New Pool Build - TX

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Yeah....sorry about that whole 17 people thing :) I'm sure in no time we will have a ghost town here. But so far, they are working like mad and I'm certainly grateful.

Okay, there are a lot of people on here with awesome tastes, so we need some HELP! We are having trouble with the waterline grout color. We decided to go with 1x1s both in the spa and in the pool. I know this is a little unorthodox, as the pool tile is normally 6x6 or 2x2. However, we aren't crazy about the 2x2 tiles and our pool has too sharp of corners for 6x6s. So we went with Vanuatu Blue in 1 x 1s. When we were with the PB (not the designer) we told him what tile we were going with, and he said "Ok, then we'll go with blue grout." Almost as if it was a foregone conclusion. When questioned, he acted like "Oh trust me. It'll look great with your plaster color and this tile. It won't be so busy." So we trusted him, and today while I was at work they questioned my wife about it and did a test area...and man, it is BLUE. One of the other superintendents was there and you could tell he didn't like it. I got home, and I didn't like it either...along with my mother who stopped by. It seems to turn the whole thing blue instead of browns/tans/natural colors along with the blue already in the tile. So a quick trip to Lowe's to pick up a color grout chart, and we're kind of clueless and need a decision to the PB in the morning. So, here we go.

Here is the tile on the flagstone. This picture makes it look darker than it is, as this was taken in late afternoon.


Here is the test section they did with the blue grout.


Right now we are thinking of going with a medium gray. We dont' want to alter the overall look of the tile, and we're afraid if we go with a "color" that it will drastically change the overall look (like with a blue or brown). Thoughts??

Here is the rest of the progress made today.


You can see the steps going up on the right and the slide coming down the left.


Of course I had to climb up




 
I like the blue BUT it does not look that blue to me on my laptop so...............Have them do a test spot of gray and go from there.

I LOVE the 1x1 tiles.

Of course you just HAD to climb up LOL. I love the pics from up there!

Kim
 
So I am laughing because both you and Beaded Biker are deciding on grout colors and I just looked at Bob and said, "did the pool builder even ask us what we wanted for grout color????" No.... I can't believe we didn't even think about it until now. They used grey - you can look at some of our pics if you want to get an idea but what that says to me, knowing how fanatical I am about the tile is that it blended it so well I didn't even notice the grout.

With that said, Like KimKats, I like the photo of the tile with the blue and I too am looking at it from an iPad.

Good luck with the grout choice - in any case - i am a huge fan of having the 1x1 all the way around the pool. I wanted that but that was the one place Bob held the line on the budget :(
 
I'm gonna tell you what I learned today about grout. It looks nothing like it will end up looking when it goes on. And it takes a long time to dry. And it all looks hideous when freshly mixed.

I have a test piece of the now third grout I've picked - where it got smeared thinly below the test tiles its dry and looks exactly like the test strip. In the gap between the tiles its dark and looks horrible. I put it on about 2pm this afternoon. It was still dark by the time the sun went down. I'll check it tomorrow. Have a look at Bob and Karen's build, you can see how dark the grout goes on in their recent pictures of the stack stone, and compare it to the older stuff, where it's lightened up and softened in color so much. So what I'm saying is, give it a chance. Its probably going to lighten up a fair bit and I bet its a very gray blue. If you want you can go by your local tile store. They should have a bunch of grout color sticks you can hold up next to your tiles to pick a different color if you end up hating it. I think the picture on noble tiles website they used a dark tan and it brought out the tan colors that went with the flagstone coping in the picture.

I actually quite like it the way it looks right now too :) The tile is a great choice and it looks fantastic against the coping stone. I totally love tiles that have variation and interest and character. The 1x1s bring out the subtle beauty of the flagstone. The blue brings out those tones in the tile, and in turn brings out that in the coping. Its yummy. I get to play with natural stone in my 'day job' as a bead work artist, so I just go ga-ga over stuff like this. Really you have to decide what you want to bring out and highlight and go with your gut instinct on what you find beautiful. Only that matters.

I love that you climbed it already. My husband would totally have done the same thing. He'd probably be swinging off it by now. He'd also be trying to hurl himself off the top off it at every available opportunity. I'm the wuss in the family. I designed the pool. We have a shallow pool with no hurling spots LOL.

Eva
 
Grey is the new neutral! Ask your PB to give you the color chart, and lay 3-4 samples for you to choose from. There is probably a bluish grey color. For my tiles, we looked at 4 different samples. You PB should be able to do that for you to find the colored grout that you love.
 
All good points and comments. I have say the picture posted of the blue grout doesn't accurately depict it. When seeing it in person, it is very blue. Almost a royal blue. I know it would dry a little grayer, but still...since these are 1 x 1's, there is a lot of grout involved, and so whatever color we choose is going to be a major part of it.

We wound up going with a gray grout. We felt fairly pressured to get a decision made because the stone guys are staying in a hotel and are staying in town until the job is done. I think gray is the "safest" bet. Might another blue or beige/tan look better? Perhaps, but its also it could not look good. We wanted to avoid a checkerboard look with too light of a grout.

So we'll see how it winds up.

And yes Karen, we wound up looking at yours and it certainly helped! In fact, if I remember, you chose the other version of the Noble Tile Pacific Island than what we chose. I think yours has more greens and ours has more blues, but they are similar. So seeing yours with the gray grout helped us make that decision.

