Vero Beach, FL Pool Build

[HermanTX]

Here is a really quick sketch I made with the above ideas. Please let me know what your thoughts are. I'm open to any planning suggestions at this point. Thank you!

Not to add more confusion, but now that I see where the house/patio is located, have you considered putting the spa on the near side closest to the patio? Would you have a TV that you may wish to view while in the spa? Then put the sun deck next to it or further on the right bottom corner. With the waterfall across the way. Your swim lanes will be furthest from the house but the spa and sundeck will be nearest for easy access.

The plan currently has a 3' width, but I'm worried with kids running around they will track dirt/mud into the pool area. I'm curious what width you all suggest.

3ft would be the minimum. Do you plan to have real grass or artificial turf next to the deck?

 

[cclocke]

Not to add more confusion, but now that I see where the house/patio is located, have you considered putting the spa on the near side closest to the patio? Would you have a TV that you may wish to view while in the spa? Then put the sun deck next to it or further on the right bottom corner. With the waterfall across the way. Your swim lanes will be furthest from the house but the spa and sundeck will be nearest for easy access.


3ft would be the minimum. Do you plan to have real grass or artificial turf next to the deck?

Ah of course you add some confusion, but I'm happy you did, it makes me think a little more! Yes there most likely will be a tv on the patio, closer to the right side of the patio than the left.

Real grass will be around the pool.

 

[cclocke]

Using a skimmer plate and manual vac hose is always a backup plan for all pool owners.

Good to know, I'll need to understand the cost differences, which I'm starting realize will add up quite fast!

 

[f3justusc]

Hi Everyone!

We are about to begin our journey on a new pool. Quick background, I am married with three kids, ages 9, 6, and 2. We live in Vero Beach, FL, a couple houses from the ocean. We were very close to building a pool five years ago when we moved, but unfortunately didn't have the funds to do so.

My wife and I always say that we will regret not putting a pool in while the kids are young. Now that we have some equity, (and my 2 year old is almost swim safe), we have some flexibility to pay for the pool, and unfortunately the 50% inflation increase since we last looked.

Some features we are looking for include hot tub large enough to fit six people, a length long enough to give my son, a killer swimmer, the availability to swim somewhat of a lap, a salt water system, and an automated system, etc.

We have contacted a few companies and received our first proposal today...

Dimensions: 462 sq ft. Pool 14’ x 33’
Gunite shell with engineering steel reinforcing throughout.
Pool walls 5-6” Gunite.
Depth 3’ to 5’6”
Install hydrostatic line.
*Gunite Concrete shell with extended steps
Water line tile (Tile material based on standard 6” x 6”).
1 Anti-Vortex channel main drains (V.G.B. compliant).
Schedule 40 PVC piping throughout.
Plumbing return lines 2” (per engineering).
One suction vacuum line. One skimmer.
Backfill shell, compact. Rough grade.
Standard pool plaster finish (Florida Stucco)
Jandy 1 Multi color LED underwater pool lights. 3 yr warranty.
Jandy 200 sq ft Cart Filtration system. 3 yr warranty.
Jandy 2.85HP Variable Speed Filtration Pump. 3 yr warranty.
Start up Kit.
Pool fill filtration system. Based on county water 1 Tank with chemicals (start up).

*Spa 7’5’ X 5’. Raised 12”. Tile all four outsides. 6 therapy jets, 2 returns, 1 LED light, and 2 returns.
Sun Shelf 5’ x 5’ Sun shelf with umbrella sleeve and 1 bubbler.
Proposed Decking – 922 sqft of Standard Pavers. Includes step up to pool elevation. (travertine is additional $)
Prosed Coping – 94 LF of Standard Bullnose Paver Coping.
Heat pump 125,000 BTU. Includes solar pill.
Jandy Saltwater True Clear system.
Jandy Full Automation with phone control.
Pool side alarm.
Chase line for water and electric to future cabana

I'm hoping you all can help with suggestions on any additional items/substitutions that I should be asking about, both for the above proposal and upcoming ones. The one item I feel confident that needs changing is to add some additional pool lighting.

I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions and sharing my pool build!

