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Outdoor Living Glossary — Every Term You'll Hear From a Pool/Backyard Contractor
ABC, polymeric sand, sheer descent, bonding grid, CYA, IntelliCenter, DCOF, freeboard. A plain-English glossary so you can read a bid like a pro.
Dylan, AE Outdoor Living · April 19, 2026
Hardscape & paver terms
- ABC — Aggregate Base Course. The compacted gravel layer under pavers. 2–3" patio/walk, 4–6" driveway.
- Polymeric sand — Sand mixed with polymer binder. Goes in paver joints, activates with water, locks pavers in place.
- Coping — The cap stone or paver at the top edge of a pool or wall.
- Bull-nose — A rounded edge profile on coping or steps.
- Soldier course — A row of pavers laid on edge, often as a border.
Pool construction terms
- Shotcrete / gunite — Sprayed concrete that forms the pool shell.
- Bonding grid — A continuous metal grid tying every metal item within 5 ft of water to one ground. Code-required for safety.
- Freeboard — Distance from water surface to top of pool wall (typically 4–6").
- Skimmer — Surface water inlet that pulls debris into the filter.
- Waterline tile — The 6" band of tile at the top of the pool, above water level when used.
Equipment terms
- VSP / VSF — Variable Speed Pump / Variable Speed and Flow.
- CYA — Cyanuric acid. Chlorine stabilizer. Critical metric in AZ pools.
- DE — Diatomaceous Earth. A type of filter media (finest filtration).
- Salt cell — Generator that converts dissolved salt to chlorine via electrolysis.
- Automation — IntelliCenter, iAquaLink, Omni — phone-controlled equipment management.
Site & code terms
- DCOF — Dynamic Coefficient of Friction. Slip-resistance rating. ≥0.42 wet for commercial.
- ROC — AZ Registrar of Contractors. Verifies licenses.
- Setback — Required distance from property lines for structures and pools.
- GFCI — Ground-fault interrupting outlet. Required outdoors and near water.
- ADA — Americans with Disabilities Act. Accessibility code; commercial pools and decks must comply.
