ON HOLD

Everything on this project moved along at warp speed through day 21, with just the plaster phase left to do. But we learned that once plastered and filled with water, you're apparently supposed to brush the pool a couple of times per day for a week or two. Since we're headed to Napa Valley for 9 days, PB decided it was better to put things on hold until we get back. Plans now are for them to plaster and fill with water just as we return, then give us Pool School and let us begin the brushing-down phase of things (in addition to the enjoying phase!!).

So... we press the PAUSE button on things for a bit...

We returned from vacation to a pool full of water and all the equipment running. It was an awesome feeling!!

The next morning PB showed up for Pool School. Talk about cramming 10 pounds into a 5 pound bag!! Luckily my wife took copious notes else I'd never remember all this stuff. PB owner noticed a few little things that needed fixing and immediately called his staff to get them scheduled.

We called Centerpoint (local gas company) to get the meter upgraded so that we could eventually start up the pool heater, and they came out the very next day to install. We immediately fired up the fire-pit and sat around it for a bit after dark, enjoying the multi-color LED lights in the pool in the background.

I like your pergola! Can you give me specifics on it? Looks great!

Looks great!

PB tells me that we need to 'brush' the pool twice a day for the first couple of weeks to work all the plaster dust and dirt down to the drains... so morning and nite we spend 15 minutes or so and sweep all the refuse down to the deep end. On the spur of the moment, even with the cool morning (for we in Texas), after the first brush of the day - I went for a plunge. Just jumped in the deep end, clothes and all. It only took a couple of minutes for my teeth to stop chattering, and then it was all good. My wife laughed and laughed at me.

Awesome!

Sweet!
I've already warned my wife we are going to have a polar bear swim when ours is done in mid December. It shouldn't be too cold here in North Texas.

Two weeks after it was filled with water, PB delivered our Polaris 480 yesterday and got it all hooked up. Immediately after a test run, he unhooked it however, and turned off everything in the pool so that all the flagstone could dry out for 48 hours before workers come to apply the sealant... then they wait a week and return to apply hardener.

Well, I guess it's time to bring this thread to an end. I've dived into the frigid pool. PB OK'd the heater turn-on, so now we've Spa'd it. We're doing our own chemistry thing for the moment and enjoying the testing and tweaking aspect so far. We've bought furniture for winter-time sessions around the firepit, and even spent an hour huddled around it one chilly evening. Heavy rains came and we saw the french-drains sucking down the water and spewing them out the pop-up exit near the street. We've brushed plaster dust to the drains, cleaned leaves out of the skimmers, and even fished one of our pups out of the shallow end of the pool when a mis-step landed him on the tanning shelf.

So the last check is written to the PB and now it's time to kick back and baby it till warmer weather lets us enjoy it on a daily basis. It's been really exciting and we look forward to many years of enjoyment.

Thanks for hangin' in there with us... I guess it's time to say so-long and we'll be seein' ya over on the 'Just Getting Started' forum.

Happy poolin!

Love that blue tile around the perimeter! Also love the night lights, very sexy. Are you going to put a grill under the pergola
and invite us over for burgers? Sweet build! My friend who lives in Copperas Cove said it was 29 degrees last night, so stay warm brother.

This looks really nice! I like your patio; if you don't mind, I'm going to show a couple of the pictures to my PB. We're doing a 2 color stained, and I'd like to add flagstone accents and border to blend our existing flagstone patio and the flagstone coping.

No problem at all!! The flagstone runners were what set this PB aside from the others for us as far as creative ideas are concerned.