O/B in Gilbert, AZ for 2nd time

[Nikilyn]

@kimkats SO much!!!

 

[Nikilyn]

What is this?

 

[Scott1975]

It is a backflow preventer. It prevents water from going back into the house.
This stops contaminates from getting into your house water.

 

[Nikilyn]

We had some of our boulders for the waterfall were delivered yesterday. There are more out front. The place we got them at has a broken scale so they just guessed. The waterfall guy said they were way off but in our favor. I guess their scales have been broken for a long time. Don't know how a company survives life that but at least they didn't over charge.

Good thing he came early because he said the pad for the waterfall is too small and was going to fix it. Glad to find out before they do shotcrete.

 

[kimkats]

LOVE the colors of the stones! Can't wait to see that work of art done!

Good catch by him on the pad!

 

[Nikilyn]

I need someone to help me understand how my deck and spa are going to work because right now I don't. The deck guy actually came by and just made me more confused. My husband just thinks I need to trust it will be fine but the numbers aren't making sense. I don't want to get to a point where something can't be fixed and I need to quit worrying about this. I hope I can make my questions clear.

We decided to have a 6" raised spa. When I thought 6" raised I pictured this. I know this is about 8" but it was close enough.
I assumed 6" was the space between the pool deck and the bottom of the spa coping or cap, or basically the height of a 6" tile. As I've been looking at our forms and steel I haven't been able to figure out how we will have 6" in between the deck and coping/cap.

So bond beam to bond beam is 6". We are having a regular cool deck so that will take up 4" of that 6". The coping or cap goes on top of that so it only leaves 2" in between the deck and where the coping/cap for the spa starts. At least that is how my brain sees it but I was just made to feel like a complete idiot for not understanding how they'll get 4 more inches in between. The way I look at it the spa will only be raised 2" and I don't like that. Someone please explain to me, in a way I can understand, how there will still be 6" between the deck and the spa coping because I don't see it. And was I wrong in assuming that raising the spa 6" would look basically like the picture I posted?

 

[Nikilyn]

Put fill water from your water softener as a must have.

How do you tie your water softener into your pool?

 

[mknauss]

How do you tie your water softener into your pool?

You ask the plumber to do it. You need access to a softened water line.

 

[kimkats]

I will call in a couple of people who might be able to talk about it as I see what you are seeing-If the deck is 4" thick I don't see anyway the spa wall will be 6" @jimmythegreek @ajw22 anyone?

 

[ajw22]

I think you are correct that with the buildup you will not have a 6" wall of tile on your spa.

A 4" deck sounds thicker then I would expect. You should review the buildup of the deck, tile, coping in that area with your builder.

Getting the levels correct often confuses builders and owners.

 

[Nikilyn]

Thank you both for making me feel like I'm not crazy for not understanding. I just confirmed with the deck guy that a cantilevered deck is 4". I am the builder but I'll ask our consultant.

 

[mslaman]

Love your tape measure.
something my bride would use. To funny.

 

[Nikilyn]

Would it be OK to add 2" with shotcrete around the backside of the spa so that we'd have 4"? Then we'd need to have a wider waterline tile around the backside but my husband and I are fine with that. It would kind of be like a raised bond beam wall for a pool.

 

[ajw22]

Would it be OK to add 2" with shotcrete around the backside of the spa so that we'd have 4"? Then we'd need to have a wider waterline tile around the backside but my husband and I are fine with that. It would kind of be like a raised bond beam wall for a pool.

You need to add 2" more rebar on the top.

How will it affect the steps into the spa?

How will it affect your waterline tile inside the spa and where the spa water level will be against the waterline tile?

How will it affect the design of the spillover?

 

[Nikilyn]

@ajw22 I didn’t want it to affect the waterline or the spillway. I would think it would only affect the step for what I’m thinking. It’s an oval spa and only half of it has deck around it. The other half is the pool side. I thought maybe we could just raise the part around the deck 2”. Then the waterline tile on that side of the spa would be 8” and then drop down to 6” on the pool side to keep waterline and jets all the same. So there would be a raised are on that side behind your head. I thought maybe the height of the step could be adjusted if it needed to be with shotcrete. Is that a stupid idea?

 

[ajw22]

This is where drawings are better then words. It helps you see if everything fits and looks the way you expect. Drawings should have been done for your elevated spa and deck buildup to prevent the situation you are now in. Any area that has a buildup of multiple levels and materials should have a drawing.

Draw out your spa fix and see if it all fits together in a way that you like. Words leave too much to the imagination.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Post your plans if possible. Very hard to advise based on rebar pics.
The spa in your pics is about 10" above deck. 6" waterline tile plus a partial tile plus 2" coping is what i see in that pic

 

[Nikilyn]

Here are my finishes all put together. In the sun and in the shade.
Waterfall rock, pool waterline tile, spa tile, step tile and deck in the middle.

 

[johnywess]

Those look awesome. Like you said, your waterline tile is very similar to ours.

 

[NWS]

Love all of your choices -- esp. the spa tile!