Richmond TX new build; 2 days in and Gunite is already done
- Thread starter ocmagnum
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,890
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Nice pool! Congrats
Thanks! Tile and coping is almost finished
The green stripes in the last pic is protective tape over the Brilliant Wonders LED descents
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,890
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
That bottom pic is a bit freaky because the worker's shirt blends-in with the fence and make him look almost ghostly. Neat trick on the eyes. That stone work is coming along nicely. Good week's weather for work like this.
I'm eagerly watching your build.
My wife and I are planning to build a similar pool for our new home. Rectangle with spa inside. Our initial thought was 14 x 35 for the pool with a 7 foot spa. We had a 14 x 28 pool at our previous home with no spa and thought it was a very nice size, thus add 7 foot of spa and ledge and you get 14 x 35. Our water depth on the 14 x 28 was 3.5 -> 6, and we were happy with that too. Our initial bids have been too expensive, $130k-$160k, (including decking, auto-cover, and nothing in concrete happens in TN for under $75k, etc...), so we know we're going to have to scale things back a bit. Maybe 14 x 30 with a 6 foot spa will work for us and help trim costs a bit.
Why did you choose a 6 foot size for the spa? We don't really know what we want in terms of size for that and the ledge.
If it helps, I noticed in your previous post that you get a tiger shark with your build. We had one of those and I really liked it. It did a great job in my 14 x 28 rectangle. It was a screened pool, so no big debris, but dirt and worms and all that stuff it did a great job. I did get a caddy for it, you may want to consider this, the tiger shark doesn't seem heavy unless you have to carry it somewhere when its wet, dripping, and you're old and weak like me. Easy to order one later if needed.
Good luck with the build, can't wait to see it finished. Do you have kids who will be using the pool too? I ask because the 14 x 28 was great for my kids who are small for age, and both under 7, but I did wonder if the pool would seem smaller once they were bigger kids, then we moved before we could find out.
My wife and I are planning to build a similar pool for our new home. Rectangle with spa inside. Our initial thought was 14 x 35 for the pool with a 7 foot spa. We had a 14 x 28 pool at our previous home with no spa and thought it was a very nice size, thus add 7 foot of spa and ledge and you get 14 x 35. Our water depth on the 14 x 28 was 3.5 -> 6, and we were happy with that too. Our initial bids have been too expensive, $130k-$160k, (including decking, auto-cover, and nothing in concrete happens in TN for under $75k, etc...), so we know we're going to have to scale things back a bit. Maybe 14 x 30 with a 6 foot spa will work for us and help trim costs a bit.
Why did you choose a 6 foot size for the spa? We don't really know what we want in terms of size for that and the ledge.
If it helps, I noticed in your previous post that you get a tiger shark with your build. We had one of those and I really liked it. It did a great job in my 14 x 28 rectangle. It was a screened pool, so no big debris, but dirt and worms and all that stuff it did a great job. I did get a caddy for it, you may want to consider this, the tiger shark doesn't seem heavy unless you have to carry it somewhere when its wet, dripping, and you're old and weak like me. Easy to order one later if needed.
Good luck with the build, can't wait to see it finished. Do you have kids who will be using the pool too? I ask because the 14 x 28 was great for my kids who are small for age, and both under 7, but I did wonder if the pool would seem smaller once they were bigger kids, then we moved before we could find out.
Thanks Green Goblin. Great to hear that you were happy with the TigerShark. But yikes, those quotes are crazy, never thought of TN as a very high cost place. Just for reference, we are at about the half point of your low end bid with a fair amount of bling (but no cover); good luck finding a more reasonable builder!
Our large back easement (which I gladly take in exchange for no back neighbors) dictated the maximum size of the overall pool, and all the designs we got back from the PBs we interviewed had the 6' spa. It looked "right" in the designs and to be honest I never really even thought about it too much. 99% of time it will just be me, my wife and our 12yrd old, so I think that size will be just fine for us without stealing too much pool footage.
And just because I can't let a day go by without posting pictures, here is the tile work in the skimmer area; I think they did a pretty good job!
And here a few shots of the equipment as the mud finally dried up a bit for me to go have a closer look. Anything that stands out to any of the experts here?
Our large back easement (which I gladly take in exchange for no back neighbors
) dictated the maximum size of the overall pool, and all the designs we got back from the PBs we interviewed had the 6' spa. It looked "right" in the designs and to be honest I never really even thought about it too much. 99% of time it will just be me, my wife and our 12yrd old, so I think that size will be just fine for us without stealing too much pool footage.And just because I can't let a day go by without posting pictures, here is the tile work in the skimmer area; I think they did a pretty good job!
And here a few shots of the equipment as the mud finally dried up a bit for me to go have a closer look. Anything that stands out to any of the experts here?
