Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
- Thread starter AmyJo
- Start date
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
The bleach was added after the test.
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The bleach was added after the test.
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Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Help us understand that better. What was zero? Pool boy's going out in a huff usually means you are doing a LOT of things right!
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
FC was 8, CC was 0. I thought that meant something was really wrong, to be at zero. Ha. But it seems this might be a good thing? [emoji4]
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FC was 8, CC was 0. I thought that meant something was really wrong, to be at zero. Ha. But it seems this might be a good thing? [emoji4]
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Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
0 CC means you have 0 ppm combined chlorine. Basically CC is the byproduct of free chlorine when it has taken care of something in your pool that would result in algae. Your previous 1.5 ppm meant it was dealing with stuff. CC of 0 is the one 0 you want to see when testing.
0 CC means you have 0 ppm combined chlorine. Basically CC is the byproduct of free chlorine when it has taken care of something in your pool that would result in algae. Your previous 1.5 ppm meant it was dealing with stuff. CC of 0 is the one 0 you want to see when testing.
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Yea!!! Thanks Accident. I was all upset, as ZERO sounded like we were messing up again. Ha! I had to apologize to the pool boy .....
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Yea!!! Thanks Accident. I was all upset, as ZERO sounded like we were messing up again. Ha! I had to apologize to the pool boy .....
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Has anyone here added another step to an existing gunite/plaster pool? I was quoted 2500.00! Our first step into the pool is so deep. I cannot get in or out easily. I guess handrails are the next logical purchase, but I cannot find the one that I want. It's tubular, but in a square shape.
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Has anyone here added another step to an existing gunite/plaster pool? I was quoted 2500.00! Our first step into the pool is so deep. I cannot get in or out easily. I guess handrails are the next logical purchase, but I cannot find the one that I want. It's tubular, but in a square shape.
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Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Hmm, I'd be interested to see how they intend to do that...just pour a concrete block in place on top and plaster over it? For that matter, why not just buy some small cinder blocks and not worry about plastering them? Something like this Lowes and just use it to make up the distance in your tall step? Then when you replaster, you can deal with it and incorporate it into that expense.
Hmm, I'd be interested to see how they intend to do that...just pour a concrete block in place on top and plaster over it? For that matter, why not just buy some small cinder blocks and not worry about plastering them? Something like this Lowes and just use it to make up the distance in your tall step? Then when you replaster, you can deal with it and incorporate it into that expense.
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Gilbee, your response made me laugh ..... I thought, "this guy HAS to be from the South" when I read about using a cinderblock! Ha - when I checked, I saw LA. (I can tease you because I'm a Southerner too). When I told my husband, he said that was actually a great idea. After getting in the pool this evening, I started thinking that too. I might try to find some waterproof paint (if such a thing really exists). Could that possibly change our pool chemistry? In any case, thank you. No one else has come up with an idea as good as yours.
The remodeler said the new step would have to be tied into the rebar of the pool and then attached to our bench somehow, then plastered over. I tuned out when I heard "around 2500.00," so I don't remember more than that. It's barely a foot wide!!
Our water was so clear this evening, we could see the entire bottom of the pool very well. Places that we thought were stains from leaves/walnut pods are actually patched areas that are wearing off. [emoji33] It's obvious we have to do something soon. I thought we had one sizeable and two tiny "bald" areas, but it's looking like at least a dozen with two large patched cracks under the waterline toward the house. Scary.
The woman who inherited this house and sold it to us did "band-aid" repairs on everything else here. Why am I now surprised the pool was most likely handled the same way? :SIGH:
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Gilbee, your response made me laugh ..... I thought, "this guy HAS to be from the South" when I read about using a cinderblock! Ha - when I checked, I saw LA. (I can tease you because I'm a Southerner too). When I told my husband, he said that was actually a great idea. After getting in the pool this evening, I started thinking that too. I might try to find some waterproof paint (if such a thing really exists). Could that possibly change our pool chemistry? In any case, thank you. No one else has come up with an idea as good as yours.
The remodeler said the new step would have to be tied into the rebar of the pool and then attached to our bench somehow, then plastered over. I tuned out when I heard "around 2500.00," so I don't remember more than that. It's barely a foot wide!!
