A Floating Liner, a Family Business, and the Advice Chris Cavanaugh Wishes He Took Sooner

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Talking Pools Podcast | Mythbusting Wednesday with Natalie Hood

What do you do when heavy rain turns a vinyl liner into a waterbed? Chris Cavanaugh has a clear first instruction: do not drain the pool. In this episode, Natalie talks with the 2026 Talking Pools TOP TEN Mentor about floating liners, groundwater, salt systems on steel-wall pools, and the mistakes that can turn a repairable problem into an expensive one.

Chris is a third-generation pool professional and president of Cavanaugh Pool, Spa & Patio in western Kentucky. He shares how his family grew the business into a three-location operation—and how that growth made mentoring new managers and service techs essential.

Natalie also asks about Chris’s first mentor: his mother. She taught him water chemistry, the work behind running a business, and one lesson every seasonal business owner needs to hear: plan for winter while the money is coming in.

In this episode:

Why Chris now sends interested employees to industry shows and asks them to bring back three ideas.What to consider before putting a salt system on a steel-wall vinyl-liner pool, especially one with an automatic cover.How groundwater can lift a liner and leave wrinkles when it recedes.Why Chris says to call a professional before lowering the water in a pool with a floating liner.What manufacturers could learn from the people installing and servicing their equipment.

Chris’s advice to anyone coming into the industry? Try its different sides. Retail, service, sales, and installation each offer a path. Learn enough to find yours, then help somebody else find theirs.

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