Salt pool for me with a variable speed pump.

Builder 1 got back to us this week.
Total est cost was a bit under what I was expecting, but still sticker shock.

15k gal est - salt chlorine generator
32x20/16 (widest/narrowest) - #3 steel re-bar 8" centers
6" raised spa 7' dia w/ 7 jets
Pebbletec pool with pea gravel decking, beach entry with sun shelf
3x LED lights - 2 pool 1 spa
Also added in a 4.5'x12" dia fire pit off the side

No communication from builder 2, but didn't get the best first impression from him in the initial meet.

Sample image:

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P250UA5,

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I did enjoy one group of guests at my pool. The Barn Swallows would make high speed, low level passes across the pool hunting bugs. And dip occasionally to get a drink.
Poetry in flight!

We get Bats that do the same type bombing runs over the pool. I have had 3 that crashed and burned.

quote:

Originally posted by TomV:

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I did enjoy one group of guests at my pool. The Barn Swallows would make high speed, low level passes across the pool hunting bugs. And dip occasionally to get a drink.
Poetry in flight!

We get Bats that do the same type bombing runs over the pool. I have had 3 that crashed and burned.

I get dragonflies doing the same thing.

Looks like a great layout, lots of area for family fun, if you have kids, it will bring plenty of good times to your house.

We may try to stretch the far side (from the house) a bit to get a bit more pool. Can't go much more length-wise without getting close to the build line/easement, but have lots of far side leeway.

Need to check HE/HELOC rates with my bank & mull it over the weekend.

Excavation started [and finished] yesterday.
Final shot of the full yard


Perimeter laid out. We had to shift it toward the rear of the yard about 4' as it turned out the drain pipe for the guesthouse was going to run through the pool. Cheaper to move the pool than the plumbing


Excavation begins


They made quick progress through the top soil.
The red clay further down was bogging the bobcat down pretty heavily.
Cat driver was quite adept at whipping that thing around



Finished hole.
We had to have gunite out this morning to 'flash' the sides, as the ground still had a lot of moisture & pieces were trying to slide off, as you can see in the right side of the above photo.




And the only casualty of the day.
1 broken PVC, which luckily is only the feed line for the guest house.

Looking Great. You are going to be weriously happy in a short time.

Rebar guys are here this morning.
Gunite flash held back most of the weak sides.
Full gunite scheduled for Monday.
Then have to water it 4x/day for 5 days. Luckily it's spring break & I already had 2 days off scheduled

These are things I wish I had after 5 years with a new pool. Do the hot tub that spills into the pool if you can budget it. More led lights so the whole pool is equally lit. Flatter drain covers in the deep end so my robot wouldn’t not get stuck. Darker pebbletech so the bottom doesn’t show as many blemishes. Mine is 7 feet and I would go one deeper even at the sacrifice of some shallow end. Also, make sure the control unit can also control the variable speed on your pump.

Also, we built a fire pit area and pergola on the deck that gets a lot of night use as well.

All of my equipment is Pentair and it has great.

Maintenance in Georgia is a breeze and I don't cover in the winter. The pool has been great with our son and all his friends. Hours and hours spend outside instead of on the PS5.

Drains & darker color noted.
We're doing a NG firepit as well
Our former pool was relatively simple, hoping this one is just as good or better.
Helps knowing it all from the start, rather than inheriting it with no instruction.

Progress is quick. A few friends have mentioned that they knew people that went with 'big box' pool companies & took nearly a year from start to finish.
We're less than a month out from breaking ground, and we haven't hit any delays, luckily.

Excavation started 3/9/23
Sealing layer of gunite shot on 3/10/23, to restrict the moisture in the ground & stop the walls slipping
Rebar laid 3/11/23
Stub plumbing & gunite done on 3/15/23
Full plumbing & pool area electrical complete on 3/23/23
Tile/coping 3/29-30/23
Decking guys were out yesterday 4/3/23 to start laying the forms for the patio & fill all the holes around the pool.

