Reshaping pool in major Sunnyvale California remodel

[SimpleSunnyPool]

Between a pine tree with two kinds of bark beetles, a failing retaining wall, and a pool with rebar stains that hasn't been resurfaced since it was installed in 1971, we are about to sign contracts with pool and landscape contractors for a major yard remodel. We'd rather defer remodeling, but the yard isn't safe, we have kids, and it's a small space so we want to maximize utility. The pool contractor is Aqua Gunite of Livermore, CA and I have only good things to say about them so far.

Here is what we're doing:

• Strip plaster. Pebblesheen. Npt glass tile.
• Poured-in-place concrete coping that matches the deck by the landscape contractor.
• Coverpools under-coping auto cover. This requires dropping a bond beam; demoing and reshaping corners, steps, and part of one wall; building a cover vault; replacing the lighting niche and skimmer; building and backfilling a new wall in front of a void.
• Replumb. 2" suction. 2" new pipe to new split main drain. 3 returns: 2 1/2" to tee then 2" to tee then 1 1/2".
• New suction cleaner line for my Poolvergnuegen. Should I opt for a pressure line and get a new Poolvergnuegen? I figure with the autocover, a suction cleaner with a leaf canister doesn't load the filter too much, and suction is very effective.
• Make 8' pool 1' shallower. The contractor says the extra gunite and steel will reinforce the reshaped wall.
• Auto fill (to ensure the auto cover has enough water under it).
• Pentair 70W LED white light.
• Pentair Easy touch & Intellichlor 40 SWG.
• Pentair 420 sqft cartridge filter (we currently have an undersized DE filter).
• Pentair Intelliflo VS (contractor says they found the VF unreliable).
• No actuators at this time. Instead, run the pump at higher speed to get the Poolvergnuegen to clean more.
• 2" gas line to pad, though no heater yet. 1" gas line to bbq and fire pit. Is 1" sufficient?
• We plan to install solar thermal soon thereafter (possibly after some roof work).

What looks worrisome to the forum? How hard will the solar upgrade be? What's the likelihood of floating the pool, concrete cracking, etc.? We're trying to sign contracts asap (possibly today).

 

[gwegan]

Can we see some pictures when you do this?

WOW js my first comment.

Are you sure it wouldn't be less expensive to demo the whole thing and start over?

I realize your contractor is a gunite contractor but you are making some major changes to that shell. Have you seen other pools by this contractor where they did that extensive of renovations? You don't know the risks on this kind of job until you actually start the demo. You have rebar stains. How bad is that? has the rebar rusted ot deep into the walls? Probably not. But until you start you don't know.

I would talk to some one in city building inspection about their experience with the water table. I suspect in Sunnyvale its pretty deep but I would check. They should also drill some weep hoes in the shell just in case.

One inch gas line should be sufficient. The interesting question is if you have a gas heater and a large bbq can your meter handle it all?

Solar is usually an easy add on. Cal law requires that if you have a gas heater, you not only have to have a solar cover but your equipment pad must be designed to allow installation of solar later.

Good luck and give us lots of pictures as it progresses.

 

[SimpleSunnyPool]

I'll try to take photos along the way.

We won't get a gas heater to start with. Our meter is rated 275 CFH ~= 275 kBTU/h, which is about equal to the load of the bbq, fire pit, water heater, and (hydronic) furnace. We wanted a riser at the pad in case we find a heater necessary, but, you're correct, we'd need to upgrade the meter.

We're basically demoing and starting over with the yard. We're demoing the pool except for the gunite shell, and we're reinforcing the floor and replacing one of the long walls. There's no room to move the pool. We talked to one contractor who proposed demoing the pool, but it became clear he didn't know what he was doing. All the competent contractors said we could leave it as is. The rebar stain is in the middle of the pool at the edge of the shallow end. We've checked some references, as well as BBB / Angie's List / Yelp. The challenge is that we're concerned about what happens if we're in the minority of failed projects, which won't show up in the references. Ugh, yeah, we won't fully know until demo. Other than leaving California, alternatives are no cheaper (moving, filling in the pool, etc.). We're basically buying functional square footage for our yard.

For solar, we just need an actuated tee from the filter, and a checked tee return. We have a flat roof, so it's not clear that the panels would drain on their own.