It looks great, and it's amazing to me how quickly it's coming together.
The prices in TN are nuts, and since I'm willing to pay, I must be too. Part of it is that Nashville is booming right now and any sort of tradesperson is likely to be swamped with work-- not exactly a buyer's market. Beyond that the cost of building a gunnite pool here is roughly twice what you might pay in Florida or Texas. A 14 x 28 with absolutely no frills and no deck can probably be done for $75k. That's kind of the entry point, everything else adds on from there. A decent number of builders won't even give you a bid if it's going to be under $100k.
The prices in TN are nuts, and since I'm willing to pay, I must be too. Part of it is that Nashville is booming right now and any sort of tradesperson is likely to be swamped with work-- not exactly a buyer's market. Beyond that the cost of building a gunnite pool here is roughly twice what you might pay in Florida or Texas. A 14 x 28 with absolutely no frills and no deck can probably be done for $75k. That's kind of the entry point, everything else adds on from there. A decent number of builders won't even give you a bid if it's going to be under $100k.
Builder continued to make good progress Thursday/Friday (heavy rain on Saturday). Decking is almost complete:
Love what they did for the skimmer/drain covers (I was full expecting some plastic/metal covers):
Only thing I'm not crazy about is how they tied in the gutters; looks bulky and white, but probably needed for efficiency. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Love what they did for the skimmer/drain covers (I was full expecting some plastic/metal covers):
Only thing I'm not crazy about is how they tied in the gutters; looks bulky and white
, but probably needed for efficiency. Any thoughts or suggestions? 
- Sep 8, 2013
- 606
Paint it. You can do a faux marble look. Or if you have any bricks from the house left, you can block it in
I'd wrap the other surrounding surfaces good to protect them and spray a matching brown spray paint on the white to match the gutter. I painted my PVC at the equipment pad and it matched my filter almost exactly. It helps it blend in to the scenery more to be anything *but* stark white.
Maddie
Maddie
Great idea painting the white; I'm sure that's the way we'll go. Thanks guys and gals!
So, what does a guy have to do to get his own links in a build threat???
So, what does a guy have to do to get his own links in a build threat???
Great idea painting the white; I'm sure that's the way we'll go. Thanks guys and gals!
So, what does a guy have to do to get his own links in a build threat???
You rang???? I am not sure how I missed your thread! So sorry! It looks like a fun one too!
So here is YOUR 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
can't wait to really catch up on your build!Kim
No need to be sorry Kim; but I do feel much better now that I have my very own links . Thanks!
. Thanks!Time for some updates as our PB continues to make excellent progress (can't recommend them enough really!!!) 
.
First on the gutter/drain connectors, without me even asking, he mentioned that they will paint the white parts to match, so that takes care of that.
Even more importantly, they put the WetEdge plaster in on Friday, we went with a new for 2018 color, their Cadet Blue. Saturday was acid wash and we started filling that baby up. 29 hours later, we got a pool
. We love the way it looks.
January 9 was ground breaking and February 4 we had water; fantastic! Today is clean up, equipment start up and finishing touches on decking.
Understand that this update would be useless without pics:
.First on the gutter/drain connectors, without me even asking, he mentioned that they will paint the white parts to match, so that takes care of that.
Even more importantly, they put the WetEdge plaster in on Friday, we went with a new for 2018 color, their Cadet Blue. Saturday was acid wash and we started filling that baby up. 29 hours later, we got a pool
. We love the way it looks.January 9 was ground breaking and February 4 we had water; fantastic! Today is clean up, equipment start up and finishing touches on decking.
Understand that this update would be useless without pics:
Your PB gets an A+ from me! Look at the lights and returns........they match the plaster!! Sweet!!!
I can't wait to see what the final water color settles out to be as it is already very pretty!
LOVE the spa tile! Wait until the sun hits it! BLING!
Kim
I can't wait to see what the final water color settles out to be as it is already very pretty!
LOVE the spa tile! Wait until the sun hits it! BLING!
Kim
Congrats. Looks amazing. Went from start to finish in about 25 days? I didn't know such a thing was possible under normal human circumstances.
I really hope it's everything you were hoping for. Let me know how the spa works out, and if you think it's a good size for 4 adults.
I really hope it's everything you were hoping for. Let me know how the spa works out, and if you think it's a good size for 4 adults.
Thanks; we are extremely happy with both the outcome and the process. Today they should be back to put the fence back up and start repairing the neighbors sprinklers/sod had to be sacrificed for the greater (i.e. our) good .
They also want to put some more polysand (sp?) on the travertine decking, but that should pretty much be in construction wise.
Some pics with lights on:
.They also want to put some more polysand (sp?) on the travertine decking, but that should pretty much be in construction wise.
Some pics with lights on: