New Build, Cypress, TX - looking for feedback

[Nectarologist]

Looks great. My .02 on the filter. The one you were quoted is already oversized. I have a smaller one (340 sq ft) for a ~21k pool and it's overkill (which I'm glad). If I close properly and open to a clear pool I'd only need to clean it once at the end of a 4 month season. Though to be honest I usually clean twice. Once mid and the second is after the season is over so I'm fresh to start the next year (but once would be fine). A bigger filter also means larger or more cartridges to replace in the future (they're not cheap & 4 of them are "not cheap" x 4 ).

The kitchen is great. I would move the grill head to the left where the fridge is. People won't be able to sit at the counter in front of the grill. They will feel the heat radiate from it and it won't be comfortable. Plus it will block your view of them while you're cooking. If you decide to nix the fridge get a pull out garbage (assumes you won't have a receptacle somewhere else outside of course). I love mine. I skipped the fridge because I was so close to my house. It was just as easy to go to the kitchen instead of stocking up the fridge. Something to consider since it looks like you're close to the house too. I'm sure you'll get electricity at the kitchen but just mentioning in case you didn't count that. Get an outlet on the face of the bar counter for charging devices and running a blender. Also get one underneath the grill head (inside the structure) and buy a grill with lights built in. It's awesome at night (no shadows while you're trying to cook, just like oven lights). The gill heads may all have lights, I'm not sure. It was an afterthought for me but I like it. Good luck!

 

[Mcow]

Oh good call on moving the grill over! Will keep smoke out if people's faces too.

So I didnt get the outdoor kitchen I wanted but I did get an outdoor fridge and I love mine. Here's a news flash kids do not dry off completely before going in to the house. I know you are all shocked! They are also not great at combining trips like the fortunate times they decide to go IN to use the restroom they seldom think "Hmm this would be a great time to grab a drink!". So this at least eliminates some trips in to the house by kids. I will say I have no illusions that my fridge will last a long time in the Texas heat. I bought the maximum extended warranty and made sure it had no limitations on trips or replacements.

 

[tifftx2000]

Looks great. My .02 on the filter. The one you were quoted is already oversized. I have a smaller one (340 sq ft) for a ~21k pool and it's overkill (which I'm glad). If I close properly and open to a clear pool I'd only need to clean it once at the end of a 4 month season. Though to be honest I usually clean twice. Once mid and the second is after the season is over so I'm fresh to start the next year (but once would be fine). A bigger filter also means larger or more cartridges to replace in the future (they're not cheap & 4 of them are "not cheap" x 4 ).

The kitchen is great. I would move the grill head to the left where the fridge is. People won't be able to sit at the counter in front of the grill. They will feel the heat radiate from it and it won't be comfortable. Plus it will block your view of them while you're cooking. If you decide to nix the fridge get a pull out garbage (assumes you won't have a receptacle somewhere else outside of course). I love mine. I skipped the fridge because I was so close to my house. It was just as easy to go to the kitchen instead of stocking up the fridge. Something to consider since it looks like you're close to the house too. I'm sure you'll get electricity at the kitchen but just mentioning in case you didn't count that. Get an outlet on the face of the bar counter for charging devices and running a blender. Also get one underneath the grill head (inside the structure) and buy a grill with lights built in. It's awesome at night (no shadows while you're trying to cook, just like oven lights). The gill heads may all have lights, I'm not sure. It was an afterthought for me but I like it. Good luck!

Thanks for the info on the filter!

Thank you! We love the kitchen - can't wait to see it all come together. The ONLY reason we put the grill there is because we didn't want to take away too much from the view of the pool from the patio. The counter space where the frig will be will already be taking away some of that view, but thought the grill would really be in the way. Hoping the bar area isn't too much of an issue - if we cook, it won't be for very long and shouldn't bother people too much. Hopefully they are in the pool anyway OR swimming while the grill is in use! haha! Greatly appreciate your feedback though! I love how everyone thinks outside the box!!!!
We do want the frig - haven't thought about a receptacle though. Hmm.... we might be able to just buy a nice one and place it at the end by the sink. We are close to the house, BUT like mentioned below - it would be nice to have access outside to drinks so the kiddos make less trips inside LOL!
They do have an outlet on our bid I believe,BUT I will double check! Thank you!
The grill they quoted us for has lights inside the grill - THANK YOU!

If you think of anything else - let me know! All great things!

- - - Updated - - -

Oh good call on moving the grill over! Will keep smoke out if people's faces too.

