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Jeff Hampe: Mentorship, Mosaic Mastery and Pool-Tile Myths
Description
Natalie Hood continues her conversations with the 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Top Ten Mentors by sitting down with Jeff Hampe, a longtime pool professional known for his all-tile pools, artistic glass mosaics and uncompromising attention to detail.
Jeff shares how he progressed from repairing hot tubs in New Jersey to cleaning pools, repairing equipment, performing leak detection and eventually becoming a licensed pool contractor and sought-after mosaic specialist. He also discusses the craftsmen who mentored him, why he freely passes that knowledge forward and the satisfaction of watching someone build a better life through a skilled trade.
The conversation then shifts into Mythbusting Wednesday territory. Jeff explains why a tile labeled “pool rated” may still be the wrong choice, what he prefers for submerged applications and why translucent glass tile can become an expensive failure. He and Natalie also tackle waterproofing, calcification, efflorescence, thermal expansion, delamination and the limitations of cementitious installation products.
Jeff closes with his growing interest in fully tiled fiberglass pools, why field experience remains essential and what would come packaged with the official Jeff Hampe action figure.
In This Episode
- Jeff’s journey from hot-tub repair to high-end mosaic and all-tile pools
- How Jimmy Reed and Danilo Bonazza influenced his craft
- Why Jeff considers attention to detail a professional advantage
- Turning a landscaper into a highly skilled, well-paid tile installer
- How mentorship spreads when students begin teaching others
- Why “pool rated” does not automatically mean suitable for every pool
- Jeff’s preferred tile thickness and construction for submerged applications
- The risks associated with translucent glass tile
- How UV exposure and different expansion rates contribute to delamination
- Why waterproofing alone does not eliminate calcification or efflorescence
- The role of epoxy installation products in all-tile pools
- What visible deposits along grout lines may reveal beneath the tile
- Why hands-on jobsite experience cannot be replaced by classroom instruction
- Learning from installation failures without lowering professional standards
- The industry’s reliance on traditional distribution
- Why Jeff believes fiberglass deserves greater consideration
- Crumbled Italian sausage, jet skis and the Jeff Hampe action figure
Featured Guest
Jeff Hampe
2026 Talking Pools Podcast Top Ten Pool Industry Mentor
Sponsored By
REVDUP Apparel, H2Flow Controls and PoolBrain.
The technical opinions expressed during this episode reflect the guest’s professional experience and installation practices. Product selection and installation requirements should always be verified for the specific application.
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