Gunite layer to stop the walls collapsing


Rebar


Final gunite


Tile/coping complete



Decking prep



This area will be patio & have a NG firepit in the center

Looking good!, nice layout, the family should have plenty of good times.

With all that shade cover are you going to have enough sun time to keep it warm? Might need a heater to help keep the temps up for a longer swimming season and to take the edge off if it's a bit cool.

We are in FL, North facing pool, no heater, we removed the solar heater when we put on a new roof and didn't put it back. Probably lost a month or more of swim time. It' April and temps still are not up to where you'd want to go in.

Pool heater is on the agenda, probably a heat pump, but if you have NG, thats the route to go.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Looking good!, nice layout, the family should have plenty of good times.

With all that shade cover are you going to have enough sun time to keep it warm? Might need a heater to help keep the temps up for a longer swimming season and to take the edge off if it's a bit cool.

We are in FL, North facing pool, no heater, we removed the solar heater when we put on a new roof and didn't put it back. Probably lost a month or more of swim time. It' April and temps still are not up to where you'd want to go in.

Pool heater is on the agenda, probably a heat pump, but if you have NG, thats the route to go.

Pool equip is just visible on the left of the 2nd last photo.
NG heater is on the other side of the filter housing.
We get a decent amount of sun throughout the day, but hoping for a good bit of shade as well.
Our former house/pool had no large trees, so the pool was a bathtub most of the summer.

Long time pool guy here. I grew up with pools and my current house that we have been in for over 20 years has a pool.

A few comments - Both chlorine and salt water are VERY corrosive. Saltwater is so bad that lower units for boat motors and anything metal going into salt water have to have sacrificial anodes. The fumes from chloride are terrible. So keep in mind that pool maintenance is a lot more than just throwing shock in the pool and adding tablets (chlorine example).

The pool and associated equipment requires a lot of maintenance. As an example - my polaris goes to the shop at least once or twice a year. Filter cartridges have to be cleaned and replaced - I did mine this AM. Pump motors are expensive. Filters are expensive. Chlorine is super expensive right now as well. Every little part and cleaning supply for a pool costs more than it should. Also your house paint around the pool area won’t last long.

Also - do not buy a pool because your kids say they will use it. They won’t. Once the novelty of the first year or so wears off, you can’t make them get in the pool.

My advise to you is do not pay for a pool to be installed. If you have to have a pool, buy a house that already has a pool. It will cost you nothing over the value of homes in you area. If you spend $50-80k on an in ground pool you’ll never get your money back. You be better off using that same money on a good down payment on a house with a pool.

+

Did you even read the whole thread?

We had a pretty trouble free pool experience in our prior house, other than act of God level events that caused repairs.

We're only a couple weeks out from this one being completed, and re kids, mine love the pool & used our prior pool almost daily, weather permitting.

quote:

Did you even read the whole thread?

Or see the forty eleven pictures of the pool being built LOL......

Just noticed the equipment, serious DE filter, that's good, are you going salt, we made the change from chlorine to salt and wouldn't go back, water is softer, basically zero chlorine to buy, we do keep a couple of jugs of liquid just in case power goes out like in a Hurricane.

No more red eyes or itchy skin, its been worth every penny....

The bathtub issue was problematic with the solar for us, if you didn't watch it the pool would get too warm.

Updated thread title

Salt generator
That's a cartridge filter, not DE.

Will try to get a shot of the equipment setup, but it's not 100% complete over there & still a bit of a mess.

Big ass cartridge LOL, good thing you're going Salt, it's one of the best decisions we made.

Did you go with a variable speed pump? Replaced ours several years ago with one, can't tell from the electric bill if it's saved anything since the rates go up faster than I can cut the use with "greener" products LOL...

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
With all that shade cover are you going to have enough sun time to keep it warm?

You're not from around here, are you?

quote:

Spring, TX

Looking good - that project is zipping along!