Today Officially started our 2023 Pool Season ... Sort Of!

[VinnyinNJ]

We had our pool installed the week before Labor Day last year, MacGyvered our pool ladder to be able to get into the pool and 2 weeks after Labor Day we closed it. The only thing we did for the pool was to put the grass plugs that were removed for the bonding back for the final electrical inspection and thought that Spring 2023 is when we do the work to get it looking somewhat decent. Spring 2023 has arrived here in NJ so I took the coming week off to get some stuff (with a little hope of all the stuff) needed to get done. We are shooting for the official opening middle of May and hopefully the pool water will be warmer for Memorial Day weekend with a solar cover on it.

Today was kind of productive, we were able to set the base, rip out al the plugs we put back - the grass and trees reclaimed them FAST and put up 2 posts for fencing. We decided over the winter that since our yard is not level, the filter is above the bottom of the pool and the piping from the filter is at trip height (or dogs get into trouble height to be more exact ) we are going to fence that area in with vinyl lattice. Originally the weather was supposed to be rainy but looking at the forecast we should have quite a lot of good weather next week. What's left is doing 2 more holes, leveling an area where the pipes are for support (should be easy!), put down weed block fabric and then cart all the tons of rocks we took out from around the old pool back to the new pool. We made the circle around the pool larger than it was so that means buying even more rocks!

Welcome Spring 2023!

 

[ajw22]

 

[VinnyinNJ]

Day 2...

AJW22 asked for pics well here we go! Actually this thread is probably worthless even with the pics!!!

This is what we had last year once the pool was installed:



This is what we accomplished yesterday:
Ladder base



Ripped the plugs out of the ground



And this is a combo of yesterday and today, the patio blocks were from our old pool and since the new pool is hard plumbed we are going to use them for supporting the piping. Lattice is going to be installed on the 2x4 posts. The plan is to river rock all of the filter area along with around the pool.



So basically we are about the same as we were when we closed the pool but getting closer to a more decent look (hopefully!).

 

[kimkats]

LOL on the dogs getting in trouble height! I SO hear you on that one! Good thinking ahead. Just make sure there is easy access for you to work on the equipment when needed.

Do you have valves to close each pipe coming from the pool? Now would be the time to do it. I have one under the skimmer and return as well as the unions for ease of removal as needed.

 

[Mdragger88]

The pad for the ladder is a great idea!
Be sure to put a couple pavers directly under the skimmer slightly slanted downward away from the pool to prevent any water that splashes out from washing the area out. I repurposed an unused concrete splash block for gutters there. You can hide it under the rocks if you need/want to.
I also have several around the pump basket & skimmer so I have sturdy places to stand when cleaning them out, adding chems, backwashing etc. Now’s the time to get more if you need them as they usually go on sale for about $1 a piece in the spring.
Once you get your fence up you can add a little motion sensor solar light to help you see you equipment area at night. Trust me, its a game changer! I can’t believe I fumbled with the light on my phone one handedly trying to do stuff for so long.

 

[VinnyinNJ]

LOL on the dogs getting in trouble height! I SO hear you on that one! Good thinking ahead. Just make sure there is easy access for you to work on the equipment when needed.

Do you have valves to close each pipe coming from the pool? Now would be the time to do it. I have one under the skimmer and return as well as the unions for ease of removal as needed.

It's amazing how dogs and little kids know no boundaries! My dog is 11 YO and I still see her contorting her back to get into things and my son's dog is like a bull in a china shop at times. When the dealer put the filter together they had zero unions anywhere! My son does plumbing for a living so I had him install unions to be able to open the filter up to deep clean and generally make it easier to service and winterize. I do believe I have shutoff valves going to both skimmer and return but will check.

My plan for the lattice is to use SS hardware - machine screws, washers and wing nuts for easy removal of the panels. Here in NJ we have a short swimming season end of May (maybe) to 2 weeks after Labor Day so I probably have to get to the pump basket maybe once/twice a season so I'm thinking the wing nuts should be OK, the filter valving is easily accessible in the back and at this point we aren't fencing there (yet! )

 

[VinnyinNJ]

The pad for the ladder is a great idea!
Be sure to put a couple pavers directly under the skimmer slightly slanted downward away from the pool to prevent any water that splashes out from washing the area out. I repurposed an unused concrete splash block for gutters there. You can hide it under the rocks if you need/want to.
I also have several around the pump basket & skimmer so I have sturdy places to stand when cleaning them out, adding chems, backwashing etc. Now’s the time to get more if you need them as they usually go on sale for about $1 a piece in the spring.
Once you get your fence up you can add a little motion sensor solar light to help you see you equipment area at night. Trust me, its a game changer! I can’t believe I fumbled with the light on my phone one handedly trying to do stuff for so long.

The pad was part of my pool package along with a heavy duty mat for inside the pool. We had used 4 - 18x18 paver blocks for our last pool steps and it worked well. We actually have them still and may use them to extend in front of the pad to give us more grass free zone.