So I didnt get the outdoor kitchen I wanted but I did get an outdoor fridge and I love mine. Here's a news flash kids do not dry off completely before going in to the house. I know you are all shocked! They are also not great at combining trips like the fortunate times they decide to go IN to use the restroom they seldom think "Hmm this would be a great time to grab a drink!". So this at least eliminates some trips in to the house by kids. I will say I have no illusions that my fridge will last a long time in the Texas heat. I bought the maximum extended warranty and made sure it had no limitations on trips or replacements.

See my reply above about the grill - I didn't want to take away the view of the pool. I like the idea of counter space there to serve food and such.

HAHA - yes! Keep the kids outside! Do you know what frig you have!? Can you send me info on it please!? THANKS!

 

[Mcow]

See my reply above about the grill - I didn't want to take away the view of the pool. I like the idea of counter space there to serve food and such

HAHA - yes! Keep the kids outside! Do you know what frig you have!? Can you send me info on it please!? THANKS!

Ah yes that makes sense on the grill can't block the view!

This is the one I bought. Honestly I did a TON of research on this as I was extremely worried about the longevity. The general consensus was they all eventually fail in Texas heat (unless you buy the $2-3k one which Was out of my budget) so getting the longest warranty you can is the way to go.
I bought mainly because I liked the glass door and had decent reviews. I also needed the skinny one (which honestly still holds a ton of beverages because it is pretty deep including a bottom shelf specifically to hold 3 bottles of wine) because of space limitations. I also looked at Avalon and they had decent reviews.

EdgeStar OBR900 -84-can-outdoor-beverage-refrigerator-ss - Build.com

Since I didn't have a kitchen to put it in I built this aluminum and cedar enclosure for it to offer a little more protection. It shaded so hopefully it will prolong the lifespan.

 

[tifftx2000]

I agree - I have been researching a lot as well. I found one online at bbqguys that was outdoor rated - it was about $800, which isn't terrible for being outdoor rated. I also don't want to spend that amount for a frig that won't work next year!
Warranties are def. important!

Thanks for the info - I will look into the one that you have shared! It does look rather skinny - I think our space was 21 inches.
Love what you built for it! LOOKS great!!!!

 

[Mcow]

Yep I looked at bbqguys as well. They had a sell at build.com at the time and they are partnered up with a pretty good warranty program so bought from there. For me it was between the this and Avalon. I was going to get a 21" fridge but didn't because I was trying to fit it next to my grill and did not have enough room for my 7' wide grill and a 21" fridge. I ended up not even putting it next to my grill so could have gone with the 21" after all.

 

[Brentr]

Love everything I am seeing! Everyone has your back. I am in just to watch! What a great group of people! THANKS!

Kim

Same here I love everything and agree with KIM. A couple of suggestions if I may. Put in as many electrical outlets on the borders of your concrete deck. We have at least 12 outlet boxes and run out especially around the holidays when the wife puts out lots of things light Christmas trees lights and flamingos etc. Also plan on where you might want to mount a tv to be able to be viewed from the summer kitchen and the pool. You may want to have 2 tvs. We have one in the flamingo lounge however it is mounted on a swivel so we can watch tv any where in the pool, summer kitchen (aka the dolphin bar and grill) , and pool areas. Btw we have 2 bars, one in the flamingo lounge and one next to the dolphin bar and grill. [emoji2]
Also make sure that you make the pool equipment pad as large as possible for future heat pump and or solar and also to put a storage box for your chemicals and pool toys.

 

[tifftx2000]

Same here I love everything and agree with KIM. A couple of suggestions if I may. Put in as many electrical outlets on the borders of your concrete deck. We have at least 12 outlet boxes and run out especially around the holidays when the wife puts out lots of things light Christmas trees lights and flamingos etc. Also plan on where you might want to mount a tv to be able to be viewed from the summer kitchen and the pool. You may want to have 2 tvs. We have one in the flamingo lounge however it is mounted on a swivel so we can watch tv any where in the pool, summer kitchen (aka the dolphin bar and grill) , and pool areas. Btw we have 2 bars, one in the flamingo lounge and one next to the dolphin bar and grill. [emoji2]
Also make sure that you make the pool equipment pad as large as possible for future heat pump and or solar and also to put a storage box for your chemicals and pool toys.

Hmm - interesting! I would think having them around the decking would be some type of hazard!? LOL
NICE!
Not sure we will do a TV out there - honestly.

GOOD CALL - The equipment pad is on the other side of the house - so would be nice to have it a bit bigger than needed! Thank you!!