Thank you!

I am having a 16x32 pool built and I am getting 2 lights. I have seen 2 lights in another pool that is slightly smaller than mine and it does not seem like enough. My point, get at least 2 lights.

I also have a robot vac but I am leaving the suction line so that I always have that option. Things break and are expensive. So, when the robot stops working, I will always have a way to clean the pool and won't have to rush to buy another robot.

 

[f3justusc]

Good to know, I'll need to understand the cost differences, which I'm starting realize will add up quite fast!

Probably too late for consideration but I am doing an owner build in Orlando. I pulled the permits and friends in the business are doing things. There are companies out there who will help you find the contractors you need to do the work and you can save thousands to put towards all those nifty extras. I am building my 16x32 with a 6x6 spa and decking all around for well under $100, 000. This approach does involve patience, worry, tears, and all the annoyances but as we round the corner to a finished pool, I truly have no regrets.

 

[HermanTX]

I also have a robot vac but I am leaving the suction line so that I always have that option. Things break and are expensive. So, when the robot stops working, I will always have a way to clean the pool and won't have to rush to buy another robot.

This is a good plan. Cheap insurance. Having a suction line put in during construction is very little cost. You can use for a suction side cleaner or for manual cleaning.

 

[cclocke]

We are very close to having our pool design locked in but have a question about slope. Per Florida code...

454.1.2.2.3.1 Floor slope shall be uniform. The floor slope shall be a maximum 1 unit vertical in 10 units horizontal and a minimum of 1 unit vertical in 60 units horizontal in areas 5 feet (1524mm) deep or less. The floor slope shall be a maximum 1 unit vertical in 3 units horizontal in areas more than 5 feet (1524 mm) deep.

Does "Uniform" mean that everything under 5 feet needs to be at the exact same slope, or can it be different, as long as the min is above the 1 to 60 and the max is below the 1 to 10? My wife would prefer a very gradual slope up to around 4 feet, and then a deeper slope (still under the 1 to 10 ratio) from 4 to at least 5 ft, possibly going deeper after that.

 

[cclocke]

Hi everyone!

We are finally very close to signing a contract for our pool, below is the "final" plan. Here are some the changes that have been made since the initial plan:

1. Increased shallow pool depth from 3 to 3.5", deep end is still 5.5". I personally would have gone 4" in the shallow end, but we tested out depths and it was too deep to start for my 5" wife.
2. Added an additional 1ft of width, making the total pool dimensions 15x30.
3. Moved spa to far wall with bump out, now facing towards the house.
4. Moved sun shelf to bottom right, and increased size from 5x5 to 6x10. Also added lighted bubbler.
5. Added a return in the pool, pool now totals 4.
6. Added a second light.
7. Added 300+ sq ft of premium travertine, including 4" around the pool perimeter.

The PB I am using (and everyone else I've talked to in my area) only use Jandy products, so I am stuck with them. I will be upgrading the cartridge system from the original quote, not sure what size yet.

FYI the pool heater is the Jandy JRT 3000R 130K BTU Heat/Chill pump. I'll be happy to have the reverse chilling system in the summer here in FL.

I talked to the pool builder about the saltwater system. He said that the Trueclear system should be fine because our total pool will be around 15K gallons, and the Trueclear is good for pools up to 35K gallons. Does that sound correct?

Also, the PB thinks we are fine with one skimmer, but I may still push for a second.

Here is the revised plan. Please feel free to share any suggestions/concerns before I sign the second largest contract of my life!

 

[HermanTX]

I talked to the pool builder about the saltwater system. He said that the Trueclear system should be fine because our total pool will be around 15K gallons, and the Trueclear is good for pools up to 35K gallons. Does that sound correct?

The reviews on this forum have been poor for the Jandy TruClear SWCG. It is not that much more to go to the AquaPure 1400 which is good for 40k gals i.e. a 20k gal pool - remember to have 2x your pool volume. In the long run you be happier with the AP1400

Also, the PB thinks we are fine with one skimmer, but I may still push for a second.

