Yauseichyk is a project manager at Rosa Gres and a wonderful advisor who takes every detail into consideration. After speaking with her, these are the factors she recommends that we take into consideration before choosing our model:

Pools with straight lines

If the pool is rectangular or square, both the Compact and the Flex grid are ideal. The pool’s size doesn’t factor into the equation; both grids work perfectly well in small and large pools.

Pools with curved lines

When designing pools with curves of irregular shapes, we recommend using the Flex grid. It’s a practical solution as it can adapt to curves with radii longer than 75 cm. And if the radii are shorter than 75 cm, we also have a special version of the Flex grid for sharp curves.

Certain pools with minimal curves can use the Compact grid, but we would have to make several cuts to adapt the pieces to the curves’ radii, which is why it isn’t the most recommendable option.

Esthetics and colors

Both grids are made of porcelain stoneware and are available in the more than 40 Rosa Gres colors for lining pools and Wellness & Spa centers. With such a wide range, it’s easy to create a unique customized style. We have porcelain stoneware made to look like stone and rock, like wood, or decorated with minimalist neutral colors.

The Compact grid is the perfect choice when esthetic harmony plays a key role in our projects. Its design is so discreet that once in place you can hardly tell it apart from the edge of the pool. Another of its advantages is that the overflow channel is easy to clean and maintain. Thanks to its placement system, the pieces can be lifted individually at any time to access the channel.

If we opt for the Flex grid, the overflow channel is also easy to access. In this case, the parts are joined by butterfly-shaped pieces. These butterflies are made of resistant propylene and have undergone a special UV treatment, so the sun won’t deteriorate them. They are easy to handle, place and remove.

Channeling the water into the tank

Both the Compact and the Flex grid are designed to collect the water in the tank. In the case of the Compact grid, the drainage takes place through a system of barely visible lateral orifices with optimal capacity, whereas with the Flex grid, its trapezoid-shaped structure avoids the water bridge even when it isn’t properly adjusted.

Channeling the water on the deck

Porcelain Stoneware Grid 121 CM

If our aim is to collect the water from the deck so that it won’t end up back in the pool once dirty, the best solution is to use a porcelain stoneware grid made specifically for this purpose. Rosa Gres has created a piece that’s only 12-cm wide that can be placed on top of a plastic channel: the 121 CM. This ceramic piece is made in all the Rosa Gres colors, so it blends perfectly with the deck paving.

The Compact grid is a good solution for projects where visual continuity on the deck is a priority. Its subtle design enables it to channel the water almost imperceptibly.

Channeling shower water

We recommend using the Flex grid to channel the water from outdoor showers. It’s an efficient solution for collecting the large volume of water released by showers.

We hope this information helps you make the best decision. If you want to browse our colors, check out our collections for inspiration. All our colors will help you find solutions for deck-level pools. Thank you for being here!