 

[Brentr]

Hmm - interesting! I would think having them around the decking would be some type of hazard!? LOL
NICE!
Not sure we will do a TV out there - honestly.

GOOD CALL - The equipment pad is on the other side of the house - so would be nice to have it a bit bigger than needed! Thank you!!

What? no TV out there Football season is here and there is nothing better than grilling and chilling with the guys in the outdoor kitchen watching football or soaking in the spa with your hunny watching your favorite romantic movie or hanging out in the pool while watching Nascar Races in 5-1 surround. Your ourdoor space will become an extension of your house and you will find that you will be hanging out there 90% of the time, we only go inside the house to sleep and do laundry

 

[tifftx2000]

What? no TV out there Football season is here and there is nothing better than grilling and chilling with the guys in the outdoor kitchen watching football or soaking in the spa with your hunny watching your favorite romantic movie or hanging out in the pool while watching Nascar Races in 5-1 surround. Your ourdoor space will become an extension of your house and you will find that you will be hanging out there 90% of the time, we only go inside the house to sleep and do laundry

Well now we have to figure out where and how to put a TV out there!!! LOL
The porch isn't very big - I will have to take actual pictures and post.

 

[Mcow]

Took this pic this weekend and thought of you. Shows flagstone on just the curve and the tiny bit of mud out finish on the back.

 

[tifftx2000]

Took this pic this weekend and thought of you. Shows flagstone on just the curve and the tiny bit of mud out finish on the back.

LOVE!!!! SO funny you posted this!
We met with the pool rep yesterday and picked everything out - my oh my, how overwhelming that whole process was! They mentioned they just leave it concrete, but could do the flagstone or even the spray deck just a few feet in - like you did. I like that option for sure. I am most worried about the side closest to the spa.... not so much the other end.

I am MOST nervous about the flagstone... we chose this over travertine. I just didn't want to add on another $1300 for travetine when I do like the look of most flagstone!
I may actually go and pick out my flagstone because there are so many different color variations. I absolutely LOVE your flagstone color - do you have any idea what the name is or did you just simply say 'I want flagstone' and they chose it for you!?
We close on our loan Thursday, HOPE to dig Monday...... except now with this tropical disturbance brewing in the Gulf.... that may get pushed back once again!
Thank you for sharing that picture! Your pool turned out amazing!!!

 

[Mcow]

LOVE!!!! SO funny you posted this!
We met with the pool rep yesterday and picked everything out - my oh my, how overwhelming that whole process was! They mentioned they just leave it concrete, but could do the flagstone or even the spray deck just a few feet in - like you did. I like that option for sure. I am most worried about the side closest to the spa.... not so much the other end.

I am MOST nervous about the flagstone... we chose this over travertine. I just didn't want to add on another $1300 for travetine when I do like the look of most flagstone!
I may actually go and pick out my flagstone because there are so many different color variations. I absolutely LOVE your flagstone color - do you have any idea what the name is or did you just simply say 'I want flagstone' and they chose it for you!?
We close on our loan Thursday, HOPE to dig Monday...... except now with this tropical disturbance brewing in the Gulf.... that may get pushed back once again!
Thank you for sharing that picture! Your pool turned out amazing!!!

Ours is "Oklahoma Flagstone" which I believe is the most common in our area. Also not sure of your preference but you can ask for either "random" or "square" cut. We went with square which just means most pieces are cut mostly square or rectangular. Random you end up with more triangle pieces. It is just a personal preference.

Good luck on getting your loan closed and hopefully you will be digging soon! Rain has been crazy this year!

 

[tifftx2000]

Great, thank you!
I will have them check with their project manager and see if that is an option... or if I should just go and pick it out.
Interesting - we were not given options with that...

THANKS! Will keep you posted!

 

[Trele6]

Oh good call on moving the grill over! Will keep smoke out if people's faces too.

So I didnt get the outdoor kitchen I wanted but I did get an outdoor fridge and I love mine. Here's a news flash kids do not dry off completely before going in to the house. I know you are all shocked! They are also not great at combining trips like the fortunate times they decide to go IN to use the restroom they seldom think "Hmm this would be a great time to grab a drink!". So this at least eliminates some trips in to the house by kids. I will say I have no illusions that my fridge will last a long time in the Texas heat. I bought the maximum extended warranty and made sure it had no limitations on trips or replacements.

I'd double check your warranty to ensure it covers outside use. I've read a few articles about people buying refrigerators for their garages and the fact they are kept in a hot area voided the warranties. I assume you have this covered but wanted to mention just in case.

