New Pool Build Los Angeles

[Tony411LA]

Hello Everyone at TFP,

I want to introduce myself. I’m Tony and I live in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles. I’ve been on TFP for about a month just soaking in as much knowledge as possible, looking at the amazing pool builds, and trying to get ideas for my upcoming build. Every single neighbor on my block has a pool, so I’ve had a lot of “pool envy” for the 4 years I’ve lived in this neighborhood. And now it’s official, I am finally getting my own pool! I’ve signed my contract and I’m waiting for my Grading Pre-Inspection, since I live in the hills. Fortunately, I am at the top of the crest of the hill and my backyard is relatively flat, so my PB doesn’t think that will be an issue. Once GPI is signed off, I should get my permit within a week, and start digging within 10 days of that. With that said, I should have a big hole in my backyard before the first of May.

My pool is an IG 17k gallons, 12’ x 38’ rectangle (mainly for swimming laps) with a raised Spa (7 Jets and 1 GloBrite) with Spillway and gas fire feature at one end, and a small reef shelf (with lighted Bubbler) for my dogs. The depth is 4-6-4. My proposed equipment is as follows:

Pentair IntelliFlo VS Pump
Pentair 420 Clean and Clear Filter
Pentair 400K BTU Master Temp
Pentair IntelliChlor IC 40 w/Easy Touch PSL4 Bundle
ScreenLogic 2 Interface and Wireless Kit
Pentair IntelliPH Acid Delivery
3 GloBrite LED Color Changing Lights in pool
White Plaster Finish
Natural Grey Pre-cast Coping
1 Waterway Skimmer
2 Drains

I am seriously considering artificial turf instead of concrete or pavers. Since my pool will take up 75% of my backyard, I don’t want to fill it with a lot of hardscape. (A small yard is one of the drawbacks of living in the city.)

I already made the change with my PB from the IC 20 to the IC 40 based on what I’ve learned here. Any other recommendations or considerations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

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[Patrick_B]

Hi Tony, and welcome to the forum!

That is a great decision you made doubling the SWG cell size, so I am glad we were able to help you. Lots of members love builds, and they will pile on soon enough I promise. Did the PB ask WHY you wanted to increase the SWG cell so much? :lol:

 

[kimkats]

Tony! You are getting your own pool! You lucky dog! Oh wait it is FOR your dogs!!! Love it!!!

You know what I am going to ask for next......pictures! Pictures of the yard as it is now as well as a pic or two of the doggies!

Thanks for letting us help spend your money!



Kim

 

[Jimrahbe]

Tony,

Welcome to TFP... A Great resource for all new pool builds...

Great job on NOT getting the IC20.. The IC40 will work much better..

I'm a highly biased Pentair guy, so your equipment list looks perfect to me..

Except you left out the most important thing a new pool owner needs.. your TF-100 test kit...

You will love ScreenLogic, which will make using and programming your System 10 x easier.

Of course we expect pics... No pics means your are just making it up...

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.

 

[Tony411LA]

Hi All,

Thanks for the warm welcome. As requested, I'm posting pics of my yard as it currently is. I've not done anything to it in 4 years since I knew I wanted a pool, so I'm almost too embarrassed to show it. But we're family now, so I'm letting that go.
Google Earth

My backyard is only 66.5' wide and 24' deep from the rear wall to the house, so I don't have a lot of room. Fortunately I only want a lap pool, so this will work for me. I tried to upload additional photos, but I seemed have reached my quota. I'll need to figure out how to post links to a photo site instead. I hope this will do for now. Thanks. ~T

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[Tony411LA]

Hi Tony, and welcome to the forum!

That is a great decision you made doubling the SWG cell size, so I am glad we were able to help you. Lots of members love builds, and they will pile on soon enough I promise. Did the PB ask WHY you wanted to increase the SWG cell so much? :lol:

No, he didn't. I told him TFP recommended to get a size 2-3 times what is needed for your pool capacity and the reason, and he just said ,"Okay, well you know that is going to cost more." And I just said, I don't think it will break the bank. It's going to be an interesting relationship.

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[Tony411LA]

Except you left out the most important thing a new pool owner needs.. your TF-100 test kit...

Jim R.

As soon as they start digging, I'm ordering my TF-100 test kit.

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[kimkats]

I see the pool outline with rope so all is good!

Will you have the pool builder break up and remove the concrete back there? That is going to be some hard work!

Tony??? I am guessing this will all be hand and wheel barrow work or is there a way to get any equipment back there?

Kim

 

[Tony411LA]

Hi Kim,

Yes, they are breaking up and taking away the concrete. It's adding about $1.5K to the cost, but it is what it is. I was going to have it done a few years ago, but every quote I received was at least $2K, so I decided to just wait for the pool build. Fortunately, I have 7 feet of space on one side of my house, and they only need 6 feet to get the Bobcat back there. They will have to carefully dismantle a 18" retaining wall to get the bobcat through the side of the house, so it's not as easy as I would like it to be.

