New IG Pool Build - Buckeye (Phoenix) AZ - Excited and Impatient!

[kimkats]

Diva, PLEASE check out the $2.50 people VERY close. Have you seen their work? Have you talked to someone they did work for?

I would hate for you to save the money BUT get bad work out of it................I SO understand wanting to save money but if you have to redo it or it is not the correct way you will pay more to have it redone.

Talk to your PB face to face and see what he says about a price reduction for HIM doing the work. All he can say is no but you never know unless you ask.

Kim

 

[divaofsongs]

Diva, PLEASE check out the $2.50 people VERY close. Have you seen their work? Have you talked to someone they did work for?

I would hate for you to save the money BUT get bad work out of it................I SO understand wanting to save money but if you have to redo it or it is not the correct way you will pay more to have it redone.

Talk to your PB face to face and see what he says about a price reduction for HIM doing the work. All he can say is no but you never know unless you ask.

Kim

Thank you, Kim. I completely understand your concern as I would think the same thing if it were someone else saying it but the owner of the company is a member of my church and they will be doing the work at cost, in exchange for my building them a new website. I failed to mention that in the previous post, which I certainly should have. Sorry. Yes, they are very good and do all manners of concrete work, flooring, tile work, etc. and this is something they do all the time. I owned a website design, hosting, and SEO company for over 15 years but then when I developed MS, I had to stop working full time but I still do referral work and barter work so I was able to work out a great deal with them. Now if I could only find someone to barter a website for solar heating with! LOL

 

[divaofsongs]

Okay, the plumbing is done and tomorrow is electric or steel, can't remember which one, lol. Here are photos of the plumbing and I got great news on the solar heating front! I spoke with my uncle and a neighbor who both have and swear by a system they bought off of Amazon and both have had for 3+ years with no issues! The panels and all install materials for a 15'X30' pool is about $500 and I found a guy who will install for $400, so I will be adding the solar heating system as soon as the pool is complete. My uncle and neighbor warned me to be careful of what panels I bought from Amazon, they told me the brand they both use, which was the same brand for both, and the reviews on them are excellent, so I am going for it. Am I allowed to post the info and brand name here? Just in case someone else is interested? There is an online installation manual and even videos on YouTube showing the complete system install. I can share if it is ok.

 

[ellsian]

There shouldn't be anything wrong with posting a particular brand of panel you're interested in buying (I'm also interested in seeing what you're looking at for panels). I think the issue only arises when trash talking and specifically naming people/pool builders that you had problems with.

Here's the forum rules: Site Rules Forum Etiquette

 

[kimkats]

What they ^^^^^^^^ said and so long as YOU are not selling. What you will be doing is sharing good info. We share about the hair nets on amazon all of the time LOL

Now Diva that SURE is the "rest of the story" with the barter! LOL

Kim

 

[divaofsongs]

Okay, here is the information I found about the less expensive solar water heating system. Basically, from what I have researched, these solar panels are not much different from the panels being sold for $5,000+ by our local solar companies and from what I have read in the installation directions (link is below) it it s DIY project that takes just a few hours to complete.

Amazon sells a commercial quality solar pool heating system and after speaking with my Uncle and a neighbor, I found out they both currently use this system and have for several years and it has been nothing but perfect for them. Amazon.......go figure. They both said that you have to be careful and make sure you are buying the SunQuest brand of solar panels because they are commercial quality and have stood the test of time, but most of the other panels on Amazon are not such good quality.

I also found a Hayward automated solar pool heating control system that can be controlled through my Smart Phone, too. I cannot install this system myself but I am lucky to have found a man who has installed 20+ systems in his lifetime and also works on pools and pool equipment for over 17 years. He is going to install my whole system for $400 and the panels and other items I need for installation is about $500 - $600 total. So, for about $1,000 I will have a fully automated solar pool heating system and I am happy about that!

