West Georgia Pool Build! Swimming by Summer '16

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Fence installation

With regard to the fence, I had two choices: just around the pool, or claim as much of my yard as I could (we have an acre lot). I figured with the slope we would have left, if I didn't fence in the whole yard, I'd never worry about what happened outside of the fence and it would go to weeds and brush. I want it took look nice. So I chose to do the whole yard. I started at the front corner of the house. We have windows on the side in the back and I figured I'd get everything vulnerable behind a locked fence.
Went with a 60", 3 rail fence. Sod guy was supposed to go first, but he waited a week longer until fence was done - he was concerned that with the slope, he'd slide in to the new fence!!! I am glad we waited, because I would have had him sod further down my hill than he had to.

Fence was put in on a Friday and Saturday earlier this month. These pics are taken from my deck steps. From the first pic, then swinging my head to the left as I took pics. All through the pool build I was hoping I had 350 linear feet to fence in. Much of the now fenced area on my side yard was all brush last year. I cut it all out so I could visualize and the sod guy's Bobcat took care of the rest. From google maps measuring I figured I had 400-420 linear feet. Actually we had 480!!!! Ouch. Got a price I was happy with on the fence. A large company in west Georgia said $21 sq. ft. without gates. Smaller company estimate was about $18.50 without gates. I got him down to just over $18 WITH gates...3 of them, 2 four foot and 1 double 8 foot. Folks are busy out here. I had to schedule this guy 6 weeks out!!!

The dogs enjoy the space!







 
Yep :) It's done! Most has been in for 3 weeks, a small area for 2. Ha ha...the gator. When I was a kid 25 or so years ago, my grandma got me one of those for my birthday to use in our little 3 foot sears pool!!! I got that for my wife for Christmas!

Like everything else in this adventure, sod was underestimated. I called a large local sod company and told them I needed a truckload (20 pallets of sod). They just deliver it. Quote was close to $5k. Two years ago I ordered from that place and called a guy to come grade, prep and install it. All that guy's work was dug up with the pool so I called him back. Turns out he could install it and use his supplier for right around the same price. He said I only need 17 pallets though. He got all 17 in and then it seems I was short. Needed 4 more pallets. Problem was that there was a truck the next week but only room for 3. So, I went with 3 more pallets and am in the process of making a large flower bed. In reality, I could have used 6 more pallets as opposed to his 4 estimate (you'll see the dirt spot in the pic). However, where the dirt spot is, Bermuda was, so it'll grow back in a year or two. It's on the side of my house. Like the dirt thing - I could have went out of my way to get a few more pallets, but I am broke, it's at the point that it's enough and it'll work out.

I LOVE the final product. My biggest challenge is the grade. It can't be mowed with a riding mower. Bought my 1st lawn mower in 14 years. Cut most of if a week ago. The hill is tough but I love the green so I didn't want ground cover.

I have also planted cypress trees and Thuja Green Giants. I ordered quart sized green giants online for $15 each (4). Planted them on one side of the yard with the Cypress. Someday there will be a house right next to me and these evergreens will provide a nice screen. A few days later I am at Home Depot and I see the same tree in 7 gallon containers for $22, so I bought them. I moved the little guys to the other side of my yard. Spend 8 hours each this past weekend pulling up, planting, etc. We haven't had good rain in WEEKS. I'd water, dig a little, and water again until I could get a hole deep enough!!! I've also put 9 Gardenias along the one side of fence where sod would go. I got in the car Saturday evening to run out and pick something up and it was 103 degrees! I didn't realize it was so hot while I worked all day!

Lots of residual work to do - install new lights, put up a dog-ear fence panel in front of the equipment pad, some palm trees, etc. I spend $200 every time I walk in to Home Depot!!!

Here's some pics with a week or two of growth. I love how the pavers ended up. Depending on time of the day, the colors change and you can see the texture of the pavers.











 
Fantastic! The hard work and light wallet will be forgotten soon!
 
Thanks! We love it!


The closing picture of the "build" part of this thread:




I can't believe it's finally over! :) :) :) If you would have asked me a year ago in June if I would have thought I'd ever have a pool this nice just a year later, I would have just laughed!

We are so very happy with the way it turned out. It took much longer than I thought but it was worth it in the end. For the pool itself, I wound up spending exactly $20,000 over the contract price with additions including pavers, fire pit, umbrella sleeves, deco tiles, panel upgrade, etc. Much more than I ever anticipated but we got what we wanted and I really feel like I got a good deal for the pool. PB told me if he had to bid this again it'd be a lot more. Experience with my PB was great and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend them to anyone else.

The pool price, along with the septic system move, fence, sod, chairs, lights, and limited landscaping so far, has put us at just about $105,000 on total spend :eek:. Never thought that would happen!!

I stand on the deck morning and night and just look in awe at it!!

I'll continue this thread as I work to improve the area around the pool and make it even more of my own resort! Thanks for reading!!!!
 
Life after the build.....

This weekend, in anticipation of a party my wife was going to have, I hung up patio string lights (Costco purchased...50ft. string). I never really thought about how I was going to hang them until the pool was about done. I needed them high. I looked online and saw cable was suggested as guide wire since they'd be suspended. I put some under the deck but wanted to suspend some over the fire pit (well, not directly over).

Wasn't sure what to for poles. Found an idea online - take PVC electrical conduit and use it as a sleeve. So I cut some in to 2 foot pieces and slammed them in to the ground. Next I took metal electrical conduit - 10 feet long, and put that in the sleeve. I now had an 8 foot high pole. Part of my work Saturday was working on these lights. I ran the cable from the corner of my deck about 54 feet through the air to the pole. The problem was that even though it was rigid metal, the weight of the cable and lights bent the pole. This was a problem: 1) I didn't want crazy ladies at my wife's party grabbing lights/hitting their heads on them and 2) I didn't want the tension to dip so much the lights would hit the ground. Temporarily, I drove a steel rod in the ground behind the pole and pulled another cable back to counter-act the long run. It straightened the pole somewhat, but it's definitely not a permanent solution.

I think the permanent solution is going to be 4x4 or 6x6 posts in the ground. My wife only wants one (well, really none), but I have her talked in to two because during her party the lights looked so cool. Now, if I could talk her in to 3, I'll be able to run the lights all the way around the outside edge of the pool area. That will give us light at night and eliminate the need for lamp posts....I was planning on running electrical line and installing 3 lamp posts so I could have light on the backside of the pool. She probably won't want three but I think it will be worth it in the long run. In addition to hanging the lights, we'd be able to use the posts for hanging plants, flags, or signs. I have some friends and family coming to town this weekend. My brother and I are going to rent a post hole digger this Friday to put in 2 posts. What do you all think about three instead of two? I tried to draw them on the last 2 pics. Opinions needed!!

The first couple of pics are with the lights hung. Notice the various angles and the bend in the poles. The last 2 pictures I drew out where I'd like to put the posts. In the last shot, note the yellow line I drew would be the light run back to the deck. It's not really over top of the shallow end, it's over the pavers. 2D is making it difficult to convey. Thoughts???? Thanks!









Post depiction:


 

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