New Latham Axiom 16 Fiberglass Build - Knoxville, TN

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Pingbling23

Member
Aug 27, 2022
8
Knoxville, TN
Hello all, Ive been very busy over the past couple of months reading on this forum and finally making an account. I am a complete beginner with pools but I am eager to learn as I enjoy doing most things myself. I wanted to post my build ideas, the quote to get opinions, and eventually update the process with pictures.

Pool - My wife and I have decided on the Latham Axiom 16 (16x35 freeform with built in tanning ledge) in ocean blue G3 with SWG and a local builder by the name of Lakeshore pools as the installer. The owner of Lakeshore has been doing nothing but fiberglass pools since the early 2000's, answered questions quickly and appropriately from information I have gained reading on this site as far as backfill material, plumbing, and how to install (made sure they complete backfill and water fill at the same time), and we went and looked at a couple of pools he has done and the owners were happy overall with his work.

Pool Deck - Approximately 1500 sq ft of stamped concrete with the concrete going all the way to the pool with a cantilevered finish. Will be going with a local company by the name of Yankee's Unique Crete & Concrete Pumping. They do work with another local pool builder and their prices were a bit cheaper then my installers concrete guy.

Pool House- 20x30ft overall build with approximately 6x30 being enclosed for a half bathroom and storage area for the pool equipment pad and other storage related items. I will be building this myself after the pool is installed.

Here is the breakdown of his quote. We have not signed a contract yet as I wanted to get your alls opinions before proceeding. We had another local company give us a quote for a similar fg pool and the cost appeared similar.

Pool Shell - $59,620, price includes pool shell, freight, pump, filter, hand vac, use of boom truck, plumbing, installation labor, and all taxes. He uses all pentair and jandy equipment. He said he usually uses pentair but after the pandemic he has used much more jandy products due to not being able to get the equipment due to shortages.

Saltwater System - $2440

Salt and Startup Chemicals - $490, I'm wondering if this is actually needed if im going to go with the suggestions on this forum for testing and adding chemicals?

2 LED Lights with smart control - $2380

Excavation - $2950, will not have to haul any dirt off as Ive got some areas in my back yard (not where the pool is going) where I can use this to level/grade it out.

Set Screed Boards & Compact Base Material - $1650

7 Yards of Concrete Pumped Under all Ledges, Seats, and Steps - $3250

100 Tons of Backfill Material - $5000

Backfill Labor - $2450

I will be running electric and a gas line (potential gas grill and to do a heater at a later time) to the build site myself and will sub out the concrete myself.

Total cost without decking is $80,230

Thoughts and opinions? I look forward to everything I will learn on this site and with sharing this process with you all. As of right now he is scheduling May installs but we all know how that goes lol.
 
Exciting times! Have the Ocean Blue G3 on my Latham shell and really like it. Just a couple of thoughts, am sure others will chime in...

Pingbling23 said:
answered questions quickly and appropriately from information I have gained reading on this site as far as backfill material, plumbing, and how to install (made sure they complete backfill and water fill at the same time), and we went and looked at a couple of pools he has done and the owners were happy overall with his work.
Click to expand...
The number one key to a great fiberglass shell install is the builder. Some will argue that different shell manufacturers are better than others, but if you have someone who does not know how to install it properly, it doesn't matter. Taking a look at the install guides from Latham and making sure this is the process the builder follows, as well as seeing other projects is a great start to any FG shell build!

Pingbling23 said:
Saltwater System - $2440
Click to expand...
Excellent choice on a salt water system. I would add, it is important to get all the part numbers the builder plans to use for this build. A salt system is great, but what one? The cell should be rated at 2x the pool volume, but which one is he going to use? Same with the filter, pumps, etc., it is important to be as detailed as possible so there are no surprises. Pentair or Jandy, they all have their part numbers and you want to confirm these before signing a contract.

Pingbling23 said:
2 LED Lights with smart control - $2380
Click to expand...
Same as above, which "smart control" and what kind of lights? Important to see all these.

But for the lights, two are not enough for a 35 foot long pool, and not a free form. I have a 30' long shell, straight wall, and three lights are just about right. Two lights will be very dim and likely create shadows. Lights in comparison are lower cost so now would be the time to make sure you have enough.

Pingbling23 said:
Salt and Startup Chemicals - $490, I'm wondering if this is actually needed if im going to go with the suggestions on this forum for testing and adding chemicals?
Click to expand...
Haha! You would have to calculate the amount of salt needed for startup, and some muriatic acid, but almost $500? That probably does include some "education time" but you will likely find no PB will understand water chemistry as much as you will if you stick around TFP!

Couple other things to consider.

How many skimmers & returns? Placement? very important to know these as well
Is there a sump pit/pump/de-watering system being added and where? Important to keep that ground water away from the shell from building up.

Looking forward to a design or drawing. I'm likely missing a thing or two, but just my initial thoughts.
 
gingrbredman said:
Exciting times! Have the Ocean Blue G3 on my Latham shell and really like it. Just a couple of thoughts, am sure others will chime in...