Good idea about the splash blocks! We have all our old blocks that were used for the uprites on our last pool, some are what we are using by the filter to support the piping. We had plans on bringing them to our recycling center but they no longer take concrete ... now we can put them to use!

Solar light ... like that idea, so basically one of those 3000 lumen tiny motion sensor lights! JK!! Actually our backyard is DARK with virtually no lighting and we are talking about what to do. We tried solar path lights around the pool, way too dim and useless. We tried low voltage pathway lights around the pool, very bright but didn't project the light into the yard the way I thought it would (initial brightness plus reflected light off the pool wall) so that was nixed. I think we are going to bite the bullet and have a motion sensor light installed onto the house to light up the whole yard when need be but that would require running electric somewhere to the outside of the house. I was going to install a solar motion sensor security light onto one of the trees because I don't want to spend the money on an electrician but my wife didn't like the idea. Honestly, I have never gone out after dark to take care of my pool but I do have a head lamp that I use a lot if need be, if you've never used one try it.

 

[Mdragger88]

Never get rid of pavers lol !
I got these lights & put them all over the place, by the equipment, on the deck posts shining into the pool, by the water hose for evening watering etc. After 2 years of full sun & weather I have 2 still functioning. I may try a different brand next time.
Solar Lights Outdoor 6 Pack,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GPVRSY5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[VinnyinNJ]

Never get rid of pavers lol !
I got these lights & put them all over the place, by the equipment, on the deck posts shining into the pool, by the water hose for evening watering etc. After 2 years of full sun & weather I have 2 still functioning. I may try a different brand next time.
Solar Lights Outdoor 6 Pack,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GPVRSY5?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

We have a lot of different pavers! The ones from the pool and when we did the patio we bought a bunch in different colors to see what we liked. We even have some bricks lying around as well. We plan on using some of the smaller but thicker pavers for the skimmer line because it's higher than the return line. I thought about those same lights myself!

 

[Newdude]

I think we are going to bite the bullet and have a motion sensor light installed onto the house to light up the whole yard when need

The house we bought has 2 old skool flood lights on the 2nd floor, one on either corner.



I have fallen GAA-GAA in love with them. At the high angle they light up the yard but are just below where it becomes obnoxiously bright, like the LED floodlight I put over garage for the driveway.

 

[VinnyinNJ]

The house we bought has 2 old skool flood lights on the 2nd floor, one on either corner.

View attachment 479229

I have fallen GAA-GAA in love with them. At the high angle they light up the yard but are just below where it becomes obnoxiously bright, like the LED floodlight I put over garage for the driveway.

We are thinking of 2 locations, one the corner of the house just below the 2nd floor (2nd floor juts out about a foot in the back of the house). Yhis would give light on the far side of the house and could provide dome light onto the pool. The other area is our screen room facia board but we have a tree that will cast a huge shadow if placed where electric can be easily accessed ... moving it over a few feet would require additional piping which may be an option. My only problem is the amount of light they would put out as we walk toward the light would be very obnoxious as you said!

 

[Newdude]

My only problem is the amount of light they would put out as we walk toward the light would be very obnoxious as you said!

1) you rarely look that high up so you'll almost never stare at them.

2) The higher angle creates a much larger zone that's less intense

Or backup plan

3) lots of various wattages and shades/colors to try.

 

[phonedave]

We made the circle around the pool larger than it was so that means buying even more rocks!

Welcome Spring 2023!

Every year I say it is the year that I will not have to buy and cart in rock and or soil.

Now that I am in the process of building elevated planter beds, guess what I will be hauling in this year .... soil.

I don't know what sort of equipment you have access too, or what your plans are, but if you can buy in bulk, it is a LOT cheaper. And if your trailer (or truck) can only handle a half a yard at a time (like mine) then it pays to find a place that actually sells by the half yard.

 

[Mdragger88]

Just got a 1/2 a yard of 57 medium washed gravel last week for the flower beds for $45 - fits well in a Silverado.
Its only like $110 for a whole dump truck full (9 - 10 yards) but my friend with a dump truck is currently busy
Hopefully We’ll be getting more soon though. Sure beats mulch that just washes away. That’s for the birds!

 

[VinnyinNJ]

Every year I say it is the year that I will not have to buy and cart in rock and or soil.

Now that I am in the process of building elevated planter beds, guess what I will be hauling in this year .... soil.

I don't know what sort of equipment you have access too, or what your plans are, but if you can buy in bulk, it is a LOT cheaper. And if your trailer (or truck) can only handle a half a yard at a time (like mine) then it pays to find a place that actually sells by the half yard.

We discussed everything! My driveway was replaced about 6-8 years ago and it is developing cracks on one side, I think I know why but it is what it is and I don't want to replace a fairly new driveway any time soon. So we spoke about bulk but my wife (understandably so) is concerned that tons of rock hitting that driveway may cause even more damage so ... we are bagging it! Our plans changed a little as we originally were going to use our old stones as a base and then use larger, 1-3 inch, river rock. Our stones have been sitting around for a little over 3 years and had so much dirt intermingled with them that we just said - NOPE! So we are going to HD and picking up bags (yes more expensive) and using Pea Gravel exclusively. We already put down 25 bags and have about 25 more to do. The 1-3" rocks are 3X more expensive then the Pea Gravel so we said lets just do it this way. My sons do have pickup trucks which are more like luxury cars than work trucks so not using them for bulk pickup AND they are so freaking high that it's tough for my wife and I to get into the bed. So we're bagging it!