I hung around for a while this morning before heading to the office, and while talking with the Houston crew, the foreman told us that he created us a cave! :eek: When they first showed up, he asked me if I wanted a walk out from behind the grotto, and that threw me off a little as I didn't think it was an option. I said no because there really isn't anything behind the waterfall that would be "cool" to walk out to. So I guess since he had this empty space underneath the waterfall, and behind the grotto, he just went ahead and made us a 6' deep cave! So now you'll be able to swim up and sit in the grotto, and even climb out and go back into the small cave. It's not huge, but it looks big enough to put a small chair in there. I'll post pictures when I get home tonight. Needless to say, this is very exciting!
 
The cave surprise is super cool! I love when the craftsman do things like that. I guess there is always a risk you won't like what they do but I suppose you have recourse to say, "undo that I didn't ask for it". Can't wait to see photos. -Karen
 
RangerBob said:
The cave surprise is super cool! I love when the craftsman do things like that. I guess there is always a risk you won't like what they do but I suppose you have recourse to say, "undo that I didn't ask for it". Can't wait to see photos. -Karen
Click to expand...

Very true Karen. Normally I don't like those kinds of surprises, but this one made sense. With how the waterfall/slide was constructed, and the location of the steps...it would've just been empty/hollow space behind the grotto wall. So he just went ahead and moved the walls back and created a little dome in there. The only thing I might not like in 10 years is boyfriends thinking they can crawl in there with my daughters....:evil:. I guess I'll just tell them that I installed NSA type cameras with night vision in there as well....

And yeah Kimkats, that was one of my first questions. We bought 16 of the new Hayward LED accent lights (like smaller versions of the pool LED lights). We have 4 of them situated in the retaining walls, and so that leaves 12 to put throughout the waterfall, steps, and grotto. So that should be plenty to stick one in there.

I couldn't get a really good picture of it, but here is what they had done today. If you can picture it, you just step up above the back wall of the grotto (above that return), and the cave goes back 6 feet from there and is probably 4 and half feet high at it's highest point.

As far as the waterfall itself, it will contain three planters with irrigation and water flowing from all along that skimmer to the other side of the slide.



They are going to finish up with the wiring and wrap (not sure what it's called, resemble chicken wire), then running the plumbing on Thursday. Then they will shoot gunite on Friday (hopefully). I REALLY hope this time table works out because we are leaving for Mexico on Saturday. This was a family vacation planned 6 months ago, and of course just perfect timing. I'd really hate to be driving off to the airport while they are shooting and shaping the focal point of our entire pool!

Oh, and by the way the gray grout turned out great! It did what we wanted it to do...just blend in and showcase the tile itself without changing the look of it. Thanks for the help!
 

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OMG a CAVE?????? That is off the charts cool. And its totally going to be a hideout, secret drinking spot and make out grotto. Best make sure you guys get all those things Christened first before the kiddo's do. ;)

My husband would probably want a beer fridge put in the cave if we had one...
 
Good idea Beadedbiker!! ;)

The stone guys are almost done. All that is left is to mortar everything and veneer the back porch.

The waterfall guys are still working on getting it ready for gunite (tomorrow!). I honestly had NO idea it would take 4 full days of 6 men to frame up the waterfall/slide. Its really unbelievable to watch them just mold steel into shapes and watch it all come together. So, as I mentioned, they are shooting the gunite for the waterfall tomorrow. When I questioned my PB about watering it while we're on vacation next week, he said, "Ahh...I wouldn't worry about it. It won't be hot, and it wouldn't be that big of a deal." However, it is still gunite. So I'm ignoring that piece of advice and we're trying to arrange for my in-laws and neighbors to come by and water the gunite (along with some transplanted japanese maples we're trying to nurse along).

Anyway, here are some pictures.

Down in the pool deep end, looking up through the grotto into the cave.


In the cave looking back down into the pool.


Progress as of last night




Work as of this morning. The large PVC pipes are water supply. Water will be supplied to 4 different reservoirs that will overflow on to the rest of the waterfall. The smaller pipes are the runs for the LED accent lights.
 
Looking awesome! The project seems to be moving along at quite a nice speed. Be thinking about whether you want sealant applied to your rock structure after it's done. They gave me the option and I declined, which I hopefully don't regret. Sealant = wet and sort of more fake looking. I admit it looks better (to me) without sealant, and the PB told me it won't matter. Time will tell. I couldn't find any info from objective sources about it. There are a few areas where the color seems a little "bleached" on the lips of the spillovers. I guess if I made the wrong decision I will have to have a new color coat of the mortar/stucco applied and then seal after that. Have fun in Mexico!
 
My favorite photo is from inside the cave. It is going to be awesome. They are doing a ton of work on the grotto, cave and waterfall. How deep is it again at that end (it looks deep). Just thinking about jumping off the top of the waterfall into the pool. Hope you didn't get a lot of the rain that went quickly through the DFW area today. -Karen
 
I'm thinking Glock needs a 39 year old sister...

Between you guys, Karen and Bob and cchopkins' pool I'm thinking we need a TFP Texas road trip. A pool crawl if you will. Kind of like a pub crawl but with vastly larger distances, a lot more water, but about the same amount of alcohol...:swim::cheers::party:
 

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