Pool Build Finally Started - Bryan, TX (11/4/20)

It’s all over the place. Hope it doesn’t rain before it’s installed. Ours is wrapped up on pallets in our garage. My husband is ready to have his shop back 😂.
Hubby has to have his shop working 24/7! - I doubt the pool builder asked or considered the thought to store stuff in the garage. I'd rather the dogs be inconvenienced than hubby. Yes, I completely understand!
 
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We have some pens to make for Christmas gifts. It’s almost all out as of today so we’ll be able to get them done. What does your husband do in his shop?
 
We have some pens to make for Christmas gifts. It’s almost all out as of today so we’ll be able to get them done. What does your husband do in his shop?
I am way behind. .. . Hubby likes to tear things up. In other words it's called scrapping. He keeps track of things like microwaves, furniture with metal, anything with wires or cords that people dump on their curb for trash day, takes them home, and 'scraps them.' He wants the metal. Then he separates them from stainless steel to copper, brass, food cans, etc. etc. He'll be seen walking around a parking lot with his magnet. He's had a couple of places ask him, "Sir, what are you doing?" "I'm picking up metal." Or at our grocery store it was, "Thank you so much for doing your part to keeping our parking lot clean!"

The best part is sometimes he find things we can reuse. A restaurant went out of business, everything was auctioned off, but out back in the weedy parking lot were two cast iron grills that were rusty but could be cleaned up. It's sort of like a scavenger hunt. By separating the metal and then taking it to the scrap yard brings in more money. Obviously it isn't much, but it keeps him out walking and busy.
 
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So back to the pool build )
Kim, as always, thank you for your advice. I appreciate it. The boxes are still sitting around outside. The cleaning equipment (brush and what not) along with the robot will go in the garage. I'm not sure if they're there yet, it's been too cold to check. Hubby also pulled all the warranties and instructions and I have them piled up next to me. We were told by the pool builder that the equipment won't be hooked up until all the plumbing is tested for pipe leaks -- That they can know they're pipe leaks. The manager came by earlier and agreed that our pool pad wasn't big enough so they'll have to rip out what's there and add in a new one. We have a heater and a chiller.

Our dogs desperately need baths. White dogs and all this dirt don't mix. Mud either!

I have more pictures. . . SOON!
The work crew came at 9AM (Thursday) to move the dirt pile from the front yard to the back and around the pool perimeter. .. They put down rebar for the decking and forms and whatever is there for the coping. Sorry, I'm out of vocabulary terms! I had to tease hubby that there's more trash in the pool, which will never be clean like he wants it.
 
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Glad you got the paperwork! I keep mine in a folder so it is all together. I have many folders in my life! LOL

Deck steel. Make sure they put something under the steel to get it and KEEP it up off the ground. They can use broken bricks or the real "chairs" just long as it is off the ground. Them pulling it up the walking on it does NOT count :roll: (yes some have tried that gurrr)

I agree with them on waiting to hook it up until we know there are no leaks. There was one build where the form for the decking caused a leak as a post nicked a pipe :(

Kim :kim:
 
Thanks Kim! Your insight is always great ) I'll get hubby to bug the PB again - There were some things on their recent work which were off. If the rebar needs to be above the dirt, I'll get them to put stuff down. (I don't see it in the pictures)

A few pictures. Realize this is Christmas season and ten thousand things going at once.
Pictures:
Boxes moved off the muddy ground, well most of them.
One picture shows the flimsy fence hubby put up while all this is going on. It works.
The dirt which was distributed and put around the pool.
Forms, bonding wire, and trash. It's a thing.
And our girl, Ellie. Waiting for a warm day to give her a bath outside.
And Merry Christmas!
 

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If you look real close at two pics before pretty Ellie you will see a couple of rocks or such under the rebar. That is not enough but will at least show you what I am talking about.

One of my dogs that fence would work. He would look at it and say okay you don't want me there......................the other one?? NO fence can keep him in :roll: He just goes THROUGH it! sigh.............at least he is cute LOL

Ellie and bath-I would not bother until the build is done as she is just going to get dirty again! Do you know about putting baby powder in/on her fur? That will soak up any oil or yuck so you can brush it out. CAN you get a brush through all of that fur??