 

[VinnyinNJ]

Just got a 1/2 a yard of 57 medium washed gravel last week for the flower beds for $45 - fits well in a Silverado.
Its only like $110 for a whole dump truck full (9 - 10 yards) but my friend with a dump truck is currently busy
Hopefully We’ll be getting more soon though. Sure beats mulch that just washes away. That’s for the birds!

We use mulch in the front yard and it needs to be replaced yearly, not so much as washing away for us but it does break down and we probably put in a large amount every year. Never owned a pickup but both my sons have one, used one of them to get rid of brush we cut down to the local recycling center - was great to use and didn't have to stuff that stuff into my wife's car! Both my sons have non work truck pickups and I can imagine a front loader just dumping tons of rocks into the bed or worse missing the bed a little. A friend of mine told me he went to a place where the bucket coud dump sideways - now to me that would have better control. Then again as I said in my previous response to Dave, I have a hard time getting up into the bed ... my youngest laughs as he just pops into it!

 

[phonedave]

Just got a 1/2 a yard of 57 medium washed gravel last week for the flower beds for $45 - fits well in a Silverado.
Its only like $110 for a whole dump truck full (9 - 10 yards) but my friend with a dump truck is currently busy
Hopefully We’ll be getting more soon though. Sure beats mulch that just washes away. That’s for the birds!

I have a F150 but I don't like to get bulk material in the bed and get it scratched up, so I have a little 4 x 8 foot trailer I use for rock/dirt. It can hold a full yard volume wise, but it really pushes its' weight limit (2,100 lbs). I picked up a full yard of 3/4 clean stone in it once, and they way that axle was creaking - the pucker factor was high.

I will likely need a 1/2 or full yard of 3/4 white marble to replenish a parking area on the end of my drive (where I store said trailer) so that will be a trip or two in the near future.

I am in the process of building a number of elevated (tops are 3' off of the ground) garden planters. I was going to get soil dumped and was looking into renting a Dingo and using that to fill them, but the Dingo is also too heavy for the trailer and delivery charges are astronomical. I found a local guy on Craigslist that offers installed top soil (delivered, spread, seeded, and with hay) for $95 a yard. I am going to call him and see what he will charge to fill my planters. It is a total of about 7 yards, I'm not shoveling that in by hand.

 

[Newdude]

*forgot to mention about the lights.

We moved mid pandemic and needed a ton of things while the stores had empty shelves. I found that Amazon's lights were 50% the cost of the home centers and when they came, they appeared to be the HD/Lowes brand in plain cardboard boxes. Then I started checking everything else and found many things far cheaper online, from door handles to gutter downspouts. Many things like the electrical outlets/switches and door handles were the actual name brand items but sold in a 10+ pack.

 

[Mdragger88]

I have a F150 but I don't like to get bulk material in the bed and get it scratched up, so I have a little 4 x 8 foot trailer I use for rock/dirt. It can hold a full yard volume wise, but it really pushes its' weight limit (2,100 lbs). I picked up a full yard of 3/4 clean stone in it once, and they way that axle was creaking - the pucker factor was high.

I will likely need a 1/2 or full yard of 3/4 white marble to replenish a parking area on the end of my drive (where I store said trailer) so that will be a trip or two in the near future.

I am in the process of building a number of elevated (tops are 3' off of the ground) garden planters. I was going to get soil dumped and was looking into renting a Dingo and using that to fill them, but the Dingo is also too heavy for the trailer and delivery charges are astronomical. I found a local guy on Craigslist that offers installed top soil (delivered, spread, seeded, and with hay) for $95 a yard. I am going to call him and see what he will charge to fill my planters. It is a total of about 7 yards, I'm not shoveling that in by hand.

I do put a canvas tarp in the bed but its mostly to ease the transition from bed to tailgate once you open it & keep the rocks from getting stuck in there. Makes it easier to get all of em out too. We don't have real fancy trucks anyway but they do have bedliners. I am lucky to have friends with large equipment. We happen to have a backhoe at our house right now that my husband was working on & we can use it.

 

[VinnyinNJ]

*forgot to mention about the lights.

We moved mid pandemic and needed a ton of things while the stores had empty shelves. I found that Amazon's lights were 50% the cost of the home centers and when they came, they appeared to be the HD/Lowes brand in plain cardboard boxes. Then I started checking everything else and found many things far cheaper online, from door handles to gutter downspouts. Many things like the electrical outlets/switches and door handles were the actual name brand items but sold in a 10+ pack.

I hear you about on-line vs big box stores, I have also have had good luck with actual supply houses. I once bought a spa GFI cheaper at a supply house than what I could have bought it at HD. Of course if I go with an electrician I guess I'm at their mercy at what they will supply, never used many professionals to do work around the house.