Our water was so clear this evening, we could see the entire bottom of the pool very well. Places that we thought were stains from leaves/walnut pods are actually patched areas that are wearing off. [emoji33] It's obvious we have to do something soon. I thought we had one sizeable and two tiny "bald" areas, but it's looking like at least a dozen with two large patched cracks under the waterline toward the house. Scary.
The woman who inherited this house and sold it to us did "band-aid" repairs on everything else here. Why am I now surprised the pool was most likely handled the same way? :SIGH:
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Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Thanks for appreciating the shade tree engineering. If it were me, the cinder block treatment would be a temporary thing...you could paint, but not sure I'd endure the hassle---if it flakes it will end up in your filter, and with it unpainted it will be rougher and better for traction.
I think that with a plaster and potential tile job, you could leverage all of that work to get yourself a better deal on the step work if it really is something you want to pursue. If it's really that small of a step, not sure why it couldn't be stripped to the gunite, and then a section poured...if you're talking about a foot, yes tying to the rebar would be great, but I'm not 100% sure it's a must for the application. Of course, I'm not a pro at that either, I'm sure someone on here can make a better call than I.
Thanks for appreciating the shade tree engineering. If it were me, the cinder block treatment would be a temporary thing...you could paint, but not sure I'd endure the hassle---if it flakes it will end up in your filter, and with it unpainted it will be rougher and better for traction.
I think that with a plaster and potential tile job, you could leverage all of that work to get yourself a better deal on the step work if it really is something you want to pursue. If it's really that small of a step, not sure why it couldn't be stripped to the gunite, and then a section poured...if you're talking about a foot, yes tying to the rebar would be great, but I'm not 100% sure it's a must for the application. Of course, I'm not a pro at that either, I'm sure someone on here can make a better call than I.
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Hello everyone - I am reviving a post from almost two years ago. You were all so kind and helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent with our pool during the summer of 2015. Last year was completely lost due to a monumental family commitment (packing up and preparing my parents' home for sale - two states away) and we never once were able to use the pool. The two-states-away-house situation took 13 months to complete and after a very long wait ..... WE ARE FINALLY RENOVATING OUR POOL!!! [emoji4] I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am. I will post a photo of its lovely current state here. This was after a professional leak test was performed. BEWARE [emoji33]:
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Hello everyone - I am reviving a post from almost two years ago. You were all so kind and helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent with our pool during the summer of 2015. Last year was completely lost due to a monumental family commitment (packing up and preparing my parents' home for sale - two states away) and we never once were able to use the pool. The two-states-away-house situation took 13 months to complete and after a very long wait ..... WE ARE FINALLY RENOVATING OUR POOL!!! [emoji4] I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am. I will post a photo of its lovely current state here. This was after a professional leak test was performed. BEWARE [emoji33]:
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Last edited:
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Whoo! Get a thread opened up in the Under Construction forum with lots of pictures asap!
Paging Kim, Kim to the money spending area please....
Whoo! Get a thread opened up in the Under Construction forum with lots of pictures asap!
Paging Kim, Kim to the money spending area please....
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Re: Lap Pool Renovation with Aquabright
Hi everyone! The empty pool photo is current. The other photos are from two summers ago. Please note the pretty TFP water - and unfortunately terrible plaster. So excited to start our small renovation!
Hi everyone! The empty pool photo is current. The other photos are from two summers ago. Please note the pretty TFP water - and unfortunately terrible plaster. So excited to start our small renovation!
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Two of the tile samples we are considering arrived today. Both are from Oceanside Glasstile's Overstock showroom:
Hi AmyJo, Welcome Back! I love the tile choices, but I am more partial to the blue (my favorite color). You can never go wrong with glass tiles. You gotta have the sparkle. My other half wanted to do a simple lap pool, due to our small backyard. (The joys of living in the city.) We were originally looking at 8 feet and I was able to convince him to go with 12 feet. I think your pool is perfect for your yard, and I can't wait see it completed.
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Thanks Tony! Everyone who has seen the samples has voted for the blue (Aqua). It was my first choice too, but I'm also waiting to see it in all aqua iridescent, as well as a few other colors. Those samples should be here tomorrow. ?
