New pool build Charlotte, NC

[Matthias2280]

My name is Matthias B. and I live outside of Charlotte, NC in Indian Trail. My family and I decided to build a pool late last year after making the decision to stay in Charlotte rather than move out west. We wanted estimates on Pool/Spa combos, both using concrete/Gunite construction as well as vinyl liner construction

After extensively researching several Pool companies in Charlotte I put together a list of 6 pool contractors I wanted bids from. That list quickly shrunk to four contractors after not receiving a call back from two. The list dwindled even further after one company was 1.5 hrs late to the initial meet-up at the house so that left us with three. Only one of those remaining companies did vinyl liner pools. The other two only did concrete/gunnite construction.

After comparing estimates and the overall experience attaining those designs and estimates we ultimately choose to go with a Gunite pool only (no spa) design. We compromised on the spa by installing a 400k BTU heater so we could get a few extra months out of the pool season. Also our contractor threw in an aerator and two jets (plumbed direct from the heater) behind our built in loveseat to give the effect of a spa without the additional 12k cost. It’s not the same I realize but it’s good enough for us.

We choose Anthony and Sylvan Pools as our contractor because of the proposed design, as well as the overall experience that Jason our sales guy provided during the design and negotiation phase. He was the only one that took the time to measure out the back yard and attempt to give us a visual representation of what the pool would look like on our property. The pricepoint was competitive with the other quotes that we received so they ultimately won our business.

Specs:
@460sq ft Gunite free form pool
31X18
Black Marble Pebbletech finish
5 ft sheer descent bond beam
Tanning ledge
Love seat w spa jets
Jandy 2hp Variable speed pump
Salt Water system
400K BTU heater
Polaris 350 vacuum
1 Hayward Colorlogic Light
DIY Brick patio 500Sqft (more to come on that when I start the work)

We broke ground on Monday June 23rd. It is now the 26th and rebar is almost complete. I will document the build process as well as post pictures along the way for everyone’s reference. Please notify me if any of you folks think something looks out of place or requires my attention. I love forums and am very active in the M3forum.net community. The advice one gains by being a member of these online communities in invaluable IMHO so being that this is my first Gunite pool I will be pouring over these forums for advice and tips.

Cheers and thanks for all the help (preemptively ;-)

 

[Casey]

Very nice! Keep the pics coming along with any questions you may have!

I would also suggest you start reading in Pool School so when the pool is complete, you will know what to do, when to do it and you'll enjoy a Trouble Free Pool!

 

[teknic88]

Looking good! Keep us posted

 

[Matthias2280]

Thanks guys. Will do. Hopefully rough plumbing will start tomorrow or Monday. Rebar took a little longer than expected and the project needs to be inspected before more work can commence.

Cheers!!
$Matthias$

 

[Matthias2280]

I added a picture to my initial post and now it disappeared. Is there an approval process for editing posts as well?

 

[Matthias2280]

Rain rain go away...

Do I need to pump that water out? Seems like the slope of my yard dumps a lot of runoff into the hole since final grading has not been completed.

 

[vudoo222]

Welcome Matthias, keep the pictures coming. I'm in the process of building my pool now, waiting on electrical before pre-gunite inspection. Noticed that you have a Jandy pump and Hayward light, what automation, filter, SWG, and heater are you having? It is better to try and stick with one brand as possible. For example, sometimes you cannot fully maximize the potential of a Hayward light with a Pentair automation. Is that round thing at the deep end a light? One end of your pool would be darker at night, I would recommend having two LED lights facing away from the house.

 

[vudoo222]

Noticed some of your rebar is flushed to the side walls. Those little cement blocks are called dobies, they are to raise your rebar up 3" from walls and floors so that it would be in the middle of your 6" gunite to properly reinforce your wall. Make sure they are in the walls like mine before they shoot the gunite.

 

[bmoreswim]

Don't worry about the water. PB/gunite crew will pump out anything remaining. Just make sure that they excavate any dirt that erodes and goes under the rebar to get back to the original rebar shape. And that there is space around all the rebar as mentioned above. Floors, walls, everywhere.

 

[vudoo222]

Hey Matthias,

I sent you a PM.

 

[martinkennedy]

Matthias,

Welcome to the club. Your going to have a lot of fun (sic). I will be an experience that will take a lot of patience but you will be thrilled in the end. Good luck

 

[Matthias2280]

Thanks everyone for the input. I bought a pump from harbor freight and am in the process of pumping all the water out if the pool. I have also looked at the dobies and will make sure the rebar sits in the middle if the gunite when it's shot. The rebar folks left a bunch if small concrete chunks that the gunite folks will probably use when they do the final locating if the rebar.

 

[Matthias2280]

I pumped out all the water and there is definitely some erosion that will need to be taken care of before gunite can be sprayed. We had two days of torrential downpours and everything is soaked to the bone.

The pump I bought from Harbor Freight Tools rocks. It pumps at 1360gpm. It took about 3 hrs to empty out all the water. Hopefully we get some work done tomorrow or Tuesday. I don't want this rain to stall progress.

 

[Matthias2280]

I just found out that I will be supplied with a Raypak P-R406A heater. So I now have three different manufacturers involved in my pool build:

Hayward ColorLogic light
Raypak P-R406A heater
Jandy VS Pump
Jandy Salt water system (assumed)
Jandy Filter (assumed)

I am worried about compatibility issues when it comes to automation down the road. My PB states that they will not install equipment procured through other vendors so I'm stuck. Its my fault for not doing research before I signed the contract but you don't know what you don't know. I never thought about the different manufacturers of pool equipment and how they interact together once installed. Ugh...

I need to listen to my wife and quit analyzing and just let my contractor do his job...

 

[Matthias2280]

The first of many inspections was completed yesterday and we passed without issues. It was for electrical bonding and grounding I guess. I made the mistake of asking the inspector what the idea behind the grounding hooplah was and he proceeded to chew my ear off for about 10 minutes explaining the ins and outs of electrcal grounding and how exactly the codes have changed over the last 20 years. My mistake...

Also the rough plumbing was completed yesterday. So far so good.

Gunite today or tomorrow

 

[230]

Any updates? I went with A&S also(Jason), signed the contract last week on a pool very similar to yours....it may have been one of the layouts he showed us.