IG Rectangular Build in Maryland

[borjis]

yep good call on addressing the drain NOW. someone else during a build, came home after all the gunnite was shot
and the drain was off center. really bugged them.

 

[Rickster03]

Here's an update. We had them straighten all the steel, they did square it up on the diagonals. I also had them cut and re-position the main drain. Measured, level, and visually correct. But...it still ended up crooked during the shoot. I told them to dig it up and it looked a little too set up to get it out. Our PB agreed that it looked crooked. It will drive me nuts to see it like that, so they are going to come back, jack hammer it out and re-center it. I have to say it was nice that our PB had our back on this. Hopefully it stays that way. I have a cool time-lapse of the whole shoot. I'll try to figure out how to post it.

I've been watering it down 2-3 times per day when it isn't raining. It's kind of fun to get in there and imagine it full of water.

This weekend, I dug footers for the deck posts and have been breaking up piles of concrete (by hand). It's a good substitute for the gym. Next up is plumbing tomorrow, tile and autocover later this week.

 

[kimkats]

If only...............they HAD to see it was crooked before it set up!!!! gurrrrrrr glad the PB is having it fixed!!

Kim

 

[chemillion]

Here's an update. We had them straighten all the steel, they did square it up on the diagonals. I also had them cut and re-position the main drain. Measured, level, and visually correct. But...it still ended up crooked during the shoot. I told them to dig it up and it looked a little too set up to get it out. Our PB agreed that it looked crooked. It will drive me nuts to see it like that, so they are going to come back, jack hammer it out and re-center it. I have to say it was nice that our PB had our back on this. Hopefully it stays that way. I have a cool time-lapse of the whole shoot. I'll try to figure out how to post it.

I've been watering it down 2-3 times per day when it isn't raining. It's kind of fun to get in there and imagine it full of water.

This weekend, I dug footers for the deck posts and have been breaking up piles of concrete (by hand). It's a good substitute for the gym. Next up is plumbing tomorrow, tile and autocover later this week.

I noticed your forms the excavation crew put up also go bent. Who squares those up? Does the excavation crew come back or the Gunite crew takes care of it before shooting the gunite?

 

[Rickster03]

The gunite crew went through everything and used new rebar to pull and bend things into place. The forms are mostly still on, but they don't shoot to those. They re-measured and laid wire guides that are level and square. Those are the ones that matter. They straightened and leveled the plumbing as they went. One of the finishing guys was really an artist with the trowel and was able to cut in all of the steps and details by hand, perfectly straight.

 

[Rickster03]

We had waterline tile installed and the autocover tracks installed. They both seem crooked. I made the call to the PB to see what they can do. Do they look crooked to you? Plumbing and electrical rough in has also been completed. They aired the system up to 20psi, but after two week it was back down to 0. Anything I should be worried about there? It stayed around 12-15psi for about the whole week.

 

[chemillion]

Rickster! I'm in the same process, still waiting on pre-gunite inspection. The tile does look a little crooked. I assume the mastic/caulking along the tile and coping will cover it up along with the plaster on the bottom. As far as the pressure test, the gas lines should hold 10 psi for 15 mins. Expansion and contraction with the heat/cold weather fluctuations will vary your pressure, but it shouldn't drop to 0. Water pressure at 40-45psi and shouldn't drop unless you have a leak.

 

[bmoreswim]

Hey Rickster! How’s the build going? Did they make any changes to the tiles? I agree they are not perfectly straight. Clearly not the tile person’s best day, I hope.

I’m hoping you haven’t posted because things are going along well.

 

[Rickster03]

The autocover track gaps will get filled with a color matching caulk which will greatly improve the uneven gaps. Our PB assured me that when the coping goes on, the track will straighten out. His Autocover guy assured him that it would be good. Coping went on two days ago. It is still wavy. So now I am in the position to have them rip out all the coping, autocover track and tile and make them straight, and add 2 weeks to our completion date. I hate to do it, because 99% of people will never notice. But I am the 1% who cuts the checks and will see it everyday. I also hate that I will have to cancel our daughter's birthday pool party in mid-August to fix it.