 

[Mcow]

I'd double check your warranty to ensure it covers outside use. I've read a few articles about people buying refrigerators for their garages and the fact they are kept in a hot area voided the warranties. I assume you have this covered but wanted to mention just in case.

Yes it is an outdoor rated refrigerator.

 

[Nursenini]

Hi Tiff!
Welcome to TFP! Such a wonderful community of super friendly, helpful people!
You have gotten great suggestions and advice! Your design is just BEAUTIFUL!

I'd like to chime in, if I may.

Lights! Very important that all areas are well lit. My tanning ledge ended up being pitch black at night because the builder did not listen to me. Besides not being attractive, it's just plain unsafe not to see the edges.

The step around the spa is great! We have a small ledge in front of ours the I wish was wider (deeper?) because my grandkids use it to climb back and forth between the "little pool" (spa) and the "big pool".

Robot- if your PB doesn't offer one that you want, take the credit and go buy your own. One of the best things we did. I highly recommend the Doheny's Discovery. If you do a search on here you will find a thread about this great little robot. You might want to have the kids start thinking about names for your cleaner! Mine is called Wall-E. I think just about everyone has named theirs something fun. My grandkids love it and always ask about him.

Let's talk depth. I was concerned about the depth being too deep (I'm under 5'), so we went with 3.6/5.6/4. After having the pool for a year now, I deeply regret not going deeper. I wish it was more like 4/7/4 or at least 6.6 in the middle. I have 7 grandchildren ages 6 and under. The oldest 4 (soon to be followed by the littler ones) spend ALL THEIR TIME jumping in and climbing out to jump back in. We are CONSTANTLY having to make sure they jump to the middle and not jump straight legged. My 6 yr old grandson recently jumped straight legged and touched the bottom. This was from the deck. I would never allow them to jump from the wall. Spinal cord injuries can and do happen with straight legged jumps in too shallow water. I jumped in and forgot to tuck once and almost broke my ankle.
Another consideration with depth is that shallow pools get really warm in the summer. Deeper water stays cooler.

Outlets- get as many as you can! We had one outlet on our patio before we built. We had them add an additional patio outlet, 2 outlets st the back of the yard, one by the fire pit and one by the spa, and had 3 placed on the pergola as well as one installed at the equiptment pad. We aren't sorry. I wish we had added a 4 th to the pergola. We will also have 2 or 3 added to the kitchen when we finally build that, maybe next year. We also did not plan for a TV, but I ended up installing a bracket under our patio and putting up a cheap used TV. The bracket moves and we can see the tv from almost everywhere except the spa. There was no way to do it without getting an expensive outdoor tv and all weather cabinet. For the price of an outdoor tv, I can replace ours every few years (if needed) for the next 10 yrs or more. It is nice to sit by the fire or in the tanning ledge or float and watch a movie, or the news in the morning with my coffee.

You will want a light at your equiptment pad! My PB told me I would never need to be out there at night and didn't place one when I requested it. I can not tell you how many times I have had to go out there in this past year to check on something or drain water from the pool in the middle of the night because of heavy rains and I CAN'T SEE!! Holding an umbrella and a flashlight is not an easy feat while trying to turn my multiport valve handle to waste or roll out the back wash hose. I know you have a cart filter planned and I know they don't function like the DE and sand filters, but trust me, you will need to go out there at night at some point and you will be glad of a light!

We were initially going to get the Prologic system but upgraded to the Omnilogic so I could control and check on the pool from my phone.

Travertine vs flagstone...$1300 is not much to upgrade IMO and my understanding is that flagstone gets much hotter than travertine. This would be an issue with little one's feet and if doing a sit and spin entry to the spa, that might be a bit more comfortable and not snag suits as much.

I highly tecommend a step or 2 inside the spa. I have 2. Makes getting in and out of the spa easier and the top step is great for cooling off on if you get too hot in the spa but don't really want to get out. Varying seat heights in the spa is great, too, for varying height people. Several people here have also done a rolled inside edge, better for leaning your head back.

An umbrella hole on your shelf is a great idea, if you don't have one planned already.

Consider your stair/step heights if anyone has mobility issues or you plan to stay there forever (we all get old!). Standard step height is about 12" which is super high. I modified mine so it was just like walking up a regular flight of stairs.

Nice to see anothe Finest Finishes pool! I have the Radiant Fusion in Topaz which has the glass beads (a ton and they glow in the sun) and the abalone shells. I had them add a lot of extra abalone. SUPER SPARKLY!! I highly recommend it!

