My wife and I went from planning a backyard landscape with maybe a water feature, to building an inground pool. Aren't torrid summers great for the PBs around the country? I had a pool growing up and my mom currently has one that is 15 years old. Both are pearl plaster with tab chlorination and cartridge filters and I figured the most that I'd deviate from that would be maybe getting a tinted plaster.
Now I am learning about pebble finishes, tanning shelves, DE, UV, ozone and a spa differences after just a week of research! It is kinda head spinning and I really appreciate this forum so I come to you for the collective wisdom. I know that most of the choices come down to personal preference but I wanted to see if there were some things that are just smart to do in terms of quality/price and peace of mind.
I am thinking of a geometric pool with cut limestone. We kinda have a Mission style going on in the house and the with the limestone, I am thinking a salt water chlorine generator may not be a wise, long-term decision. Some of the PBs I've met with like either ozone or a large UV solution from Spectralight located here in Texas. I have read that scientifically, home sized ozone systems are expensive and of limited use. Is this true and does it hold true for the big UV units? I like UV that it will supposedly let us limit chlorine, destroys chloramines and may even save us money on chems. I also read that UV, in addition to destroying chloramines, will also get rid of a lot of FC so that I may have to use as much chlorine as a pool without UV, even to keep it at 1ppm. Any input?
For the interior finish, like I said at the top, I figured we'd just get a tinted plaster and that would be the most different thing about this pool compared to the one I grew up with. Now I am finding out about pebble finishes and I want to know if they are trendy because they do pose a significant advantage over plaster in terms of longevity and appearance. The one pool builder that has given us a proposal told us that a properly balanced pool can keep plaster for 15+ years. My mom's friend is now rebuilding her tinted plaster pool and probably had a service for the 10+ years she had it. If we went with pebble, I am leaning toward the smaller stones that are polished to make it the most smooth and the most durable, but is it really worth the significant upgrade?
The most expensive option is a spa. We have a well shaded backyard which is similar to the one I grew up with which was COLD. Nice on the scorching days of August, but it made for some chilly April swimming. We have 10 year old twin boys and figure a spa that we could push up a few degrees would keep them soaking longer. The remote and number of spa jets seems to be the place where budget can get out of hand. We'd like to have room for 6-8 adults when friends come over but mostly it is going to be the four of us.
Is there anything else that has made the difference as a pool owner? Something you wish you splurged on (I know decking but we are limited on impervious cover) or in retrospect seems like a waste?
Thanks and I'll probably start a thread on the build as we get closer.
Now I am learning about pebble finishes, tanning shelves, DE, UV, ozone and a spa differences after just a week of research! It is kinda head spinning and I really appreciate this forum so I come to you for the collective wisdom. I know that most of the choices come down to personal preference but I wanted to see if there were some things that are just smart to do in terms of quality/price and peace of mind.
I am thinking of a geometric pool with cut limestone. We kinda have a Mission style going on in the house and the with the limestone, I am thinking a salt water chlorine generator may not be a wise, long-term decision. Some of the PBs I've met with like either ozone or a large UV solution from Spectralight located here in Texas. I have read that scientifically, home sized ozone systems are expensive and of limited use. Is this true and does it hold true for the big UV units? I like UV that it will supposedly let us limit chlorine, destroys chloramines and may even save us money on chems. I also read that UV, in addition to destroying chloramines, will also get rid of a lot of FC so that I may have to use as much chlorine as a pool without UV, even to keep it at 1ppm. Any input?
For the interior finish, like I said at the top, I figured we'd just get a tinted plaster and that would be the most different thing about this pool compared to the one I grew up with. Now I am finding out about pebble finishes and I want to know if they are trendy because they do pose a significant advantage over plaster in terms of longevity and appearance. The one pool builder that has given us a proposal told us that a properly balanced pool can keep plaster for 15+ years. My mom's friend is now rebuilding her tinted plaster pool and probably had a service for the 10+ years she had it. If we went with pebble, I am leaning toward the smaller stones that are polished to make it the most smooth and the most durable, but is it really worth the significant upgrade?
The most expensive option is a spa. We have a well shaded backyard which is similar to the one I grew up with which was COLD. Nice on the scorching days of August, but it made for some chilly April swimming. We have 10 year old twin boys and figure a spa that we could push up a few degrees would keep them soaking longer. The remote and number of spa jets seems to be the place where budget can get out of hand. We'd like to have room for 6-8 adults when friends come over but mostly it is going to be the four of us.
Is there anything else that has made the difference as a pool owner? Something you wish you splurged on (I know decking but we are limited on impervious cover) or in retrospect seems like a waste?
Thanks and I'll probably start a thread on the build as we get closer.