How to make a star floor(Fiber Optics) in an in ground swimming pool

We were already well into the construction of a custom inground swimming pool in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago when our client, who traveled frequently to the Middle East, saw something that he just had to have included in his project.  In a hotel in Qatar, he saw a celestial star floor in the swimming pool, and promptly emailed a picture to our salesman.  We went immediately to work on adding this unique and stunning feature to his pool, and the following details the steps we took to install it. 

Since the structure was already in situ, and further, since the client had legitimate concerns that the fiber-optic system would be damaged should the surface ever need to be re-done, we devised an ingenious plan with planned obsolence in mind.  The first step was to mark the floor locations with the proposed lights.  Each color represents a fitting with different numbers of fibers to vary the brightness of each star.

The next step was to score the concrete with grooves to accommodate the excess fiber.  The large circle pictured here was to house a store of fiber that would be adequate to re-install the star system in the future should the surface ever need to be re-done.  These grooves would house the fiber runs from the main trunk line and feed the star fittings throughout the floor and thermal shelf.

After all of the fiber had been run, we brown coated, or sealed the fiber runs to make them secure for the installation of the pool finish.

Now came the time for the installation of the stems, or final fittings for the stars.  These were given red flags to ensure that the pool finishers saw them and didn’t break them while installing the pool finish.

The next step is to carefully install the pool finish.  While completing the pool finish installation, the workers had to carefully polish the star fittings to ensure a smooth-bottomed pool.

This is what the finish looks like after polishing.  The dark spots in the surface are the lights.

Our highly skilled craftsmen were able to install the stars in the thermal shelf in glass tile as well, without compromising the integrity and aesthetics of the glass surface.  Look carefully for the lights.

The finished product as seen at night!  We hope to do more of these spectacular star floors soon!