New Pool-Natural look

[fcpnorman]

I have had pools my entire life. I did BYOP on my last pool, it was a fiberglass pool and has been fairly low maintenance and we have enjoyed it.
I am getting close to retiring and have two younger kids and would like to upgrade our pool to a "swimming hole". There are a couple of pool contractors in our area that do natural landscapes of rock including the bottoms of the pool and that is the look we want. The plan would be to pull our existing fiberglass pool out( I have a buddy I am going to give it to) and have the new pool construction take place once the older pool is out.
Two questions- both very broad topics.
Anyone ever pulled a fiberglass pool out? I am guessing I will need to brace it as the water is taken out.
Any thoughts on the natural rock look and issues with the plaster rock work on the bottom? Both contractors offer a shallow beach entry and I know that helps with water heating and is nice to enter, but is it an algae breeding ground?
We have always wanted the natural swimming hole look and can now finally afford it.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! I suspect the current shell will need to be braced and supported until such time the plumbing/coping is removed so the shell can be lifted in a controlled manner. As for the rock bottom/natural look, I'm going to tag a couple folks in the field. @AQUA~HOLICS has a good bit of experience with builds, and @1poolman1 is from SAC, so perhaps he may have seen some pools like this during his travels in the area. Best of luck!

 

[fcpnorman]

Welcome to TFP! I suspect the current shell will need to be braced and supported until such time the plumbing/coping is removed so the shell can be lifted in a controlled manner. As for the rock bottom/natural look, I'm going to tag a couple folks in the field. @AQUA~HOLICS has a good bit of experience with builds, and @1poolman1 is from SAC, so perhaps he may have seen some pools like this during his travels in the area. Best of luck!

Thanks!

 

[1poolman1]

I have had pools my entire life. I did BYOP on my last pool, it was a fiberglass pool and has been fairly low maintenance and we have enjoyed it.
I am getting close to retiring and have two younger kids and would like to upgrade our pool to a "swimming hole". There are a couple of pool contractors in our area that do natural landscapes of rock including the bottoms of the pool and that is the look we want. The plan would be to pull our existing fiberglass pool out( I have a buddy I am going to give it to) and have the new pool construction take place once the older pool is out.
Two questions- both very broad topics.
Anyone ever pulled a fiberglass pool out? I am guessing I will need to brace it as the water is taken out.
Any thoughts on the natural rock look and issues with the plaster rock work on the bottom? Both contractors offer a shallow beach entry and I know that helps with water heating and is nice to enter, but is it an algae breeding ground?
We have always wanted the natural swimming hole look and can now finally afford it.

Natural Design Pools (a local builder) are quite nice. The shallow area is a bit harder to keep clean unless there are return lines forcing water over it. Have never seen them with too much algae if the rest of the system is working properly and chemicals are kept up. An SWG is a big help. Are there nooks that hold dirt? Yes. But that comes with having a pool like that

 

[fcpnorman]

We are in Grass Valley and that is who we are considering going with. He does some really nice pools.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Stones and boulders are not the same as cement and plaster. Cement and plaster are building materials that have very precisely controlled compositions to ensure that they are structurally sound. Stones and boulders are things that Mother Nature has created and, while they are beautiful, you have no control over what's in them. I have a natural stone waterfall with boulders and stones that were procured locally. Most of the stone work is fine but there are a few with red color to them. Guess where the red color comes from .... iron minerals. What's the last thing you want in your pool water .... iron. There is spot on my water line tile by the waterfall where there are two tiles that get water flow over them from the red colored stones. There is always calcium scale build up on those tiles and you know what color that scale is is .... brown/red. I'm sure you can guess where it comes from.

If you are going to go with the "natural water hole" look, then you need to be exceedingly careful about what stones are used and what is submerged in the pool water. In nature, bodies of water don't care what dissolves in them. As a pool owner, your pool water is not natural in any way with respect to it's chemistry. It's a managed and chemically treated body of water. What you place in it matters a lot as the wrong materials can cause very expensive problems that are difficult, if not impossible, to fix after the fact.

I would not entirely rely on any contractors knowledge but do A LOT OF HOMEWORK on your own with regard to their construction techniques and materials they use. There is always the urge to call the contractor the "expert" and assume that they know enough that you shouldn't have to. That is often a recipe for headaches. Scrutinize EVERYTHING that is offered because you are considering a non-standard pool design and so there will be a much smaller and less-available universe of contractors that can help you when problems crop up.

Good luck.

 

[fcpnorman]

Stones and boulders are not the same as cement and plaster. Cement and plaster are building materials that have very precisely controlled compositions to ensure that they are structurally sound. Stones and boulders are things that Mother Nature has created and, while they are beautiful, you have no control over what's in them. I have a natural stone waterfall with boulders and stones that were procured locally. Most of the stone work is fine but there are a few with red color to them. Guess where the red color comes from .... iron minerals. What's the last thing you want in your pool water .... iron. There is spot on my water line tile by the waterfall where there are two tiles that get water flow over them from the red colored stones. There is always calcium scale build up on those tiles and you know what color that scale is is .... brown/red. I'm sure you can guess where it comes from.

If you are going to go with the "natural water hole" look, then you need to be exceedingly careful about what stones are used and what is submerged in the pool water. In nature, bodies of water don't care what dissolves in them. As a pool owner, your pool water is not natural in any way with respect to it's chemistry. It's a managed and chemically treated body of water. What you place in it matters a lot as the wrong materials can cause very expensive problems that are difficult, if not impossible, to fix after the fact.

I would not entirely rely on any contractors knowledge but do A LOT OF HOMEWORK on your own with regard to their construction techniques and materials they use. There is always the urge to call the contractor the "expert" and assume that they know enough that you shouldn't have to. That is often a recipe for headaches. Scrutinize EVERYTHING that is offered because you are considering a non-standard pool design and so there will be a much smaller and less-available universe of contractors that can help you when problems crop up.

Good luck.

Thanks, I should have clarified. The contractor will create faux rock structures and use our natural rocks in the landscape adjacent the pool. I think this is a better option for weight, construction and the potential of chemical reactions( more predictable with concrete products.).

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Thanks, I should have clarified. The contractor will create faux rock structures and use our natural rocks in the landscape adjacent the pool. I think this is a better option for weight, construction and the potential of chemical reactions( more predictable with concrete products.).

I’ve seen some faux ricks done around here … they look terrible after years in the sun and they can easily fall apart of not properly constructed. Maybe the builders in your area are better but I’ve seen some really terrible fake stone jobs around here. That why when we decided to do a waterfall and the contractor offered to do it cheaper in cement, I said no. We paid the extra $6,000 to have real stones craned into place.

Obviously there’s not much one can really accomplish discussing it here. I suppose you’ll know right away when you see their proposals what they intend to do. Best option is to get referral before signing anything and visit other jobs that they have done to see if their work is what you expect it to be.

 

[AQUA~HOLICS]

Current job with a jumping rock over 6’ tall.

 

[kimkats]

I am SO in to watch this one!!!

 

[Newdude]

+1. Goodie Goodie.