The number one key to a great fiberglass shell install is the builder. Some will argue that different shell manufacturers are better than others, but if you have someone who does not know how to install it properly, it doesn't matter. Taking a look at the install guides from Latham and making sure this is the process the builder follows, as well as seeing other projects is a great start to any FG shell build!


Excellent choice on a salt water system. I would add, it is important to get all the part numbers the builder plans to use for this build. A salt system is great, but what one? The cell should be rated at 2x the pool volume, but which one is he going to use? Same with the filter, pumps, etc., it is important to be as detailed as possible so there are no surprises. Pentair or Jandy, they all have their part numbers and you want to confirm these before signing a contract.


Same as above, which "smart control" and what kind of lights? Important to see all these.

But for the lights, two are not enough for a 35 foot long pool, and not a free form. I have a 30' long shell, straight wall, and three lights are just about right. Two lights will be very dim and likely create shadows. Lights in comparison are lower cost so now would be the time to make sure you have enough.


Haha! You would have to calculate the amount of salt needed for startup, and some muriatic acid, but almost $500? That probably does include some "education time" but you will likely find no PB will understand water chemistry as much as you will if you stick around TFP!

Couple other things to consider.

How many skimmers & returns? Placement? very important to know these as well
Is there a sump pit/pump/de-watering system being added and where? Important to keep that ground water away from the shell from building up.

Looking forward to a design or drawing. I'm likely missing a thing or two, but just my initial thoughts.
Click to expand...
swg will be appropriate sized jandy truclear salt system, jandy cartridge filter, and pentair superflo variable speed pump. I have asked for more specifics as far as size/power of the equipment. I have asked what kind of lights he uses, I believe the switch he uses is jandy and you can download an app to control the lights with it. for the number of lights the builder said 2 should be sufficient due to the tanning ledge taking up space. The pool swimming area will be less then 30 feet so he felt 2 was enough. We looked at an axiom 14 (14x30) he installed and they had one light in the tanning ledge and one light in the swimming area and they were happy with the light output. Sounds like I should opt out of the $500 worth of start up chemicals lol, I will purchase a TF kit from here and manage the chemicals myself. 1 skimmer and 2 bottom drains. I asked about needing a sump and he said we would figure that out when we dig. Thank you for your advice.
 
Some things you may find helpful...

Fiberglass Pools - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

How to select pool equipment - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Equipment Pad Best Practices - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Pingbling23 said:
swg will be appropriate sized jandy truclear salt system,
Click to expand...

Get the Jandy Aquapure system. It is a more robust system then the TruClear.

Pingbling23 said:
pentair superflo variable speed pump.
Click to expand...

Why Pentair pump and not Jandy?

Pingbling23 said:
believe the switch he uses is jandy and you can download an app to control the lights with it.
Click to expand...

Are you getting iAqualink?

Note that no color LED pool lighst have shown good reliability. They all seem to fail within a few years. So be prepared to replace the lights every few years.

Pingbling23 said:
1 skimmer and 2 bottom drains.
Click to expand...

Get 2 skimmers. If you have one skimmer and it has a problem your pool is shutdown. With 2 skimmers you can fix a skimmer at your leisure while still using your pool. Also a skimmer clog can kill a pump running dry with 1 skimmer.

Specify you want no flex PVC to be used. All plumbing shall be hardpiped schedule 40 PVC.
 
ajw22 said:
Some things you may find helpful...

Fiberglass Pools - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

How to select pool equipment - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Equipment Pad Best Practices - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com



Get the Jandy Aquapure system. It is a more robust system then the TruClear.



Why Pentair pump and not Jandy?



Are you getting iAqualink?

Note that no color LED pool lighst have shown good reliability. They all seem to fail within a few years. So be prepared to replace the lights every few years.



Get 2 skimmers. If you have one skimmer and it has a problem your pool is shutdown. With 2 skimmers you can fix a skimmer at your leisure while still using your pool. Also a skimmer clog can kill a pump running dry with 1 skimmer.

Specify you want no flex PVC to be used. All plumbing shall be hardpiped schedule 40 PVC.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I have read most of those links and will check out the others. what makes the aquapure a better system? I’m not sure why he chooses the pentair pump over jandy. I don’t know what iaqualink is. He told us and a person he put a pool in confirmed to us that the switch he uses has a QR code you scan and allows you to control it with your phone. He sent me an order sheet he used for another job and it looks like the switch is a jandy light controller. He does not use flex pvc.
 
Pingbling23 said:
swg will be appropriate sized jandy truclear salt system
Click to expand...
When a builder says "appropriate size", it does not always mean it is an appropriate size. I think it is important to know this up front before the contract. If the size he is putting in is for 20k pool, and let's say your pool is 20k, it is not the right size. I've seen it time and time, builders do not by default, put in a salt cell that is rated 2x the volume and the homeowner is stuck with trying to manage the water chemistry with not enough chlorine output.