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[Tony411LA]

Okay...it seems by quota has been increased...Yeah!! Time for more pics!:lookhere:
Once the yard has been re-grading, the yard will be level with the 2nd step coming off the Lanai, and even with the left of the house. I will be adding one step at each entrance.
Here are the designs from the PB I went with. Ignore the landscaping and decking, as that is not my choice. But the pool style and shape are accurate.

Here is a document I created, which basically outlines my yard as I envision it. And also the plan submitted to the City. There are some errors on the Plan with respect to the setback from the rear wall, which has been corrected. The also do not have all the correct equipment, but my PB said don't worry about it, as long as it is correct on the contract, which it is. (But I did express my concern as to how they could get that wrong.)
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[Tony411LA]

Oh! And for Kim, I almost forgot my puppies, Cooper and Molly.

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[BeachHead]

Really nice use of your space! And the fire feature built into the spa wall is pretty awesome too. Can't wait to see this come together.

 

[Tony411LA]

Really nice use of your space! And the fire feature built into the spa wall is pretty awesome too. Can't wait to see this come together.

Thanks Beach. The fire feature in the spa wall was my PBs idea. I was originally thinking just a fire pit in the yard. But it is definitely something different. I was checking out your build, now that is a GREAT use of space. Kudos to the Mrs for coming up with the idea of putting the Spa around the corner. I would have never thought of that. My other half didn't even want a Spa or fire feature, due to the small size of our yard. But I held steadfast and won that round. But I am sure I will have to concede on something else down the road. But at least we both agreed on the Lightwave tile. We are going with Aquamarine. I want to go with Quartzscape, if it's not too much of an upcharge, so I'm waiting for my PB to tell me what the upcharge will be.

 

[kimkats]

Tony! I love it! NICE use of the space!! I love everything about it. It has something for everyone!

I am guessing you added those wonderful doors and windows at the back of the house. Nice job! That patio is nice!

Did you put the spa on the end by the bedroom for a reason? See I am thinking if you the spa on the end by the patio you could be sitting in the spa and watch the game on a TV on the patio.

How much dirt are they going to have to bring in to bring your yard up that much?

What will you have between the pool and house?

CUTE puppies! HI Molly and Copper!! Do you think they will like the pool? Have they been to a river or lake to play?

Thanks for supporting the site! That badge looks pretty over there! Did you get your email with the discount for the test kit?



Kim

 

[BeachHead]

Thanks Beach. The fire feature in the spa wall was my PBs idea. I was originally thinking just a fire pit in the yard. But it is definitely something different. I was checking out your build, now that is a GREAT use of space. Kudos to the Mrs for coming up with the idea of putting the Spa around the corner. I would have never thought of that. My other half didn't even want a Spa or fire feature, due to the small size of our yard. But I held steadfast and won that round. But I am sure I will have to concede on something else down the road. But at least we both agreed on the Lightwave tile. We are going with Aquamarine. I want to go with Quartzscape, if it's not too much of an upcharge, so I'm waiting for my PB to tell me what the upcharge will be.

Well, there's some pluses and minuses to our plan. Perhaps the biggest negative is there is a lot of hardscape, so getting the right plants behind the pool (and getting them to grow) is going to be pretty important in the overall look. But that is offset by our second priority, which was LOW maintenance. I like your plan for artificial grass too. You get the green and softening of the grass, without the mess and water usage of real grass. We're using it in the small open area we have left in our yard for those very reasons.

My original first cut at a pool design was similar to yours. I do like the integrated spa. But, it turns out the wrap around is a pretty fun little feature, and we really like the little "private" area for the spa and conversation area. I think you'll have something similar with the fire feature, when the flames are going, you'll have a similar spot back in that corner. And with that in mind, is there any way you can move the equipment pad along the side of the house? It will get noisy when you're running the spa and jets.

Maybe I missed this, but what are you planning on for cleaning? Even if you're planning on a robot, it's a good idea to get a suction port included, if nothing else to make it easy to manually vacuum with. And if you're going with a suction side cleaner, so far, I'm very impressed with our Hayward aquanaut. Over the years I've used kreepy krauly and zodiac cleaners, and this one is the best so far.

You're definitely going to have one of the nicest back yards in your neighborhood. That will be the sweet payback from the 4 years of waiting..

 

[Brentr]

Tony just my 2 cents but I think your spa should be on the other side of the pool so that you can see the TV which I assume would be in the lanai. Also pre plan for lots of electrical outlets in all 4 corners of your space and water spickets. We have 12 electrical outlets and wish we had more. I have plans to add at least 4 more this year. Plan on as much concrete/ paver space. You will be quite surprised how much room lounge chairs and tables take up.

 

[Tony411LA]

Tony! I love it! NICE use of the space!! I love everything about it. It has something for everyone!

I am guessing you added those wonderful doors and windows at the back of the house. Nice job! That patio is nice!

Did you put the spa on the end by the bedroom for a reason? See I am thinking if you the spa on the end by the patio you could be sitting in the spa and watch the game on a TV on the patio.

How much dirt are they going to have to bring in to bring your yard up that much?

What will you have between the pool and house?

CUTE puppies! HI Molly and Copper!! Do you think they will like the pool? Have they been to a river or lake to play?

