Blank canvas in Laughlin, NV.

[akageorgi]

Nothing major that he saw, just a couple of places that needed re-bar reinforcement. I fixed 3 of them tonight by myself! Have two other things to fix around the spa. Might need the re-bar guy to do them,
he said just wait until the inspection so he won't have to come out twice, but I may attempt to fix them before
the inspector goes hog wild on me...Looking at midweek inspection. Fingers crossed...

 

[akageorgi]

I apologize for my lack of posting updates lately. I've been doing physical labor in my backyard.
Fixed everything concrete guy said to fix. Didn't look perfect but I got it done! Anyway, passed
first inspection last Wednesday!!! Been filling in ditches and cleaning up since then. Rumor has it that
I might get shotcrete done on Monday!!!
Most likely won't post anything until Monday, I have to collect some cans, donate blood and cash in my pennies
so that I can afford to pay the concrete guys on Monday!

Have some more tidbits to post later but no time right now...

 

[akageorgi]

Oh, by the way, I just may be going for the record for longest pool build ever.
I officially started designing last October, after a well known pool builder told me
what their price to do my pool was. So we're just about a year in, and are "almost" at gunite time.
Sheesh, might be swimming by 2019!
If I can't afford to do anything after gunite, can I just fill it with water and swim?

 

[kimkats]

Well that is good news for sure! Passed=GREAT!

It has been a long one but it is getting done!

YES you can fill up the gunite and swim! LOL Not sure how long it will stay filled up though and the water many look

Kim

 

[akageorgi]

Ok, hello pool world....I don't know if it is the wife and daughter influencing me, but I feel like a little drama queen tonight!
I feel as if there is something that I really need to do before the gunite peeps show up. But what?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Gunite supposed to show up at 7 am tomorrow. Is everything ready, unready? not ready? semi ready or not at all ready?
Is everything the way we want it? Steps? STEPS? STEPS!!!!!! (insert emoticon here: ) Ok breathe....
Well, I guess we'll all know tomorrow afternoon. I'll either post a bunch of pictures of pool getting shot, or just one single
picture of yours truly curled up in a fetal position crying......:?

 

[kimkats]

There, there it is all right You are as ready as you can be.

BUT IT IS TOMORROW!!!!! ARE THEY THERE YET??????????????

Did you get any sleep last night?

Kim

 

[akageorgi]

Monday we said goodbye to the sand bags!
I swear our house was bigger before...

I'm glad I was home when they did the shotcrete, I was able to change some things
up on the fly! Pretty happy with everything. Now it's time to breathe...

 

[kimkats]

SWEET!

So what changes did you make and why? Let us learn from you.

Oh and forget about breathing! You have to bond with your pool aka water it! Once you get tired of hand watering it you can use a sprinkler or two for that huge thing.

You know what time it is................Time for your own set of links!

Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

PoolMath

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Make sure to ask any and all questions you might have no matter how small! We have all been where you are at one point.

Do you have your test kit yet? Now is the time to think about getting it so you can have it when the plaster goes in. Look in my siggy for the one I think is the best bang for the buck!

Kim

 

[akageorgi]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE !!!
I was around all day "supervising" the concrete guys. I think that was more difficult than filling sand bags!
They wanted to make the steps down into the pool 12" down and only 12" wide.
I just thought that was a long step down. I made them do 8" down and 14" wide and I works soooo much better. We also were
originally going to have a bench on the side of the spa, but after looking at it I thought it would be better to put some steps up instead of just a bench.

 

[kimkats]

Both awesome changes! Those steps up to the spa are going to be nice for many reasons. Steps to the spa or varied height seats! I like how they are right by the stools.

Yeah what is with the 12" steps?? I know the water will help buoy you up but...much better to have it a "stepable" height!

Kim

 

[akageorgi]

Nothing major happening here. Almost have tile selection done. Looking for recommendations on reselling equipment/stuff I don't need.
I bought stuff I thought i needed but didn't.
Right now the list is an intellibrite 5g spa color light with a 100' cord (i need 105' cord!!!doh!)

6 Hayward main drains, never knew that they were not used in gunite pools anymore, and when I found out it was too late to return.

3 jandy neverlube 3 way valves. 1 jandy ball valve 1 neverlube 3" 3way valve.
Think that's about it, should I do Craigslist,ebay?

Any info would be great...

 

[kimkats]

?? on the main drains........They are still used if you plumb for them. I see a pipe in your deep end. What is that for? AND why did you get 6?