That's all I can think of at the moment...

Oh! Test kit!! Since you are here on TFP, I imagine you will want to do your own testing. The best and most recommended is the TF-100 test kit. It is the best bang for your buck with more of the reagents we use regularly. Getting it before you have water in your pool is recommended so you have some time to practice and can get a feel for it. Plus it's good to know what your fill water has in it.

I HIGHLY recommend someone is there to monitor while they are building, at least the major things anyway. Many mistakes and errors have been caught that way and it's much more difficult and frustrating trying to get them to fix or redo something that was done wrong.

What an an exciting time!! Congratulations!!

 

[tifftx2000]

Hi Tiff!
Welcome to TFP! Such a wonderful community of super friendly, helpful people!
You have gotten great suggestions and advice! Your design is just BEAUTIFUL!

I'd like to chime in, if I may.

Lights! Very important that all areas are well lit. My tanning ledge ended up being pitch black at night because the builder did not listen to me. Besides not being attractive, it's just plain unsafe not to see the edges.

The step around the spa is great! We have a small ledge in front of ours the I wish was wider (deeper?) because my grandkids use it to climb back and forth between the "little pool" (spa) and the "big pool".

Robot- if your PB doesn't offer one that you want, take the credit and go buy your own. One of the best things we did. I highly recommend the Doheny's Discovery. If you do a search on here you will find a thread about this great little robot. You might want to have the kids start thinking about names for your cleaner! Mine is called Wall-E. I think just about everyone has named theirs something fun. My grandkids love it and always ask about him.

Let's talk depth. I was concerned about the depth being too deep (I'm under 5'), so we went with 3.6/5.6/4. After having the pool for a year now, I deeply regret not going deeper. I wish it was more like 4/7/4 or at least 6.6 in the middle. I have 7 grandchildren ages 6 and under. The oldest 4 (soon to be followed by the littler ones) spend ALL THEIR TIME jumping in and climbing out to jump back in. We are CONSTANTLY having to make sure they jump to the middle and not jump straight legged. My 6 yr old grandson recently jumped straight legged and touched the bottom. This was from the deck. I would never allow them to jump from the wall. Spinal cord injuries can and do happen with straight legged jumps in too shallow water. I jumped in and forgot to tuck once and almost broke my ankle.
Another consideration with depth is that shallow pools get really warm in the summer. Deeper water stays cooler.

Outlets- get as many as you can! We had one outlet on our patio before we built. We had them add an additional patio outlet, 2 outlets st the back of the yard, one by the fire pit and one by the spa, and had 3 placed on the pergola as well as one installed at the equiptment pad. We aren't sorry. I wish we had added a 4 th to the pergola. We will also have 2 or 3 added to the kitchen when we finally build that, maybe next year. We also did not plan for a TV, but I ended up installing a bracket under our patio and putting up a cheap used TV. The bracket moves and we can see the tv from almost everywhere except the spa. There was no way to do it without getting an expensive outdoor tv and all weather cabinet. For the price of an outdoor tv, I can replace ours every few years (if needed) for the next 10 yrs or more. It is nice to sit by the fire or in the tanning ledge or float and watch a movie, or the news in the morning with my coffee.

You will want a light at your equiptment pad! My PB told me I would never need to be out there at night and didn't place one when I requested it. I can not tell you how many times I have had to go out there in this past year to check on something or drain water from the pool in the middle of the night because of heavy rains and I CAN'T SEE!! Holding an umbrella and a flashlight is not an easy feat while trying to turn my multiport valve handle to waste or roll out the back wash hose. I know you have a cart filter planned and I know they don't function like the DE and sand filters, but trust me, you will need to go out there at night at some point and you will be glad of a light!

We were initially going to get the Prologic system but upgraded to the Omnilogic so I could control and check on the pool from my phone.

Travertine vs flagstone...$1300 is not much to upgrade IMO and my understanding is that flagstone gets much hotter than travertine. This would be an issue with little one's feet and if doing a sit and spin entry to the spa, that might be a bit more comfortable and not snag suits as much.

I highly tecommend a step or 2 inside the spa. I have 2. Makes getting in and out of the spa easier and the top step is great for cooling off on if you get too hot in the spa but don't really want to get out. Varying seat heights in the spa is great, too, for varying height people. Several people here have also done a rolled inside edge, better for leaning your head back.

An umbrella hole on your shelf is a great idea, if you don't have one planned already.