I would continue to push for a 2nd skimmer - it just provides a lot of flexibility in the future. Plumb each one independently back to the equipment pad with separate diverted valve for each.
I have put a RED dot on either of 2 places you could place the second skimmer - look at prevailing winds and also the circulation of the water based on where your returns are.

 

[HermanTX]

As a follow up on the 2nd skimmer. Another member was asking the same and here is the response

Skimmers are really important for clearing the surface area of the pool. Should one go bad, then you are stuck with a huge issue. Now they are pretty reliable so this risk is low. However the other reason for 2 is to account for varying wind conditions. Think about prevailing winds and where each should be placed.

The reason for the independent plumbing is that you want to control the suction of each because all of us with 2 skimmers usually finds one skimmer pulls more then the other - most likely due to its position nearer the pump. Have each go back to the equipment pad and each should have a diverted valve on it to control the amount of suction. In general, the 2 skimmers provides you better control of your pools flow. It is a small cost upfront but pays dividends in the long term

 

[cclocke]

The reviews on this forum have been poor for the Jandy TruClear SWCG. It is not that much more to go to the AquaPure 1400 which is good for 40k gals i.e. a 20k gal pool - remember to have 2x your pool volume. In the long run you be happier with the AP1400


I would continue to push for a 2nd skimmer - it just provides a lot of flexibility in the future. Plumb each one independently back to the equipment pad with separate diverted valve for each.
I have put a RED dot on either of 2 places you could place the second skimmer - look at prevailing winds and also the circulation of the water based on where your returns are.
View attachment 488541

As a follow up on the 2nd skimmer. Another member was asking the same and here is the response

Skimmers are really important for clearing the surface area of the pool. Should one go bad, then you are stuck with a huge issue. Now they are pretty reliable so this risk is low. However the other reason for 2 is to account for varying wind conditions. Think about prevailing winds and where each should be placed.

The reason for the independent plumbing is that you want to control the suction of each because all of us with 2 skimmers usually finds one skimmer pulls more then the other - most likely due to its position nearer the pump. Have each go back to the equipment pad and each should have a diverted valve on it to control the amount of suction. In general, the 2 skimmers provides you better control of your pools flow. It is a small cost upfront but pays dividends in the long term

Thanks guys. I talked to my PB and the total cost to upgrade 1. the Truclear to Aquapure 1400, 2. RS4 automation to RS6 w/Aquapure link, and 3. increased cartridge size from 200 to 300 is $1100. The automation system needs to be updated to the higher version to be functional with Aquapure system. Seems like a no brainer to me to upgrade.

 

[HermanTX]

Thanks guys. I talked to my PB and the total cost to upgrade 1. the Truclear to Aquapure 1400, 2. RS4 automation to RS6 w/Aquapure link, and 3. increased cartridge size from 200 to 300 is $1100. The automation system needs to be updated to the higher version to be functional with Aquapure system. Seems like a no brainer to me to upgrade.

In the long run this is all very much worth the additional upfront costs.

 

[cclocke]

In the long run this is all very much worth the additional upfront costs.

Thanks, I agree. I'm still working with the PB on the cost for an additional skimmer. But, assuming its reasonable I'll most likely add that as well.

I appreciate all the help, and I'm very fortunately to have found this forum before it was too late!

 

[Newdude]

But, assuming its reasonable I'll most likely add that as well.

Look at it as the backbone of the operation. Everybody would rather spend the $2k(?) on fancy chairs afterwards, but skimping on the critical parts of the system is a terrible way to get those funds.

 

[HermanTX]

Thanks, I agree. I'm still working with the PB on the cost for an additional skimmer. But, assuming its reasonable I'll most likely add that as well.

I appreciate all the help, and I'm very fortunately to have found this forum before it was too late!

Yep. Many people have come after the fact and you then have to deal with the cards you are dealt. So much easier and less costly to address the potential issues pre-construction. Even if you decide to stay with the one skimmer. It is not the end of the world. Many pools have 1 skimmer. You now understand why it could be important to have 2 skimmers and you can make an informed decision considering the impact to your budget. The labor is about the same - they have to dig the pool and a pipe trench regardless. The true added cost is the cost of skimmer and 50-100 ft of PVC pipe. Hope it works out.