Kim:kim:
 
Ellie and bath- CAN you get a brush through all of that fur??
Kim:kim:

Yes! Thankfully I brush Ellie and she does just fine. Just her back paws are touchy. She's one to get mud wedged up between her paw pads, causing her to limp. But bathing is a process, thankfully she stands still -- I let the soapy bubbles stay on for 8 minutes which kills the fleas. If she has fleas. The problem is she takes 3 days to dry. !! I have a feeling if she takes to the pool she'll be smelling like pool water.

Both dogs are good about the fence but I never leave them outside for long and always keep an eye on them. The only escape artist is one of our cats that loves that sandy loam under the rebar.

Now the pool build manager wasn't happy to hear of problems due to our recent rain. IE: More work. Those rocks you saw were taken/found in the yard -- Hubby gathered a container of them to use along the house foundation. The workers just helped themselves, which was fine. But no, they didn't hold up with our heavy rain. The manager should get some sturdy support instead of these rocks. Once more things are at a standstill.
 
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she takes 3 days to dry
You need one of those heavy duty blowers. NOT a hot one just one that blows air to help dry her off. Have you tried one on her?

Sigh on the PM not being happy............dude that is what happens when there is dirt and rain duh! Make sure they DO put something under the decking steel. In fact make sure to get it in writing! Shoot tell him to drop some off and you put them on sigh.........
 

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Kim --
I'm just glad we're at home and are here to keep an eye on everything. No, the pool builder came earlier today and wasn't happy the workers weren't farther in their work. Two showed up yesterday. One tore up the pool pad (too small). Hubby said the guy tried to arrange our stuff on it and it didn't work. The other guy finished out the forms.
Another load of dirt delivered. . .
And I had to attach pictures our Ellie and one of our ragdolls, Sophia. Too sweet.
 

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Ellie and one of our ragdolls, Sophia. Too sweet.
Two buddies watching mess that used to be a yard! VERY SWEET!

The last rain storm and wind tore apart one of the forms
sigh..............booooooooo hissssssssssss

What a lot of work to undo for the pad. You would think they could have just added more concrete where needed instead of busting up what they had done.
 
As for them tearing up the pool pad and putting in a larger one -- The ground shifts here as it's built on clay. It's better to install all new. Yes, it was a chore for them to tear it up. . . And the mess is still there.

As for rain - Yes, we get a few storms that blow through. Our 'blue northerners' blow artic air straight down from Canada -- No mountains to stop the flow, and the cold can arrive in 2 days. Temps can drop in minutes, it's just crazy.
 
12/28 A few crew showed up to make the form for the equipment pad and add a few boards and dirt -- Then hubby moved the pad form, cleaned out the area, and got rid of the grass, and added more support under the rebar. He also worked on a gutter downspout so it wouldn't interfere with the decking.

12/29 Crew showed up at 7:30AM with the cement truck. Coping and deck being poured. They 'ran out of cement' so the equipment pad has rebar in it but no cement. All five umbrella 'dowels' as they call them, are installed. It's looking great!
 
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Yes ) And Pictures!
I will say the pool equipment pad has enough picture time as the pool build.
Two things: The owner of the concrete company looked over the work - No reason why he was visiting - And said the forms are off. He was right, 3". They had to add another board. . .
And the project manager was upset the plumbers left early when they could've gotten 3 hours of work in. The plumbers also left the instruction manual (in plastic bag) set up to use. . . (See it hanging down the side of the black equipment. Heater? Cooler? Something. Anyway, it rained. . . And we then realized it was soaked. So we spent time blow drying what we needed. It would've been fine but they opened the plastic bag and left it open and we had a lot of rain!
 

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1-4-20
The electrician has arrived! It was an all day visit which will extend into tomorrow. They asked for the HAYWARD installation pamphlet. Kim, a huge thank you for getting after us to find those papers. Thankfully his copy just had some dried mud on it.

The next two days are going to be intense. Electrician. Gas hooked up for the heater. Pool crew back to mess with the concrete. Landscaper coming by to do estimates for sod and sprinklers. Carpenter that did some interior work to do our front gate and fence that was torn down. (We wanted it replaced)
 

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Man that IS some BIG work going on back to back to back!!! SWEET!!

Ya know...........you would think they would get the paperwork out and hand it to you as a matter of course but it is not important to them so you have to go dig it out. Well done on doing so! It sure paid off!

Kim:kim:
 

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