I would LOVE to tile the bench and steps at the end of the pool, but our PB thinks that's a bad idea for safety - and also keeping a long term watertight seal. I'm so sad, because I love how it would look. I've kept these images of a pool for a couple of years now with a tiled shelf.
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Be glad you did a wider pool! While I do love how this fits into our courtyard, if I had built it originally, I would have made it at least 8 feet wide. If there was enough space, I would have wanted 12 too. I've actually hit the wall swimming laps and it HURTS. The plaster is so rough that it hurts to touch it. It also feels quite crowded if more than two people are in it. BUT, I've always wanted a pool and am very happy to have it. Bad plaster plus paint (we've only discovered since it was drained) and all. So excited to see it looking good! Thanks for your kind words. [emoji4]
- Jun 18, 2015
- 712
- Pool Size
- 11000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Perhaps I made a mistake having this thread moved here, but I do have several questions if anyone does happen to read this -
1 - Our PB does not recommend tiling the bench or steps at the end of the pool - for safety and being as watertight as the AB finish. Does anyone have experience with this much tile under water? We've had water leak issues with this pool, which I'm sure is part of the reason he doesn't recommend it. The pool is a bit unusual, as it's surrounded by a crawl space and we've had a leak under our house from it. Definitely cannot handle that again!
2 - Has anyone here done Sandstone, Kona White or Ice Ice Bay Bay (gotta love that name!) in Aquabright? We are very reluctant to do anything approaching white again (see previous photos), even if not plaster. We have too many surrounding trees plus black walnut pods that drive us crazy. Our color preference is a Caribbean turquoise/Aqua blue - much like that of a clean white plaster. We haven't yet seen any AB pools in person. Our PB recommends Sandstone, Ice Ice Baby and Blue Lagoon. Which color works best with the aqua blend tile I posted earlier?
3 - We like the idea of a small raised beam/wall at the far end with a shear waterfall. Not sure it's feasible budgetwise or logistically yet, but how would that affect the temperature of our water this summer? Our pool has a tendency to stay on the cool side. We have discussed doing solar heat, but concerned about leakage there too, as we already have flat roofs. The thought of pumping water up to the roof is a bit scary when we feel like we battle water ON the roof all the time.
4 - We are planning to add a salt generator. Do you recommend staying with the same brand as our pump?
5 - We plan to switch out our existing light for an LED. Sadly we are told we would be "opening a can of worms" to install another light, as that could be another potential leak problem in the future. (Again - if the pool leaks, it affects our house). The one light isn't enough to illuminate the entire length of the pool. Any thoughts?
All input is very welcome and appreciated! Many thanks -
1 - Our PB does not recommend tiling the bench or steps at the end of the pool - for safety and being as watertight as the AB finish. Does anyone have experience with this much tile under water? We've had water leak issues with this pool, which I'm sure is part of the reason he doesn't recommend it. The pool is a bit unusual, as it's surrounded by a crawl space and we've had a leak under our house from it. Definitely cannot handle that again!
2 - Has anyone here done Sandstone, Kona White or Ice Ice Bay Bay (gotta love that name!) in Aquabright? We are very reluctant to do anything approaching white again (see previous photos), even if not plaster. We have too many surrounding trees plus black walnut pods that drive us crazy. Our color preference is a Caribbean turquoise/Aqua blue - much like that of a clean white plaster. We haven't yet seen any AB pools in person. Our PB recommends Sandstone, Ice Ice Baby and Blue Lagoon. Which color works best with the aqua blend tile I posted earlier?
3 - We like the idea of a small raised beam/wall at the far end with a shear waterfall. Not sure it's feasible budgetwise or logistically yet, but how would that affect the temperature of our water this summer? Our pool has a tendency to stay on the cool side. We have discussed doing solar heat, but concerned about leakage there too, as we already have flat roofs. The thought of pumping water up to the roof is a bit scary when we feel like we battle water ON the roof all the time.
4 - We are planning to add a salt generator. Do you recommend staying with the same brand as our pump?