Here are some links to the solar panels, the instruction manual, 2 YouTube videos showing how to install them, and the Hayward automated solar pool heater controller:

Solar Panels by Sunquest: (I will need 2 of these for my pool size) http://www.amazon.com/2-2X20-SunQue...ue&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=A1O4MBFOAWOG1P

Product manual and installation instructions: http://www.solar-discounters.com/Images/SunQuest_2220_dlx_installation_owners_manual.pdf

YouTube Videos on the installation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-FqRGWOl9w This is the original install video with the panels on the ground for your reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvRd6vbR0oA&feature=youtu.be This is the video with the install when he mounted the panels to the roof.

Hayward Automated Controller: http://www.amazon.com/Hayward-GLC-2..._86_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1XCP0TJ2WH52M6W1HHP2

 

[ellsian]

Nice find! I'm going to bookmark all of that for a possible future solar panel myself I'm just missing the cheap crew to install it! Amazon is pretty awesome all around, I'm a prime member myself. So I'm not surprised they would have gems like this.

I noticed the install video is for a shingle type roof. I wonder how it could be installed on Phoenix style tiles..

 

[divaofsongs]

Ellsian, just FYI: I can give you the name of my installer if you ever need it. He lives in Glendale, so not too far from you. Besides, I live all the way out in bum....ooops, I mean all the way out in no man's land, the town of Buckeye, lol, so I don't think he would have an issue with traveling. I will let you know how my system install turns out. There is a way to install it on the tiles, not sure how, but I read a few places about it and they have some sort of concoction rigged up. Haha.

If not my installer, check on Craigslist and type in solar pool heater under sales and also under services, then look for people who have it listed as items they do. I found mine that way. He was listed as a pool handyman, in the business/industry for 17+ years and did all sorts of things like pool pump repair, upgrade to automated Smart phone controllers, etc. I found him and a bunch of others similar to him.

I actually composed a message detailing what I was looking for and sent it to every person advertising that they did solar pool heaters. I asked if they could provide the installation I needed and gave them links to the Amazon page for the panels and the installation PDF. I was surprised because there were actually 7 responses, but I chose him because he really knows his stuff. The other 6 guys were way cheaper, like $150 - $250, and he was the most expensive, but you get what you pay for and I would rather pay 2-3 times the amount to someone who has done it a bunch of times than to get it for $10 from someone who has no experience at all.

 

[ellsian]

Ellsian, just FYI: I can give you the name of my installer if you ever need it. He lives in Glendale, so not too far from you. Besides, I live all the way out in bum....ooops, I mean all the way out in no man's land, the town of Buckeye, lol, so I don't think he would have an issue with traveling. I will let you know how my system install turns out. There is a way to install it on the tiles, not sure how, but I read a few places about it and they have some sort of concoction rigged up. Haha.

If not my installer, check on Craigslist and type in solar pool heater under sales and also under services, then look for people who have it listed as items they do. I found mine that way. He was listed as a pool handyman, in the business/industry for 17+ years and did all sorts of things like pool pump repair, upgrade to automated Smart phone controllers, etc. I found him and a bunch of others similar to him.

I actually composed a message detailing what I was looking for and sent it to every person advertising that they did solar pool heaters. I asked if they could provide the installation I needed and gave them links to the Amazon page for the panels and the installation PDF. I was surprised because there were actually 7 responses, but I chose him because he really knows his stuff. The other 6 guys were way cheaper, like $150 - $250, and he was the most expensive, but you get what you pay for and I would rather pay 2-3 times the amount to someone who has done it a bunch of times than to get it for $10 from someone who has no experience at all.

That's great! Yeah, if he does a good job, message me his name please!

 

[divaofsongs]

That's great! Yeah, if he does a good job, message me his name please!

