Grotto height?

[imrodee]

I bet it will be PERFECT jt! You will love it. We love sitting in ours. Our rafts seem to wander in there and hang out for the night if we forget to take them out. Then the dogs bark like crazy in the am when the "shark" raft sneaks out. LOL!

 

[DBfan187]

pics?

 

[imrodee]

 

[jtech1]

Seems you are trying to says something... but I can't quite put my finger on it!

I will take some pics of what they finished yesterday and post later today.

 

[imrodee]

HAHA! Somehow when I use those particular smilies, they multiply.

But, I'd love to see the pics!!!

 

[imrodee]

:taped:

 

[jtech1]

Finally... found a few minutes to add a picture... never put one on here before... let's see if this works.

 

[imrodee]

That is going to be AWESOME! Your PB did a nice job on the interior too! Thanks for sharing!

 

[jtech1]

Thanks! We got a load of moss rock delivered yesterday... we are looking forward to seeing it come together.

 

[Just-a-PB]

Imrode,
Grottos like that scare the Crud out of me. That is a lot of non structural weight above your head.
I know they get done that way often, but one little crack, or the right person jumping around on top could be very bad news.
I dont recommend anyone building this way.


Grotto height can be low in front and then get bigger, or just be big and open.
Want enough head room so you wont brain yourself.

Here is one we did.
[attachment=2:1fy49944]DSC02755a.jpg[/attachment:1fy49944]

The hidden grotto entry.
[attachment=1:1fy49944]DSC02777a.jpg[/attachment:1fy49944]


Inside grotto.
[attachment=0:1fy49944]DSC02660a.jpg[/attachment:1fy49944]


Enjoy.

 

[Just-a-PB]

Jtech,
Wanted to included that your builder looks like they did it right, with a structural roof on it.

Here is one more fun one I did.
Complete with rock climbing wall.
That is a blast to jump off of at 13' high.
Pool is 14' deep there.

[attachment=0:3qocqxqd]IMG_1188a.jpg[/attachment:3qocqxqd]

 

[Bluegrassman]

<snip> ...

Grotto height can be low in front and then get bigger, or just be big and open.
Want enough head room so you wont brain yourself.

Here is one we did.
[attachment=2:3l0cyx1j]DSC02755a.jpg[/attachment:3l0cyx1j]

The hidden grotto entry.
[attachment=1:3l0cyx1j]DSC02777a.jpg[/attachment:3l0cyx1j]


Inside grotto.
[attachment=0:3l0cyx1j]DSC02660a.jpg[/attachment:3l0cyx1j]


Enjoy.

Absolutely freaking AWESOME build!!! If I'm ever rich, I might swap my plain vanilla 18x36 for one like that, LOL

 

[jtech1]

Just-a-PB, thanks for the feedback. There was tons of rebar in it... I actually had them add some more, continuous across and down both sides... bowed upward slightly. There will be rocks set mainly on the sides over the walls... and no-one will be able to get up on it... just the waterfall.

The two pools you posted pictures for are incredible! Was the hillside there already or was that built up? What did you use to color the inside of the cave like that?

 

[imrodee]

That's really nice! A bit much for my backyard.. but with as much as you had to work with, it's very nice.

Hopefully the landscaping will keep my husband from climbing up on the top of the grotto. I really can't take him anywhere.

 

[jtech1]

What I need to figure out is HOW the top front face of the cave can be hidden. The PB will stack rocks on the ledges on both sides and they will overlap the side front faces of the cave, but across the top is what I can't figure out how it will be hidden. I don't want to see rough gunite there. If anyone with a gunite cave, or that builds them can tell me or show me example of how that can be hidden I would appreciate it. I don't want to end of with flat flagstone cemented across the top. It is about 10' across.

 

[Just-a-PB]

Just like they do in Disneyland.
Look at my examples above.
Those are all shot in caves with faux rock.

Or you could just veneer stone to it, I see a lot of those as well.

 

[jtech1]

Those caves in your photos are all faux rock, right? With real rocks coming up the sides, would it look right to have faux rocks across teh top? Could they even do that since the gunite is already done? I guess veneer stone would probably match the best... can that be done with just mortar or does it require some drilling and rebar pins for safety? I need to try to find some pictures of this. The natural rock that my PB got for the rest of the back of the pool and cave is very difficult if not impossible to cut or shape according to my PB... They basically are as is from the ground. So, I'd need to find some other stone already cut somewhere that would match what I already have.

 

[imrodee]

How is it coming jtech?

 

[jtech1]

It is coming along... rock is on both sides of cave now... and starting to do the top... there will be a large hill of dirt all behind and both sides of the cave behind the rocks. The rocks actually go back along both sides of the cave also for stability. Slide will come though to the right of current rocks (over last rock on right) then more rock to right of slide.

Problem is the cave top is only 5' deep... and they are planning to do the basin that fills with water from the pipe on top of the cave, which would allow only 2-3 feet for water to flow before falling to the pool... I would like to do the basin on the hill behind the cave and use the entire top depth for flowing water... imrodee, how does yours come out of the pipe and flow down? Hard to see from the pictures.

 

[imrodee]

Check with just a PB.. for safety reasons.. but my pipe is encased in the back rock wall. So my water comes from the back wall and comes down over a stair step pile of smaller rocks. I'll see if I can get a good daytime pic for you tomorrow. Yours is looking really NICE!

It's a bugger trying to sweep it when I can't get in the water! LOL! One day I put my wellies on to stand on the tanning ledge to get a good angle.

NOTE TO SELF: foot warmers.