Every term, plainly defined.
60+ short answers to "what does that mean?" — from gunite and Pebble Tec to ARC submittal, BTU, dark-sky, and TDS. Written by AE Outdoor Living, no sales pitch.
ARC Submittal (HOA)
An Architectural Review Committee submittal — the design packet required by most Arizona HOAs before pool or hardscape work begins.
Artificial Turf
Synthetic grass made of polyethylene or nylon fibers with a polyurethane backing — replaces water-hungry sod with a no-irrigation surface.
Beach Entry (Zero-Entry)
A pool entry that gradually slopes from deck to deep water like a shoreline — no steps, no transition.
Bond Beam
The reinforced concrete ring at the top of the pool shell that anchors coping, tile, and deck.
Bonding Grid
The copper wire grid that electrically bonds all pool metal (rebar, ladders, lights, equipment) — a National Electrical Code safety requirement.
BTU (British Thermal Unit)
A unit of heat energy used to size grills, heaters, fire features, and pool heaters. Higher BTU = more heat output.
Cabana
A poolside shade structure — typically open-air with a bar, lounge seating, and sometimes a half-bath. Smaller and more casual than a casita.
Cartridge Filter
A pool filter that uses pleated fabric cartridges to trap debris down to 10–20 microns, the modern Arizona default.
Casita
A small detached guest house with its own bathroom, sometimes a kitchenette — common in Arizona resort-style backyards.
Color Temperature (Kelvin)
The warmth or coolness of a light source, measured in Kelvin (K) — 2700K is warm/residential, 4000K is neutral, 5000K+ is daylight/commercial.
Concrete Pavers
Manufactured concrete blocks (Belgard, Akerstone, Phoenix Pavers) installed on a compacted base — the most common patio material in AZ.
Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer)
A chemical that protects chlorine from UV degradation — critical in Arizona sun, but harmful when over-dosed.
Dark-Sky Compliant
Outdoor lighting that directs all illumination downward and minimizes glare — required across much of Arizona to preserve night-sky visibility.
DE Filter
A filter that coats grids with diatomaceous earth powder, trapping debris as fine as 3 microns — best filtration, most maintenance.
Deck Drain
A linear or channel drain installed along a pool deck to capture stormwater and pool overflow, preventing pooling and patio damage.
Decomposed Granite (DG)
Crushed granite stone (1/4 inch and smaller) used as a ground cover, pathway, or seating surface — the desert ground-cover default.
Drip Irrigation
An irrigation system that delivers water directly to plant roots through emitters on a low-pressure tube — the default for Arizona shrub and tree beds.
Fire Bowl
A freestanding or pool-perimeter bowl with a natural gas or propane burner — popular for raised-bond-beam pool features.
Fire Feature
The umbrella term for any architectural fire element — bowls, pits, fireplaces, fire-and-water spillways, or torch-style columns.
Fire Pit
A built-in or freestanding pit for an open flame — gas-fed or wood-burning — typically 36–60 inches across, with seating around it.
Flagstone
Quarried natural stone (often Arizona sandstone) cut into irregular shapes — the most organic, hand-laid look.
Frameless Glass Pool Fence
A pool barrier of structural tempered glass panels mounted in stainless-steel spigots — code-compliant safety with minimal visual interruption.
Gas Pool Heater
A natural gas or propane burner that heats pool water fast — best for on-demand heating, expensive to run continuously.
Glass Tile (Pool)
Hand-laid glass tile — the longest-lasting and most expensive pool finish, 30+ year lifespan, jewel-like color.
Gunite Pool
A pool shell built by spraying a dry-mix concrete and sand under high pressure onto a steel rebar cage, then finished with plaster, Pebble Tec, or tile.
Heat Pump (Pool)
An electric heater that extracts ambient heat from outdoor air and transfers it to pool water — the most efficient heater in AZ shoulder seasons.
Hydrozone
A group of plants with similar water needs, grouped together so a single irrigation valve can serve them efficiently.
Louvered Pergola
A pergola with motorized adjustable louvers that pivot from open to fully closed — combining shade, sun, and rain protection in one structure.
Low-Voltage Transformer
The 120V-to-12V converter that powers a low-voltage landscape lighting system — sized to the total wattage of all connected fixtures.
Lumens
A measure of the total light output of a bulb or fixture, regardless of bulb type — replaces the old watt-based comparison.
Lutron Outdoor Control
A smart-lighting control platform (Lutron RA3, Caséta) that automates outdoor scenes, schedules, and dimming from a phone or wall keypad.