Thanks for supporting the site! That badge looks pretty over there! Did you get your email with the discount for the test kit?



Kim

Hi Kim, I did a complete interior remodel on the house, and those French doors used to be windows. Additionally, what is now the Lanai, used to be an interior sunroom with louvered windows. During the first summer I was here, it would make the house extremely hot. Turning it into an outdoor room and putting two sets of sliders in the openings for the living room and dining room made a huge difference in keeping the house cooler.

I put the spa on that side of the pool because it's closer to the master bedroom.

Between the pool and the house, and around the fire feature. I want to do artificial turf and 24" x 48" concrete pavers spaced a foot apart. I have a rudimentary design of it (in the previous pics) that I created in Excel.

I've taken the dogs to a dog beach, and Cooper LOVES the water. Molly is a little prima donna, she didn't like it. But she doesn't even like stepping in wet grass to do her business. She would rather go on the concrete. But I think she'll be okay if the water is warm, because she doesn't mind baths.

The badge looks GREAT! I feel I've already benefited immensely from what I've learned on this site in the last month. I appreciate all the support.



And I did get the email. Thanks!

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[Tony411LA]

Well, there's some pluses and minuses to our plan. Perhaps the biggest negative is there is a lot of hardscape, so getting the right plants behind the pool (and getting them to grow) is going to be pretty important in the overall look. But that is offset by our second priority, which was LOW maintenance. I like your plan for artificial grass too. You get the green and softening of the grass, without the mess and water usage of real grass. We're using it in the small open area we have left in our yard for those very reasons.

My original first cut at a pool design was similar to yours. I do like the integrated spa. But, it turns out the wrap around is a pretty fun little feature, and we really like the little "private" area for the spa and conversation area. I think you'll have something similar with the fire feature, when the flames are going, you'll have a similar spot back in that corner. And with that in mind, is there any way you can move the equipment pad along the side of the house? It will get noisy when you're running the spa and jets.

Maybe I missed this, but what are you planning on for cleaning? Even if you're planning on a robot, it's a good idea to get a suction port included, if nothing else to make it easy to manually vacuum with. And if you're going with a suction side cleaner, so far, I'm very impressed with our Hayward aquanaut. Over the years I've used kreepy krauly and zodiac cleaners, and this one is the best so far.

You're definitely going to have one of the nicest back yards in your neighborhood. That will be the sweet payback from the 4 years of waiting..

Hi Beach, Thank you! I am excited to see how it is going to turn out.

I completely agree with you on LOW maintenance around the pool. How can you enjoy it, if you are constantly working on the landscaping?

I thought about moving the equipment to the side of the house that is closest to where it is in the design, (the other side doesn't give me enough clearance) but it would be right under my master bedroom window, so that was nixed. My PB plans on building a wall to hide it, I think I may have the wall centered opposite the spa/fire feature with opening on both sides to get to equipment, instead of in the corner. Plus that side of the house is going to be the new dog run. My plan is to teach my dogs to use the dog run and NOT the artificial grass, but I will still get the kind that is suitable for pets, in case there is an accident.

I plan on getting a robot pool cleaner. I already have an iRobot vacuum and Braava floor washer and absolutely love them. My PB said I really didn't need a suction line if I plan on getting a robot. (Although I have since read it is nice to have one in case you need to do some quick vacuuming.)

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[Tony411LA]

Tony just my 2 cents but I think your spa should be on the other side of the pool so that you can see the TV which I assume would be in the lanai. Also pre plan for lots of electrical outlets in all 4 corners of your space and water spickets. We have 12 electrical outlets and wish we had more. I have plans to add at least 4 more this year. Plan on as much concrete/ paver space. You will be quite surprised how much room lounge chairs and tables take up.

Hi Brentr, 2 cents or however much you have to give is very welcome. :-D

The side of the yard closest to the Lanai will eventually have an outdoor kitchen. Having the spa and fire feature on that side would be too much with the kitchen also on that side, and would make the yard look unbalanced. Additionally, the side where it is now, is closest to the french doors off the master bedroom. But now that you and Kim Kat have both suggested being able to watch TV from the Spa, I will now need to look into putting an outdoor TV on the pool equipment wall. But that's not going to go over very well. My other half already complains about having 5 TVs in the house, and there are only 2 of us.

Wow, 12 electrical outlets, and still not enough? I was planning electrical by the future kitchen area and on the other side of the yard by the fire feature, but that was it. I hadn't really thought of a reason for much more. (There will eventually be low-voltage lightening, but I am hoping to power and control that all through my EasyTouch load center.) Can you give me some reasons for having as many as you do? Water should be relatively easy, since we will be plumbing for the sprinklers and stub plumbing for the future kitchen.

I would like a little more concrete space, but my other half has vetoed that, prefers more artificial turf. But that means more money, since AF is more expensive than concrete. So I might win that one.

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[Tony411LA]

Kim, I meant to respond to your question about the additional dirt needed for grading. My PB seems to think we will have enough from the actual pool dig, so that should not be an issue. From what I hear, bringing in extra dirt for grading can be expensive. Kind of debunks the old saying "Dirt Cheap". Sorry...I had to say it before someone else did.

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