You can try to sell at the "coffee bar" area if you would like. Don't forget about shipping when you set the price.

Craig's list is scary.......meet at the police office if you go that way.

Ebay might be a better idea.

Hummmm what about some of your subs? They might buy them for future builds........just an idea.

Kim

 

[akageorgi]

Happy Holidays from Laughlin!

Just a lot of clean up going on in our backyard. I've torn out all of the wood framing and back filled the deck.
Latest step is running pipes for sprinklers in the back of the pool, thinking about retaining walls that would frame out
palm trees back there. If I do that, then I think I'm going to use the same bricks for the deck steps.


Pic 1: Decided that we're going to do 2 different waterline tiles. BROWN/BLUE/BROWN/BLUE... Not too blue, not too brown...(see inside spa)
The umbrella in the back is temporary. When I stand up by the spa we can look directly into the neighbors house.
Will probably put a nice big palm tree in that corner to block that view.


Pic 2: Pretty much where we are now. Have some more landscaping/clean up, looking like deck/coping is next on the million list agenda.



Also, need to add 4" to the pool barstools. They are 10" wide now want to put a 14" seat cap on top to make them line up with the tabletop. Any suggestions??? Was thinking about pouring concrete in 14" x4" tubes then epoxy/rebar-ing them into the bases...

Will have more next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[akageorgi]

?? on the main drains........They are still used if you plumb for them. I see a pipe in your deep end. What is that for? AND why did you get 6?

You can try to sell at the "coffee bar" area if you would like. Don't forget about shipping when you set the price.

Craig's list is scary.......meet at the police office if you go that way.

Ebay might be a better idea.

Hummmm what about some of your subs? They might buy them for future builds........just an idea.

Kim

Had 2 for main drain, 2 for feature drain, 2 for spa drains. Didn't realize with gunite they just concave around the pipes and put the drain covers over.
Plumber guy said that they added more that "could" go wrong, less parts is better...
Update: sold the light at least...

 

[akageorgi]

One other thing on my mind. Plumbing is still under pressure. Did the pressure test 11-15-17 held just fine for over a month. Been under pressure for over a month/half and has lost a little pressure, seems to me like that would be normal after all that time. It's probably going to be another month or so before we get water in the pool, is there anything I should do?

 

[kimkats]

Your pipes are fine if they are holding still! The pressure will fluctuate some with changing temps so that is no big deal.

Have you dug through the tiles boxes to find your fav tiles and some tiles there is no way you would use them? It would be fun to set them where you want. The really pretty ones where your eyes will land as you walk out the door.

I don't know about how to make the stools bigger. I would think you would need to drill holes and put pieces of rebar in them for the new concrete to "grab" onto.

What will you use for the stool tops?

Kim

 

[dtrain]

Nice pool. What size did you make your equipment pad? What are you using for water features? Are all three pumps VS? Keep up the good work.

 

[akageorgi]

Nice pool. What size did you make your equipment pad? What are you using for water features? Are all three pumps VS? Keep up the good work.

Originally lined up all my equipment on a 4x8
piece of plywood, the way I thought they'd work.
Decided to poor a 5x8 pad to give me some extra
room. Plumber came in an streamlined all the equipment
so now I have a bunch of extra space on the pad.
Right now we're starting with just a bubbler and 4 deck jets on
the feature pump, plus one preplumbed future something or other. spa and feature pumps or both 2Hp whisperflo.
only the main pump is vs.

 

[akageorgi]

Not much new, the sky is leaking. Someone said that it was called rain.
I'll have to verify that with google or alexa after I do this.
Anyway latest project is trying to lay out the steps up to the deck.


Sprinkler system around pool is done, I'm going to try do the steps and fire pit myself.
That should be it for this DIY'er. The rest of our pool will need to be finished by the pros.
(Unless I find some wild tile-sauce that turns me into TileMan!):super:

 

[kimkats]

What are you going to make the steps out of? I like the curves! That will look classy!

TILE MAN!! I say watch some YouTube!! Then buy some cheap tile and a board and see how it goes on the board. IF it goes good then do the pool. I learned how to finish drywall this way. I had a board divided into different areas. I tried the many techniques out there until I found one we both liked and I could do. I did the whole pool house (750squ. feet) with HUGE vaulted ceilings. I would do a section at a time as I could. Saying that I will tell you that you could NOT pay me to do it again

Kim