Main Drain
The bottom-of-pool intake that pulls deep water through the filtration system, working alongside the skimmers.
Outdoor Kitchen
A permanently installed cooking and prep area built into the patio — typically grill, side burner, sink, fridge, and counter space.
Pebble Tec / Pebble Sheen
An aggregate pool finish from Pebble Technology blending small natural stones into cement, lasting 15–20 years in Arizona water.
Pergola
An open-roof structure of beams and rafters that provides partial shade and architectural definition — open to the sky.
Perimeter Overflow (Knife-Edge)
A pool design where the water spills over all four edges into a perimeter slot, creating a mirror-flat surface.
Permeable Paver
A paver designed with engineered joints that let stormwater drain through the surface — reduces monsoon runoff and helps with municipal drainage code.
Pickleball Court
A 20'×44' striped court with a 34-inch center net — America's fastest-growing backyard sport surface.
Plumbing Rough-In
The phase where all pool, spa, and water-feature plumbing is laid before gunite is sprayed — usually PVC schedule 40.
Pool Automation
A control system (Pentair IntelliCenter, Jandy iAqualink, Hayward OmniLogic) that runs pool pumps, heaters, lights, water features, and salt cells from your phone.
Pool Barrier Code (Arizona)
The state and municipal requirements for a 5-ft pool barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates — required on every Arizona residential pool.
Pool Coping
The cap material at the top edge of the pool — travertine, flagstone, brick, or poured concrete.
Pool Plaster
A white cement-and-marble-dust coating troweled onto the gunite shell — the original pool finish, 7–10 year lifespan in AZ.
Putting Green (Artificial)
A synthetic green built on a compacted aggregate base with engineered fall lines and cup placements — backyard-scale practice green.
Ramada
A fully roofed freestanding structure — a small outdoor pavilion that delivers true rain and sun protection.
Rebar Cage
The steel reinforcement grid installed inside the excavated pool hole before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed.
ROC License (Arizona)
The Arizona Registrar of Contractors license required for any construction over $1,000 — verify a builder's ROC # before signing.
Salt Cell (Chlorinator)
The electrolytic generator that converts dissolved salt into chlorine, the heart of a saltwater pool.
Sand Filter
A filter that pushes pool water through a bed of #20 silica sand, trapping debris to 20–40 microns. Old standard, rarely spec'd new in AZ.
Setback
The minimum distance a pool, structure, or wall must be from a property line — set by city code and often tightened by HOA rules.
Shotcrete
Wet-mix concrete sprayed pneumatically onto a steel cage — chemically identical to gunite but pre-mixed with water at the plant.
Skimmer
The wall-mounted intake that draws floating debris from the pool surface into the filtration system.
Soils Report (Geotechnical)
A geotechnical analysis of your lot's soil before pool design — identifies expansive clay, caliche, or fill that affects engineering.
Solar Pool Heater
Roof or ground-mounted polymer collectors that circulate pool water through tubes warmed by sunlight — cheapest to operate, slowest to heat.
Spa Spillway
A raised spa with one edge that spills water down into the pool, creating sound, motion, and visual focus.
Tanning Ledge (Baja Shelf)
A shallow pool shelf (typically 6–12 inches deep) for loungers, umbrellas, and kids — the most-requested pool feature of the past decade.
TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
A measure of all dissolved minerals in pool water — when TDS climbs above 3,000 ppm, water clarity, chemical efficiency, and scaling worsen.
Travertine
A natural limestone formed by mineral springs — the Arizona standard for pool decks, coping, and patios because it stays cool underfoot.
Uplight
A fixture that points upward to wash a tree, wall, or architectural feature with light — the workhorse of landscape lighting design.
Vanishing Edge (Infinity Pool)
A pool with one or more edges where water spills over a precisely-leveled weir into a catch basin — creating the illusion of a horizon edge.
Variable-Speed Pump (VSP)
An ECM-motor pool pump that runs at multiple speeds, cutting electricity use by 50–80% vs single-speed pumps.
VGB Compliant
Pool drain covers and plumbing that meet the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, preventing suction-entrapment injuries.
Waterline Tile
The 6-inch band of tile at the water's edge — protects the plaster from scale and gives the pool its visual frame.
Weir
The hinged flap inside a skimmer that holds debris in once it enters the skimmer mouth.
Xeriscape
A landscape design approach that minimizes irrigation through native or low-water plants, mulches, and grouped hydrozones — the Arizona standard.
Written and reviewed by AE Outdoor Living — Arizona ROC-licensed pool & outdoor living contractor, 20+ years building in the Phoenix Valley.
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