Northern Virginia build

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Fluffy

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Sep 20, 2016
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Aldie, Virginia
[FONT=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]I'm about ready to sign a contract for a new vinyl pool install in northern Virginia. It's been a shock at how expensive building a pool around here is and how few installers will do a vinyl pool. We are at $60k for the following. A layout I created should be attached. Opinions and insight are welcome.

Currently we are leaning towards Pentair products rather than the Hayward products listed. I realize the VS pump is over kill, but the two speed whisperflo is only a couple hundred different. Also, the automation is overkill, but I'd like to control the pool with my phone, I may add solar at a later time, and I may install led light on the fence and have the automation control it.

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  • 40 ft long free form pool (approx 630 sqft of surface area)
  • Liner with >= 27 mill thickness
  • 48" shallow-end wall height and 8-ft deep end
  • Polymer walls
  • White bullnose coping
  • Backfill with stone
  • Cement footing about entire perimeter of pool
  • Vermiculite base
  • 8-ft white steps in shallow end
  • 6-ft white diving board
  • 2 skimmers, 4 returns, main drain (2" pipes solid PVC)
  • All Pentair or all Hayward System
    • Pump: Pentair Intelliflo VS (or Hayward EcoStar VS)
    • Cartridge Filter: Pentair Clean and Clear 520 (or Hayward C5030)
    • 40k Salt Generater: Pentair IntelliChlor IC40 (or Hayward TCell15)
    • Automation: Pentair EasyTouch4 (or Hayward Aqua Plus)
    • 400k Heater: Pentair Master Temp (or Hayward Universal H-Series H400FDP)
    • Color changing LED Light: Pentair Intellibright (or Hayward ColorLogic)
  • Brushed Concrete on gravel base with wire mesh
    • Decking: 1168 sqft of brushed concrete
    • Walkway: 112 sqft of brushed concrete
  • Fence: 162 ft of black aluminum fence with 2 gates
  • Electrical: buried conduit from breaker box to pump location on opposing corner of house

IMG_0350.jpg
 
My only suggestion is that you clarify if you mean 48" to 8' being water height or wall height. If 8' is your wall height your water level will be about 6" lower than that.

Some folks find 3.5 feet to be a bit too shallow, and deeper is always better for diving.
 
After many rounds of negotiation, we signed a contract for $66k - all Pentair products. We had to add 105 ft x 15" cement retaining wall commonly called decking "turn down". Also, the decking increased to 1300 sqft., no walkway. And the fence length reduced to 150 ft. The coping is now cantilever, because the installer claimed that cantilever and bullnose coping would cost me the same. Electrical will be run through my basement, and I have to repair the drywall. No big deal. Also, i went with three pentair globrite leds.

During the startup process i learned a few things. Curved liner pools rather than rectangular generally add $5k to the price in this area. Skimmers cannot be located in curved sections; they must be located in the straight walls, at least for polymer walls. The same goes for full size pool lights like the Pentair Intellibrite 5g that has roughly a 10" hole. An intellibrite spa light has 6" hole that might be okay in a curved wall, but that depends on the radius of curvature of the wall. However the Globrites fit in a standard return dimension, approx 2", so these may go in curved sections. Consequently, i went with three globrites.

Intellibrite color changing led lights, the spa version, and the Globrites all have different output lumens, for white light the lumen ratings are: 1000 lumens (at 26w), 400 (at 18w), and 612 (at 23w) respectively. I was told to use the following ligh triangles to depict the lighting effect: 15' wide at 7' throw, 15' wide at 20' throw, and 14' wide at 16' throw, respectively. The globrites are depicted in the attached drawing. Finally the question of how low on the wall to locate the lights came up. Using the light triangle, I made sure the light hit the shallow end pool floor within 2-ft of the wall, so around 14" from the bottom of the wall.

At this point the only things i wish i had explicitly put in the contract is pressure testing the plumbing before decking install and remove all grass from locations where decking will be installed. Both will occur, but I had to beg for the latter.

I did clarify that wall height would be 48" and the deep end would be 8' from the top of the wall. This enables a Type II diving board

Pooldrawing.jpg
 
Agreed. A part of the type II board requirement is 7.5' water depth, which my 8' deep pool will allow. Thanks for pointing it out! Your comment in October made me verify everything regarding wall height and learn diving board minium requirements.
 
The other thing I learned in this build was vermiculite curing temperatures. We've had electric heaters running nightly under a well-secured pool cover to enable curing.

[FONT=arial, helvetica]https://www.poolwarehouse.com/inground-pool-kit-tips/

[FONT=arial, helvetica]"Freezing temperatures will prevent vermiculite concrete from curing properly or from ever achieving full strength."

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http://www.schundler.com/guide.htm
"If weather conditions drop below 40 degrees, do not try to trowel a concrete bottom. Cold weather can retard the curing process too long, and freezing conditions will ruin and weaken uncured concrete." ['concrete' here refers to the concrete/vermiculite mix].
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I would consider moving the two outside lights towards the center a little bit, so that they are pointed at the straight wall away from the house. The way you have them now, they are all aimed at the center of the pool, which would definitely work, but I think you'll have more even distribution of light on the outside edges if you have them arranged so they point straight across the pool rather than converging at one point in the center.
 
Good thought, but the lights are already installed.

Question: Pool builder has run a few pipes under the lowest step to reduce the turns needed. Will this prevent the backfill from packing well under the step? And thereby weaken the step? Or are the thermoplastic steps so strong that the backfill isn't critical?

Update: I called the step manufacturer. They said that the backfill helps but the step is designed to handle the weight of people by itself. They said the pipes under the step are fine, but to pack the backfill in as well as possible.
 

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I agree it doesn't look professional. That said, I'd be more concerned about the smoothness and finish of the concrete on the edge. I've seen some where the edge was cracked and rough. Could be a situation where the cure is worse than the disease.

Definitely start the conversation but also be thinking about what you would settle with (live with or be happy with) and about possible give and take options.
 

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