Consider your stair/step heights if anyone has mobility issues or you plan to stay there forever (we all get old!). Standard step height is about 12" which is super high. I modified mine so it was just like walking up a regular flight of stairs.

Nice to see anothe Finest Finishes pool! I have the Radiant Fusion in Topaz which has the glass beads (a ton and they glow in the sun) and the abalone shells. I had them add a lot of extra abalone. SUPER SPARKLY!! I highly recommend it!

That's all I can think of at the moment...

Oh! Test kit!! Since you are here on TFP, I imagine you will want to do your own testing. The best and most recommended is the TF-100 test kit. It is the best bang for your buck with more of the reagents we use regularly. Getting it before you have water in your pool is recommended so you have some time to practice and can get a feel for it. Plus it's good to know what your fill water has in it.

I HIGHLY recommend someone is there to monitor while they are building, at least the major things anyway. Many mistakes and errors have been caught that way and it's much more difficult and frustrating trying to get them to fix or redo something that was done wrong.

What an an exciting time!! Congratulations!!

THANK YOU! Yes - everyone has been SO very helpful and friendly!! I have made several changes based solely off of this site - very appreciative!

We plan on adding I think the LED bubbler lights - they are a bit expensive BUT I think well worth it!

I initially did not like that step that goes all the way around to the spa - I was going to remove and fix the stairs... then I kept looking at it and it grew on me! Then someone mentioned it being a good spot for people to sit while others we in the spa or just in general a good sitting spot! SO I kept it and like it! I still want to fix the stairs......

I will look into that robot - as of now, we are sticking with the Polaris cleaner.

We changed our depth to 4ft minimum b/c of many who suggested that - I think that was a great idea for us!! We MAY still change the deeper part to closer to 6ft... as of now it is only 5'6" I want to say... I will ask about that!

Someone else mentioned outlets - I never even thought about that, except to our kitchen! They are adding two to our kitchen area - I will see where about I could use others and have them do that. Never thought about the equipment pad either - ours is on the other side of our house, which is DARK! Good call!!!

Can you not check on the pool with the Prologic? Hmm..... Something else to look into.

My husband is dead set on the flagstone, he loves the 'rustic' look and I like it too - I just worry about the color variations that it comes in! I may end up going to pick this out.

We will have the step into the spa - I verified that in our meeting last night and we do also have an umbrella hole on our shelf.

We are excited about the color we chose - Micro Fusion Laguna! We did not add the abalone shells

I will look into the kit! Thank you for all of your awesome advice!!!

 

[SpringPool]

THANK YOU! Yes - everyone has been SO very helpful and friendly!! I have made several changes based solely off of this site - very appreciative!

We plan on adding I think the LED bubbler lights - they are a bit expensive BUT I think well worth it!

Just though I'd mention I researched the bubbler lights as well. Check out the everything else forum for a lot of great info. I was swayed by others who had problems. Also the expense was high. Instead we places a 20w jandy nichless on the sun self instead.


Can't wait to see some pictures!

 

[Brentr]

THANK YOU! Yes - everyone has been SO very helpful and friendly!! I have made several changes based solely off of this site - very appreciative!

We plan on adding I think the LED bubbler lights - they are a bit expensive BUT I think well worth it!

I initially did not like that step that goes all the way around to the spa - I was going to remove and fix the stairs... then I kept looking at it and it grew on me! Then someone mentioned it being a good spot for people to sit while others we in the spa or just in general a good sitting spot! SO I kept it and like it! I still want to fix the stairs......

I will look into that robot - as of now, we are sticking with the Polaris cleaner.

We changed our depth to 4ft minimum b/c of many who suggested that - I think that was a great idea for us!! We MAY still change the deeper part to closer to 6ft... as of now it is only 5'6" I want to say... I will ask about that!

Someone else mentioned outlets - I never even thought about that, except to our kitchen! They are adding two to our kitchen area - I will see where about I could use others and have them do that. Never thought about the equipment pad either - ours is on the other side of our house, which is DARK! Good call!!!

Can you not check on the pool with the Prologic? Hmm..... Something else to look into.

My husband is dead set on the flagstone, he loves the 'rustic' look and I like it too - I just worry about the color variations that it comes in! I may end up going to pick this out.

We will have the step into the spa - I verified that in our meeting last night and we do also have an umbrella hole on our shelf.

We are excited about the color we chose - Micro Fusion Laguna! We did not add the abalone shells

I will look into the kit! Thank you for all of your awesome advice!!!

Yep that would be me on the number of electrical outlets, the light at the equipment pad along with other suggestions[emoji3]