Pingbling23 said:
pentair superflo variable speed pump
Click to expand...
Pingbling23 said:
He told us and a person he put a pool in confirmed to us that the switch he uses has a QR code you scan and allows you to control it with your phone
Click to expand...
I am guessing there is no automation listed anywhere. Controlling your lights from your phone is nice, but the equipment combo he is proposing does not sound like it would work together well in an automation package. Normally, a builder would use either Jandy or Pentair (or even Hayward) and tie the right automation package together so they all work. Lights, pump, heater, all controlled from one platform. Does this proposal include just the lighting automation and not anything else?

Pingbling23 said:
he felt 2 was enough
Click to expand...
Again, builders perception of "enough" is not always right. I have seen builds, have one myslef that is 30' long with a ledge, and personally think 3 may be the right number.

Pingbling23 said:
I asked about needing a sump and he said we would figure that out when we dig
Click to expand...
You are going to wait until after the contract to determine if a crucial part of the build is needed or not? Best practices for a FG shell is to have a sump pit so the ground water will not build up under the shell and let it pop. Not a really expensive part of the build either, but pretty important.

Just my take. You asked for feedback, and it does not need to be acted on, but have seen builders a lot of time come up with the strangest answers as to why they do things, and do not make sense all of the time. Sometimes they have the attitude that "I've done this forever and it works" but there are better ways that things could be done, avoiding any regrets, and ending up with a beautiful backyard!
 
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Pingbling23 said:
what makes the aquapure a better system?
Click to expand...

The TruClear is a lower cost SWG and reflects it in its quality. Members have had many more problems with TruClears leaking and needing replacements then users of the Aquapure. The adage "You get what you pay for" applies with pool equipment.

Pingbling23 said:
I’m not sure why he chooses the pentair pump over jandy.
Click to expand...

Mixing vendors equipment does not set you up to have an automation controller.

Pingbling23 said:
I don’t know what iaqualink is.
Click to expand...

AquaLink RS Pool & Spa Automation System | Jandy

Looking for a Smart Pool Controller? Find the AquaLink Automation System for the Perfect Pool Experience. Buy AquaLink iQ90X Combo Kits Now w/ a Pool Pro Near You!
www.jandy.com www.jandy.com

iAquaLink: Smartphone Pool Control | Jandy

Looking for an iAquaLink? Find this Smartphone Pool Control for the Perfect Pool Experience. Buy Now w/ a Pool Pro Near You!
www.jandy.com www.jandy.com

Pingbling23 said:
He told us and a person he put a pool in confirmed to us that the switch he uses has a QR code you scan and allows you to control it with your phone. He sent me an order sheet he used for another job and it looks like the switch is a jandy light controller.
Click to expand...

Find it on the Jandy website...

Pool Lights: Color Changing Pool Lights | Jandy

Looking for Pool Lights? Find Color Changing Pool Lights for the Perfect Pool Experience. Buy Now w/ a Pool Pro Near You!
www.jandy.com www.jandy.com
 
gingrbredman said:
When a builder says "appropriate size", it does not always mean it is an appropriate size. I think it is important to know this up front before the contract. If the size he is putting in is for 20k pool, and let's say your pool is 20k, it is not the right size. I've seen it time and time, builders do not by default, put in a salt cell that is rated 2x the volume and the homeowner is stuck with trying to manage the water chemistry with not enough chlorine output.



I am guessing there is no automation listed anywhere. Controlling your lights from your phone is nice, but the equipment combo he is proposing does not sound like it would work together well in an automation package. Normally, a builder would use either Jandy or Pentair (or even Hayward) and tie the right automation package together so they all work. Lights, pump, heater, all controlled from one platform. Does this proposal include just the lighting automation and not anything else?


Again, builders perception of "enough" is not always right. I have seen builds, have one myslef that is 30' long with a ledge, and personally think 3 may be the right number.


You are going to wait until after the contract to determine if a crucial part of the build is needed or not? Best practices for a FG shell is to have a sump pit so the ground water will not build up under the shell and let it pop. Not a really expensive part of the build either, but pretty important.

Just my take. You asked for feedback, and it does not need to be acted on, but have seen builders a lot of time come up with the strangest answers as to why they do things, and do not make sense all of the time. Sometimes they have the attitude that "I've done this forever and it works" but there are better ways that things could be done, avoiding any regrets, and ending up with a beautiful backyard!
Click to expand...
absolutely and i appreciate the feedback. i have told him i want to know what equipment (at least size/power as he has said he has to interchange between jandy and pentair depending on his supplier) he is using before i sign the contract. there is no automation, just for the pool lights. I am going to request we remove the chemicals and do 3 lights for the proposed price. As far as the sump, what extra work/cost is associated if we do have to do one? with my limited knowledge i didnt think it was a big deal if we ended up having to do it but obviously I may be mistaken.
 

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