ATX Pool build - Advice and suggestions welcomed!

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flan_2009

flan_2009

0
Jun 28, 2015
15
Austin
Hi TFP!

We are in! We signed our contract a week and half ago after meeting with 3 PBs. I studied this forum so I hope the contract scope looks good. By all means, if anyone sees something I should question or think about please let me know. Beyond excited! I never thought we would own a pool. I have 3 kiddos (4, 2, 4 mths).

We have a small yard, shallow and long. We went with a small, freeform salt water pool- no spa. That's right, salt water in Austin with flagstone coping! :) All 3 vendors warned against it but after reading the threads on TFP my mind was made up; it is what will work best for my family. There was not any pushback from the PB. I will seal twice a year and rinse off coping at least once a week.

I debated on a beach entry starting from the patio but decided against it and instead extended the tanning shelf. Thoughts on the look? I wanted to be able to walk right into the pool from the patio.

Here are the details:

Pool dimensions: 17'4" x 32'
Pool Perimeter: 81 ft
Pool surface area: 337 sqft
Pool depth: 3.6x5x4

Steel/Gunite:
1/2 in steel rebar on 10 in centers, both ways.
1/2 in steel rebar x4
12" bond beam, 8-10" walls/floor

Plumbing/Electrical:
2 1/2 in 40 PVC
Returns: 4 directional inlets
Skimmers: 2 Pentair, individually plumbed
Drains: 2 (10 in) SDX, VGA compliant
Cleaner line: 1 independently plumbed

Stone/Tile:
Pool tile: 6" band @ waterline
Pool coping: Flagstone
Raised beam: 25 ft, faced with flagstone or tile

Water feature:
2 bubblers
3' foot sheer (possibly)

Decking/Walls:
3/8" rebar 16"on center, 4" crushed base, 3/8" mastic joint
4 VB/umbrella sleeves with cap

Interior:
Pebble Sheen (color undecided, leaning towards blue granite)
53 sqft custom tanning shelf
benches (per plan)
Start up: complete start-up chemicals for balance and stabilization
Maintenance: 16' Telescopic pole, vacuum head & hose, brush, net, test kit & thermometer
Clean up: 1 load of Sandy loam, spread and graded
Pool school

Equipment:
Pump: Pentair IntelliFlo VS-3050 (variable speed)
Filter: Pentair Clean & Clear 420 cartridge
Cleaner: KK Racer w/ booster
Sanitizers: IntelliChlor Salt Chlorinator
Pool lights: 1 Pentair AmeriLite 500w 120v
Pool control: Pentair EasyTouch P-4

Thanks everyone! I will attempt to post pics.Screen Shot 2015-07-30 at 8.57.23 PM.jpgScreen Shot 2015-07-27 at 5.30.54 PM.jpg
 
I would like to be able to see the measurements in the drawing better. Any way to upload a better image? Maybe through photo bucket or some other service? Is there another angle on the rendering? I would like to see your back wall where the sheer is. It is exciting! Now comes the waiting game...
 
Thanks! We met the limit for impervious coverage so decking is not an option. Not having that option drove down the cost as well and I like the look. A plus for us.

I'm thinking of adding decorative pavers around the pool to help with grass/dirt.
 
Re: ATX Pool build - Placement of tanning ledge

Hi guys! I have a question and was hoping to get some feedback. In the design now, we have the tanning ledge right off the patio but as I sit in my patio I'm wondering if it would make more sense to have the tanning ledge on the opposite side. We will be adding a TV in the patio, the way the tanning ledge is set anyone enjoying the tanning ledge will not be able to view the TV or interact with the person grilling (plan to build outdoor kitchen in patio). Does it matter? Thoughts?
 
Tanning ledges to me have two purposes. A place to lounge and an entry for little ones to get in/out of the pool. Personally I would want it close to the decking you have so your kids don't have to swim to get to it. Otherwise they'll be going over grass to get to it which will get junk in your pool. I wouldn't worry too much about seeing the TV from the tanning ledge.
 

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flan_2009 said:
Hi TFP!

We are in! We signed our contract a week and half ago after meeting with 3 PBs. I studied this forum so I hope the contract scope looks good. By all means, if anyone sees something I should question or think about please let me know. Beyond excited! I never thought we would own a pool. I have 3 kiddos (4, 2, 4 mths).

We have a small yard, shallow and long. We went with a small, freeform salt water pool- no spa. That's right, salt water in Austin with flagstone coping! :) All 3 vendors warned against it but after reading the threads on TFP my mind was made up; it is what will work best for my family. There was not any pushback from the PB. I will seal twice a year and rinse off coping at least once a week.