5 - We plan to switch out our existing light for an LED. Sadly we are told we would be "opening a can of worms" to install another light, as that could be another potential leak problem in the future. (Again - if the pool leaks, it affects our house). The one light isn't enough to illuminate the entire length of the pool. Any thoughts?
All input is very welcome and appreciated! Many thanks -
I am interested in using aquaBRIGHT if I refinish my pool and one of the benefits is that it is much more maintenance free and chemically inert as well as forming a continuous watertight surface. You will lose a lot of those benefits if you tile part of the surface.
Running water features cools pools.
Our solar panels and solar cover do a great job of warming our pool water. Good solar panels are robust and most have 10 year warranties. Mine only had one minor leak the first spring when I restarted the solar. Leaks are pretty obvious both because of water coming off the roof and also the water level dropping in the pool. A quick check each spring should cover it.
SWG should be the same brand if you plan to add pool automation like an easytouch panel. Otherwise it doesn't matter.
Running water features cools pools.
Our solar panels and solar cover do a great job of warming our pool water. Good solar panels are robust and most have 10 year warranties. Mine only had one minor leak the first spring when I restarted the solar. Leaks are pretty obvious both because of water coming off the roof and also the water level dropping in the pool. A quick check each spring should cover it.
SWG should be the same brand if you plan to add pool automation like an easytouch panel. Otherwise it doesn't matter.
Hi AmyJo,
I was going to wait for the more experienced forum members to weigh in, but I will comment on what I know (or think I've learned.)
1) Regarding tiling the benches and steps. Prior to installing the tile, a waterproof membrane is applied, which should minimize the chances of a leak. There are 1000's of pool that are completely tiled, so it must not be a concern if installed properly. If you are using a 1 inch or smaller mosaic tile with many grout lines, that will provide friction and reduce the chances of slipping. There are also Matte tiles for this purpose. They are the same color as regular tiles and can be interspersed to provide friction.
2) From what I've heard about AquaBright you don't have to worry about staining. There is an AB installer on the forum, so perhaps he can provide more info.
3) Solar Water Heating on the Roof - there are other members on the forum who have this set-up and can advise. I think the raised beam with a water feature would add a nice focal point, especially if tiled like the bench and steps. A small water feature should not affect the water temperature too much but it could affect your PH.
4) If you plan on using automation, then yes, you should stay with the same brand.
5) LED lights can actually provide more Lumens, so one might be enough. But keep in mind lights at both ends will shine in the swim path at night. Just something to think about. Lighting is usually recommend to be away from the house but considering how long and narrow your pool is, I'm not sure if that applies. The AquaBright installation may also help mitigate the chances of a leak if adding more lights, but I am not the expert on that...just my thought.
That's all I got...I'm sure others will respond.
By the way, did you get the iridescent tile samples today? Would love to see those.
I was going to wait for the more experienced forum members to weigh in, but I will comment on what I know (or think I've learned.)
1) Regarding tiling the benches and steps. Prior to installing the tile, a waterproof membrane is applied, which should minimize the chances of a leak. There are 1000's of pool that are completely tiled, so it must not be a concern if installed properly. If you are using a 1 inch or smaller mosaic tile with many grout lines, that will provide friction and reduce the chances of slipping. There are also Matte tiles for this purpose. They are the same color as regular tiles and can be interspersed to provide friction.
2) From what I've heard about AquaBright you don't have to worry about staining. There is an AB installer on the forum, so perhaps he can provide more info.
3) Solar Water Heating on the Roof - there are other members on the forum who have this set-up and can advise. I think the raised beam with a water feature would add a nice focal point, especially if tiled like the bench and steps. A small water feature should not affect the water temperature too much but it could affect your PH.
4) If you plan on using automation, then yes, you should stay with the same brand.
5) LED lights can actually provide more Lumens, so one might be enough. But keep in mind lights at both ends will shine in the swim path at night. Just something to think about. Lighting is usually recommend to be away from the house but considering how long and narrow your pool is, I'm not sure if that applies. The AquaBright installation may also help mitigate the chances of a leak if adding more lights, but I am not the expert on that...just my thought.
That's all I got...I'm sure others will respond.
By the way, did you get the iridescent tile samples today? Would love to see those.