Pool greenhorn needs guidance

[clarkboy]

So the rebar was done today. I was out back before they really got started, and reviewed the plans with the foreman. Even though I don’t have a copy of the plans yet, the foreman was able to pull them up on his phone. We spent about 5 minutes talking over what should be in the pool and how it will be laid out. I did more listening than talking, and he explained in detail and I felt comfortable with his responses.

Here are some pictures please take a look, and let me know if there’s anything I should bring up to the operations manager. Thank you for taking the time!

 

[kimkats]

Loving what I see. I would ask for a few more "chairs" under the steel in the deep end and along the wall unless it is further away from the dirt than it looks in the pics.

Kim

 

[HermanTX]

Agree with @kimkats
Those spacers ensure that gunite is on both sides of the rebar. The spacers create about a 3 inch gap to the mud wall or floor.
Adding those spacers ensures that rebar does not sag down or pressed against wall.

The gunite should be about 3 inches above the rebar. This would make about a 6 inch thick shell with the rebar positioned in the middle of it Hope this helps.

 

[clarkboy]

Loving what I see. I would ask for a few more "chairs" under the steel in the deep end and along the wall unless it is further away from the dirt than it looks in the pics.

Kim

Thanks for reviewing for me Kim!

If you wouldn’t mind please explain to me what are “chairs”, so I have a better understanding when I ask the builder. If you need a different view so you can see better I can do that tomorrow morning. Just let me know the angle and I’ll get those posted right away.

 

[clarkboy]

Agree with @kimkats
Those spacers ensure that gunite is on both sides of the rebar. The spacers create about a 3 inch gap to the mud wall or floor.
Adding those spacers ensures that rebar does not sag down or pressed against wall.

The gunite should be about 3 inches above the rebar. This would make about a 6 inch thick shell with the rebar positioned in the middle of it Hope this helps.

Are the chairs the spacers? Sorry this is all new to me.

 

[kimkats]

Yes the "chairs" are the spacers. They can be made of many things even broken pieces of brick. Good job making sure you know what we are talking about!

 

[clarkboy]

Yes the "chairs" are the spacers. They can be made of many things even broken pieces of brick. Good job making sure you know what we are talking about!

I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Maybe in the future I can help someone out.

I’ll be sure to check tomorrow morning over by the wall to see what’s going on.

Thanks, have a wonderful night!

 

[PoolStored]

Maybe in the future I can help someone out.

I'm sure you can, and hope you do, we are all volunteers.

 

[clarkboy]

Good afternoon everyone. I got the design documents from the builder. I noticed on the plumbing document the skimmers are on the same side, but they were installed on separate sides of the pool. Is this going to be a problem? Should I bring this up to the builder? Thank you for taking the time!

 

[PoolStored]

Good afternoon everyone. I got the design documents from the builder. I noticed on the plumbing document the skimmers are on the same side, but they were installed on separate sides of the pool. Is this going to be a problem? Should I bring this up to the builder? Thank you for taking the time!

You generally want your skimmers on the same side, facing the prevailing wind. If you wind comes from the west, you want them on the east side of your pool.

 

[clarkboy]

You generally want your skimmers on the same side, facing the prevailing wind. If you wind comes from the west, you want them on the east side of your pool.

Okay that is good to know, thanks. I think the prevailing winds in my yard are from the west. So the one skimmer in the deep end might need to be moved because it’s on the same side that the winds would be coming from. I guess I need to have a conversation with the operations manager.

How difficult is it to make a change like that? Should I push to have the change made?

 

[PoolStored]

How difficult is it to make a change like that?

I’m not sure.

Should I push to have the change made?

I would!

 

[mknauss]

Appears the main drain is tied to the skimmer. That is NOT best practice. The main drain and skimmers should each be home runned back to the pad.

 

[Newdude]

I think the prevailing winds in my yard

Due to the pandemic shortages, I was gifted a year to study the wind in my backyard. 60% of the time the wind favored one direction so I put both skimmers downwind. The other 40% of the time, oh boy. It'll blow left one minute and right the next, then side to side. It does it mid gust while it's behaving like it should as well. In the end, the wind helps a skootch more than it hurts.

When the GC came to start, he swore by the 'toilet bowl' method of opposite directions causing a rotational stir. That way, you're always catching something, even if it's just a little, on the downwind side. The day he came to discuss and the day he came to start it was howling in the expected direction and that cemented my choice to go one directional.

I'm still on the fence which way is more productive. They both have their +/-s and I believe Murphys will prevail. When given a 50/50 choice you will choose wrong 90% of the time.

 

[clarkboy]

I’m not sure.

I would!

Thanks, I’m going to have a conversation to see what he has to say about why it was done that way.

 

[clarkboy]

Appears the main drain is tied to the skimmer. That is NOT best practice. The main drain and skimmers should each be home runned back to the pad.

I was questioning that when I saw it. The skimmers are supposed to be independent runs back to the pad. I actually had to pay extra to have that done. I’ll have to ask about that to make sure they are not tying those together. Thank you for pointing that out.

 

[clarkboy]

Due to the pandemic shortages, I was gifted a year to study the wind in my backyard. 60% of the time the wind favored one direction so I put both skimmers downwind. The other 40% of the time, oh boy. It'll blow left one minute and right the next, then side to side. It does it mid gust while it's behaving like it should as well. In the end, the wind helps a skootch more than it hurts.

When the GC came to start, he swore by the 'toilet bowl' method of opposite directions causing a rotational stir. That way, you're always catching something, even if it's just a little, on the downwind side. The day he came to discuss and the day he came to start it was howling in the expected direction and that cemented my choice to go one directional.

I'm still on the fence which way is more productive. They both have their +/-s and I believe Murphys will prevail. When given a 50/50 choice you will choose wrong 90% of the time.

Ain’t that’s the truth! That’s why I said think instead of know.

What did you do to get a better idea of the wind direction is your backyard? Maybe an affordable weathervane would be a good start. Not sure what else to do but throw dirt or leaves in the air to see where they are blowing.

 

[Newdude]

What did you do to get a better idea of the wind direction is your backyard?

Make a poor man's flag. It doesn't need to be fancy. I borrowed one of the Mrs's garden flags and placed it where I could see it from the house. I glanced out there anytime I went by for a year.

 

[PoolStored]

Ain’t that’s the truth! That’s why I said think instead of know.

What did you do to get a better idea of the wind direction is your backyard? Maybe an affordable weathervane would be a good start. Not sure what else to do but throw dirt or leaves in the air to see where they are blowing.

Search google for “prevailing winds in your city.” NOAA and or some other sites have them.

 

[PoolStored]

What did you do to get a better idea of the wind direction is your backyard? Maybe an affordable weathervane would be a good start. Not sure what else to do but throw dirt or leaves in the air to see where they are blowing.

I ran the full dataset from Sterling for 1/26/22 to 1/26/23. Average wind direction is 251. Due west is 275. So 25 degrees south of West. So WSW.