I debated on a beach entry starting from the patio but decided against it and instead extended the tanning shelf. Thoughts on the look? I wanted to be able to walk right into the pool from the patio.

Here are the details:

Pool dimensions: 17'4" x 32'
Pool Perimeter: 81 ft
Pool surface area: 337 sqft
Pool depth: 3.6x5x4

Steel/Gunite:
1/2 in steel rebar on 10 in centers, both ways.
1/2 in steel rebar x4
12" bond beam, 8-10" walls/floor

Plumbing/Electrical:
2 1/2 in 40 PVC
Returns: 4 directional inlets
Skimmers: 2 Pentair, individually plumbed
Drains: 2 (10 in) SDX, VGA compliant
Cleaner line: 1 independently plumbed

Stone/Tile:
Pool tile: 6" band @ waterline
Pool coping: Flagstone
Raised beam: 25 ft, faced with flagstone or tile

Water feature:
2 bubblers
3' foot sheer (possibly)

Decking/Walls:
3/8" rebar 16"on center, 4" crushed base, 3/8" mastic joint
4 VB/umbrella sleeves with cap

Interior:
Pebble Sheen (color undecided, leaning towards blue granite)
53 sqft custom tanning shelf
benches (per plan)
Start up: complete start-up chemicals for balance and stabilization
Maintenance: 16' Telescopic pole, vacuum head & hose, brush, net, test kit & thermometer
Clean up: 1 load of Sandy loam, spread and graded
Pool school

Equipment:
Pump: Pentair IntelliFlo VS-3050 (variable speed)
Filter: Pentair Clean & Clear 420 cartridge
Cleaner: KK Racer w/ booster
Sanitizers: IntelliChlor Salt Chlorinator
Pool lights: 1 Pentair AmeriLite 500w 120v
Pool control: Pentair EasyTouch P-4

Thanks everyone! I will attempt to post pics.View attachment 40936View attachment 40935
Click to expand...

I am about to sign to start construction on a pool in Mesa, AZ. I visited 4 builders and i was originally set on SWCG and travertine decking. All 4 builders advised me not to install any natural stone around a salt water pool. The salt is just too corrosive. Additionally, we have a family friend that has a pool that is 2 years old and I never really paid attention till now, in the places where you get in and out of the pool, the decking is starting to show surface cracking and pitting. Its fine everywhere else, just the high traffic areas. We have decided to go with a standard chlorine with Ozone system.
 
I love the idea of the tanning shelf where it is due to the kids. You can get some nice floating chair and have a way to "anchor" them so people in the pool can watch TV and interact with those on the patio.

BUT if you could...............have it "grow" so that it is also in the curve to the left of the pool (when looking out the back door) that would work BUT it would take some of your swimming space as well as play space.

I think I would leave it just like it is.

Kim
 
My pool builder said: "Salt or stone take your pick, but you can't have both". Well, we chose salt. While the PB's quote may be a bit of an overstatement, it is true that softer stone, particularly in a climate without substantial rainfall, can be quickly eroded.

I love my SWG pool. It is surrounded by a textured acrylic coated deck with a cantilevered edge. No stone anywhere no coping just a deck edge that extends an inch or so beyond the waterline tile. We love the clean look of it and the low maintenance and wonderful soft water feel of a salt pool. Using TFP guidelines and methods it has also been a dream to maintain.
 
Thanks for the feedback y'all! I read and researched SWG pros/cons and finally just decided to do it. We will be sealing it, hopefully I will have good luck with stone as some of the folks on this forum have.

Chiefwej, I like your pool. The decking does look nice and clean! We didn't talk about other options, I'll ask the PB.

Azjoshers, good luck with your build! I will keep an eye on the developments. So exciting! My PB recommended chlorine and UV/Ozone as well but after reading some of the threads here I decided to go with SWG. I hope I don't regret it. :)

Kim, that's a great idea about extending the ledge. I'm thinking about putting in a table top like one of the threads I saw (Amanda's, I think). I wonder if I should extend the ledge and have it become a bench. Thinking while I type, I'll talk to the PB tomorrow. Thanks!
 
I had a bit more water area to work with. My pool is two rectangles 34x16 and 15x7, overlaping at the corners. The smaller forming the spa and sun deck. I extended the sun deck depth as a bench down the entire length of the pool. For the sun deck and bench mine is at the second step depth (with 16 inches of water over them). It comes to the seat height of a standard pool lounger and is the right size for two of them. We love our bench and sun deck, but with limited swim area you are faced with choices. A table in a pool is very nice, but it does take a lot of space. Compromises everywhere.
 
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