It's funny, there really is a great demand for reasonably priced solar pool heater systems here in AZ. In addition to sending a message to all the people who came up in the search, I also posted an ad in the wanted section, explaining what I was looking for. Well, today I received a response to my ad from 2 separate people who wanted to know if I had any luck finding someone to install the system for me because they are also looking to find someone to help them put a solar pool heater on their pool at a reasonable price. Both people who messaged me made it a point to say how horribly expensive the solar companies are.......wanting $7k - $10k for a solar pool heater. That is outrageous!

There is a real need for people to acquire economy solar pool heater installations. I was thinking of trying to open a company, if I could find enough people to do the work and contract it out to them. LOL. People really want solar heat, they just don't want to be raked over the coals for the installation cost. With all the choices of economy solar heating panels, a person could easily install a quality system for 1/4 or less of the cost these other people are charging and still make a great profit while providing the consumer with a highly sought after product and service.

 

[ellsian]

You're absolutely right. I called a solar company here in the valley the other day and they were wanting way too much :/ It really does seem ridiculous, especially with how cheap the materials seem to be.

 

[divaofsongs]

I forgot to add this.......I got the PB to take off the $5 sq. ft. for acrylic lace topping on the 320 sq. ft. deck they are building, giving us $1,600 to play with for covering the decking AND my 248 sq. ft. covered patio. I found a company in Phoenix who will spray the decking and patio with acrylic lace topping (cool decking) for $2 a sq. ft. OR for $3 sq. ft. we can get stamped concrete to make it look like flagstone...so, that is what we are doing. So a total of 568 sq. ft. of concrete to cover at $3 sq. ft. equals $1704. We only have to pay $104 more to have this done! We are deciding between the following 4 looks, I labeled them A, B, C, and D, any thoughts?

 

[ellsian]

I like Choice A (which looks just like C?) and Choice D. Very pretty!

I want to do something other than acyrlic decking too, but my PB keeps warning about the use of a salt system and the effects it will have on concrete or stone. Makes me hesitant.

 

[divaofsongs]

I may be wrong (probably am, lol) but I believe the man at this company told me they can make the acrylic decking look like flagstone for 50 cents more per sq. ft. They charge $2 sq. ft. for acrylic lace decking and for $2.50 sq. ft. he said we could make it look like tile or flagstone with the way they trowel it? I could be wrong though. I will double check tomorrow.

If you look at some of the photos on their home page, the man I spoke to said this was acrylic coating that was made to look like Flagstone but it is actually just the acrylic in various colors and shaped into faux stone shapes. I know for a fact the orangish color flagstone look on the front page is acrylic because I asked and he specifically said it was acrylic and would be $2.50 sq. ft. for it on my decking.

CoolConcreteCreations.com The Best in Custom Concrete Surfacing.

The photo in the upper left hand corner below is acrylic and so is the photo in the lower right hand corner!

 

[ellsian]

You know I was thinking of doing a poured concrete coping or pre-cast concrete coping, and then acid staining it to match a surrounding travertine deck. I would worry less about salt eating at concrete coping than a travertine one. Looks like a nice company you found there, way better priced than my builder... I need to see if I can contract out my deck separately and save money that way.

 

[divaofsongs]

I wanted to share one more really good deal for those who might be interested.......we wanted a concrete table built into the pool, on the Baja deck, but it was going to be something like $2,500+ for it and that was just not in our budget, so I started researching and found a bunch of really chinsy, cheap looking tables that could be added to the pool but none of them really appealed to me. One day I was on Amazon and I found a really nice, impressive, 30" table that looks and feels like real granite. The table attaches to a standard umbrella pole in an umbrella sleeve and can be used with or without an umbrella. It looks like (at least to me) it was installed by the builder and comes in 4 different colors. This is the closest I can get to having a $2,500+ concrete table in my pool. Oh, and the cost......$415.99 with free shipping. LOL. Here is a photo of it set up in the pool, with and without the umbrella. I also added a link to the product on Amazon, in case anyone wants further information. http://www.amazon.com/Inter-Fab-PL-...ue&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_11&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[divaofsongs]

You know I was thinking of doing a poured concrete coping or pre-cast concrete coping, and then acid staining it to match a surrounding travertine deck. I would worry less about salt eating at concrete coping than a travertine one. Looks like a nice company you found there, way better priced than my builder... I need to see if I can contract out my deck separately and save money that way.