I have completed most of the landscape lighting and panel. The walls have gone up and I am starting the deck this weekend–the hottest weekend of the year. Will update soon with some pictures.

 

[bmoreswim]

I do suspect the wavy track will be/is less noticeable now that the coping is on. But I didn't see how it would go away, which it didn't. And the tile is still the same of course. I'm sorry for your luck on this part of the project, but aside from the time and collateral birthday party, the fixed project should be very nice. Thankfully this is not a case where the fix might be worse than the cure. They should be able to get it looking great.

I hope this setback gets resolved soon for you. Looking forward to pics and don't overheat this weekend.

 

[Rickster03]

Coming along nicely at this point. My deck framing passed inspection and I am finishing up the drain system that is beneath the deck boards. Decking will start today, actually. The main drain was *finally* set straight. Patio areas have been filled with stone and the deck jets were set in place yesterday. This weekend we'll be digging the walkways (by hand) and working through the decking. One hold up has been getting the stone veneer on-site. That should be getting here soon.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Wow that's gonna be impressive looking!

 

[kimkats]

LOVE the wood color!!! So rich looking!!

Kim

 

[bmoreswim]

Things are looking good! The autocover is a very nice, though expensive, treat. You will enjoy it. You'll see higher water loss than a pool with no autocover from splashout going over the wall, but that's just part of the game. Unless your cover leading bar sits on/close to the dam wall to create some restriction. Ours does not and water rolls over. The water loss is higher the higher the water level is. The lower the water level, the less sloshes over it. But the lower you maintain it though, the closer you will be to having your skimmer suck air. It will be add some easily manageable technicalities to your pool ownership but the pluses are great.

I suspect getting the drain system under your deck boards sloped appropriately will be important to avoid water pooling under there, which would be breeding ground for mosquitoes.

 

[Rickster03]

Those boards were in the channels to set the slope and removed after the rubber is stretched. The channel funnels water into a gutter system at the ends of the deck and out into the gardens below.

 

[Rickster03]

Update: Electrical inspection failed. Had to pull a low voltage permit and dig up much of our conduit for inspection. Deck bond passed, although we had trouble. Since one end is a deck, we had to run bond wire through the deck and around the vault (which is odd, seems like it would be a fire hazard). It has since passed. Top of our decking is done and the autocover hardware was installed yesterday. (Will get some pics later). Plaster crew just showed up to pump the rain water out of the pool and get started. Here we go!

 

[kimkats]

Glad things got done and passed!! Plaster here we come!!!

Now when they go to throw the hose in make sure there is a sock or something on the end to help filter the water a bit and to keep the metal off your pretty, new plaster.

When the water gets started do NOT stop it!!! If you stop the flow of water it may form a ring around the pool that is almost impossible to get off

Kim

 

[Rickster03]

Plaster went fairly well. The biggest holdup was that the glass tile almost completely came up before the first coat started. We had to pull it all up at the last minute and re-adhere and restraighten the 1x1 glass tile on all of the edges. Not only did it put us back an hour, but peeling the tape off after plaster to grout was very time consuming. It took about 5 of us an hour to get it done. Empty cure time was about 3 hours, then water started. We kept it moving between trucks with the well water.

Now it's time to brush! A lot.

 

[kimkats]

SWEET!!!! That tile was worth saving! SO pretty!!

Have they started up the equipment yet? Have they added anything to the water yet?

 

[Rickster03]

A little update. Despite a busy work schedule, we are fitting in some final tasks before the cold weather comes. We're also fighting some sub-standard stone work on the steps that we are working through. Little by little, we are getting there–albeit 3 months past our completion date. We are running low on daylight quickly, so I am getting almost nothing done now!

So far, maintaining the chemical balance has been a breeze. Especially since the salt went in. I am seeing a little calcium at the waterline which I will scrub down at closing. The railings are cable with an ipe rail, and they came together rather quickly. I had them up and tensioned in two weekends (still need a final oil on the rail though). The part that came together the best was the autocover decking that I built. I'll grab some pics of that soon.

Next up is selecting a cover. I am leaning toward a solid cover with a mesh drain. We have a pump already, so I am also considering solid.