A maintenance license wasn’t supposed to lead to a custom pool legacy—until it did. We sit down with builder Don Gentili of Gentili Custom Pools to trace the arc from servicing lines and underground repairs to crafting award-winning backyard centers of gravity. Don explains how hands-on experience shaped his approach to design, how he navigated the leap from maintenance to construction, and why an owner-led model delivers better outcomes for detailed, custom work.
We dive into the knife-edge trend—sometimes called a zero knife edge or infinity knife edge—where water meets the coping as a perfect mirror and vanishes into a hidden trough. Don walks through the engineering behind that serene effect, the precision required to keep the water level exact, and the cost considerations homeowners should weigh before committing. If you’ve dreamed of a resort look at home, his guidance clarifies when the investment pays off and how to avoid common pitfalls that can undermine the clean visual line.
Sustainability gets a clear-eyed look as Don tackles one of the biggest myths in residential design: that pools consume more water than lawns. Citing studies and field experience, he explains how, after the initial fill, a properly managed pool can use less water than turf irrigation over a season. We talk practical strategies—covers, wind control, efficient filtration—to keep evaporation and top-offs down without sacrificing clarity or comfort. For homeowners balancing beauty, function, and resource use, the insights are refreshing and actionable.
Beyond design, Don shares how decades of referrals have shaped his business, why he scaled back from a larger team to personally lead each project, and how that choice speeds decisions, tightens quality control, and aligns expectations. We also get a glimpse of the person behind the builds—surf sessions that clear the mind, the patience required for custom work, and the satisfaction of seeing a mirror-flat surface come to life in a client’s yard.
If you’re considering a custom pool, curious about knife-edge designs, or weighing water use against lawn care, this conversation delivers practical advice, hard-won lessons, and a blueprint for working with a builder who shows up from the first call to the final walkthrough.

Visit: https://www.gentilicustompools.com/

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