I don't know why not, I mean at the end of the day, it is YOUR money! All I did was tell, not ask, tell my PB that we decided against the acrylic lace topping on the deck and found a different company to provide the design on the decking and told them we wanted them to just pour the concrete decking and we will take care of the decor on the concrete. I told them we wanted to have the cost of the acrylic lace application for the decking deducted from the contract and to provide me with the amount that would be deducted from the total. The PB replied with the total amount to be deducted from the total and confirmed that we would be taking care of the coating on the concrete and that they would just be providing the concrete decking only.

The funny thing is, the salesperson sent me a text a few minutes later and said he got the price down from $5 sf. to $3 sf. if we wanted to keep everything the same and just have them apply the acrylic lace to our patio. Ummmm, NO! If they had made this offer before I found out I could have fabulous looking decking and patio for half the price they were charging me for ugly (in my opinion it is ugly) acrylic lace decking, I might have went for it but there is no way I am going to turn down the looks I showed you for acrylic lace. LOL.

If I were you, I would call my PB and ask them how much they are charging per sf. to apply the acrylic lace and if it is more than $2 per sf., you can definitely save money by doing it through the company I found or another company. There are plenty of then out there hungry for business and ready to negotiate in your favor. The company I found does great work and been in business since 2004 and A+ with the BBB.

Also, my PB charges $10 per sf. for decking (actual concrete poured decking) and the company that is doing my concrete stamping charges only $4 - $5 per sf., depending on the total square footage you need. That is HALF PRICE! We are getting 320 sf., that is the difference of $3,200 or $1,280/$1,600. We were thinking of adding on another 150 - 200 sf. of decking around the pool and having them pour it at half price.

I have to admit, if I knew then, what I know now, I would have never hired a pool builder. I would have overseen my own pool build and saved a bundle. Next time, that is what we are doing.

 

[ellsian]

You've convinced me. I'm going to call around tomorrow and get quotes on pool coping/decking I'll call that company you found first. Thanks for the encouragement! Looking at my price sheet, my builder charges $8.95 per sqft of acrylic decking (which includes the 4" concrete base). If I find someone to do travertine pavers cheaply and pre-cast concrete coping, I could save a lot there and forgo the decking PB cost. I have a pretty small lot, and a larger pool, so my entire decking+ coping is only 400sqft or less, lol. What bothers me is that 300' of that decking is "included" in my standard package with the PB... so they better compensate me that full 300' if I go with another contractor for the decking!!

I *almost* went the owner builder route after reading this forum for a year. I was very close, but ultimately went with a PB because 1) I have absolutely no construction exp at all, zip. 2) I figured my savings would not have been worth the hassle (I'm already very busy with a rambunctious 2 year old and another older, autistic child). 3) Arizona is super competitive with PBs everywhere, so our costs aren't so bad. 4) I'm pretty neurotic about details, and I'm pretty sure the contractors would have hated me, my PB designer already does, lol. So yes, it was better in my case to spend the extra cash on a PB and less stress.

And dangit Diva, I'm filling up my Amazon wishlist with all your finds here! That table idea is awesome.

 

[kimkats]

Diva! You rock! The queen of price matching and taking care of business!

I love A&C.......they look the same to me. The others with the darker stone color seems to stick out too much. It is pretty but I like the softer colors.

Kim (glad someone other myself is helping others spend their money LOL)

 

[Nursenini]

Diva I like A (C?) and D. My preference is for the white mortar lines not to stick out so much but for it to have a softer appearance so you see the overall stone pattern. Whatever you choose is going to be beautiful! Love the table!!!