So since Casey commented in my other thread that he remembered my pool build, I got to thinking about what I'd do differently. While there isn't much, there are some things I definitely would have changed.
1. Add a heater. Yes, that's right, a heater. Here I was thinking that this is Houston, the pool will be hot and I won't need a heater. Well, bullocks to that. There's so much time in the early winter and spring where the air temp is conducive to swimming but the water temp is in the high 60's, low 70's that you just don't want to go in. If we had installed a heater, we could have extended our pool season to a full 9-10 months. Maybe even 11. I am still considering it, especially since we will likely get a generator that needs a gas line in the same location anyway. But I didn't run a gas line or a conduit for a gas line, and so I'll have to tear up the yard to do so. Probably end up tearing up the front yard, since going through the back yard would mean digging up a lot of the bed and irrigation, whereas the front yard is just lawn with less complicated irrigation. But to go through the front I'd have to cross the driveway, and that isn't easy.
2. Add more lights. The PB specc'd two small lights on the side facing the back wall, and there is a lack of coverage. We needed one more light down by the steps (in the steps) to illuminate that corner. I've tried to adjust the light in the housing, and that solved about half the problem, but not all of it.
3. Had waited and applied for an easement encroachment variance. We have two easements off our back property line. A 10' covenant easement for the township, which is meant to insure that drainage has a proper path. And the second is a 7' utility easement...with nothing in it, and nothing likely. I was told the process to get an encroachment into the 10' covenant easement was difficult and time consuming. I would still have preferred to try. An extra 2' or 2.5' of width would have made a huge difference in the feel of our pool. We were behind the 8 ball coming out of the winter and wanted to get our pool build started and done in time for the season, but it would have been worth it. Probably wouldn't have cost us any time since we chewed up so much with the selections process being skewed.
4. Changed the scuppers to sheer descents. The scuppers were problematic and had to be completely re-built after several failed attempts to stop them leaking. They now work well but still occasionally dribble water over the face of the rock. We originally had sheers in the design, but were talked into scuppers because the builder said with our small space, sheers would have been loud. I've seen sheers in action in other pools and doubt they'd be noticeably louder than the scuppers. Oh well, at least we saved a few hundred with the switch. And they do work now, just would have probably preferred the sheers. But that's nit picking.
Other than that, the pool has been awesome. The kids love it, we do laps in it all the time for exercise, and it really just "made" the backyard. I might have changed the wet edge color to something the next shade darker as well, but again, nit-picking. The insanely expensive sealant I found has been working well to keep the travertine and stone from getting attacked. And while it's expensive (like $120 / gallon) I can do two double coats out of a gallon bottle, and that'll last me at least a year if not more like 18 months. So net net, it's not too bad. We've loved the saltwater pool, it's so nice to be able to go away for a few days and not worry about having to add chemicals, while also not worrying about CYA buildup from pucks. The pool has required very little maintenance. I go through a bottle of acid every 4-6 weeks in the summer, but you can get it for about $9 per bottle at Home Depot so that's not anything to worry about. And every now and then I have to add salt because of the rains or having to add so much makeup water if it's brutally hot.
We love our little pool!