Small Pool Build - Brisbane, Australia [emoji1037]

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riley00dog

riley00dog

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Gold Supporter
Nov 14, 2017
2,232
Brisbane, Qld, Australia
After lurking for a few months I thought I'd start a thread as our pool build is about to start. I'm feeling fairly comfortable with the build process and I'm ready for the inevitable hiccups along the way. It was quite a process selecting a pool builder, but we're fairly comfortable with the company we chose. My main concern is managing the pool once it's up and running. Will cross that bridge when we come to it. I have read through pool school several times and downloaded the ebook.

We have 2 boys, aged 6 and 11, who are both fish. Our neighbours put a pool in a year or so ago and it's almost cruel for my boys to have to watch them through the fence on 40+ degree days. When we bought our house 10 years ago we specifically looked for a house without a pool. I was terrified that as young children they would find their way in, despite pool fencing etc. They are at an age now where they are both good swimmers and sensible enough to follow the rules. This doesn't stop me worrying completely though!

About our pool... in comparison to other builds I've seen here, it's really just a big puddle! We have a tiny backyard and wanted to leave a little space for the dogs and kids to play. Our access is very narrow at 1.2 metres, so it's $$ for time and small equipment. Dig is due to start tomorrow and will run for 3-4 days pending weather... and of course rain is predicted for the next 3 days. Sigh.

Concrete inground pool
- 3.2 x 6m
- 1.2 - 1.8m depth (water height)
- 0.5m bench width running length of pool
- Mini pebble interior, in salt and pepper
- s.r smith slide (if it fits!)

Decking
- Tumbled Travertine (linen) 40 x40 coping and paved surround
- ceramic waterline tile to blend with travertine look
- frameless glass pool fence on 2 sides, remaining sides will use boundary fence subject to certification.
- in water solar alarm system plus gate latch alarm
- nib retaining wall house side to level off slight slope
- grate drain running alongside nib wall and French drains around the rest of the perimeter.

Equipment/Plumbing
- swcg
- 1.5hp variable speed pump
- Sand filter with glass medium
- Heat pump provisions, but we will organise though a different company (will have its own pump).
- overflow with connection to storm water
* will update these details soon when I dig out the exact specifications.

We're after a fairly understated look and think it will suit the area - sorry Kim, but bling isn't my thing!

I'm already grateful for all the wonderful advice I've read here and looking forward to never setting foot inside a pool store if I can help it!


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Riley, Lurking is NOT a word I would use for you! You have already racked up 74 posts!! I love how you have been on different threads sharing your thoughts and ideas! :hug:

Your yard-were those rocks already there when the house was built? So neat! Love it! Do the boys play mountain goat on them??

I like that you are leaving yard for kid and pet play! Well done!

My bling on your build will be the smiles on the boy's faces when they do their first cannon ball! How is that????

Filter-glass instead of sand. You can if you want to but I have heard most long time glass people that it was not worth the extra money and most of them have removed it and replaced it with sand as it gets "gummy" or such after a while and cannot really be cleaned so must be replaced. Just something to think about.

Make sure to plan for a light over the equipment pad. You will thank me when you have to go out a dark time to do something out there.

Kim:kim:
 
kimkats said:
Riley, Lurking is NOT a word I would use for you!
Kim:kim:
Click to expand...

[emoji23] I didn't realise it was quite that many replies!

The glass medium is included as standard, I might tell our pb to leave it as sand. Do not want gummy glass.

The light over equipment pad is going in. In fact pb suggested this yesterday before I had a chance to bring it up.

We have a robot cleaner that I forgot to mention.

The huge granite retaining rocks were here when we bought the house and put there by the developer of the estate. Our house is cut into quite a hill and it two storey at the front (with quite a steep driveway) and single storey at the back. The pool will take up just over a third of the backyard and I wanted it in this corner for the rain rocks to be a feature (plus the rocks at the end will serve well as jumping rocks). They also emit a huge amount of heat, so hoping that will help some with keeping the temp up a little. Funnily enough, we have quite a large front yard that has great access from the road. The problem is that all our main living areas are at the back of the house. In the backyard I will be able to watch the boys while I'm hanging out washing ect, direct view from kitchen and dining area. I won't be taking an eye off them even as teenagers. So, the backyard it is!

Will post a pic of our dogs for you when I have the chance. Yes, our boys will certainly be our bling!

Fingers crossed for no/little rain today. I have the day off work and people lined up ready to take our fill.

I hear trucks!!!
 
:shock: that almost looks like the gunite shell already!

Did you put up the silver fence or did the PB? Does all of the "kids", 2 and 4 footed, respect it? Where the boys home for any of the dig?

Ask your PB if he has any of those rebar "caps" to use on the ends of the rebar to help protect the "kids" in case they, somehow, end up in that end of the yard. They look like this:

Loving the look on the snoop-a-visors..............."HEY! We promise to not eat the pool builder!" LOL

Kim:kim:
Amazon.com: Grip Rite Rebar Cap Mushroom: Home Improvement
 
It's getting there! Access is very tight, so a bit slow going with the bobcat. Really impressed with what they got done today. They were also very professional. The excavator guy has worked for our pool company for over 17 years. The fencing is supplied by the pool company and mandatory on all pool builds here. Our fencing regulations are incredibly strict, which I love. Our black dog found her way in after they left, but we've sorted that out for now. The position of the fence currently restricts their access into the large front yard. Not a problem in the short term, but this fence will be up for the next 10 weeks or so. They said they will make the front yard accessible for them after concrete is shot next Thursday. Good idea about the rebar caps. We actually have a heap of our own that we can use. The kids won't be a problem. My youngest is very sensible and neither would ever attempt to get past.

The boys were home when the dig started and were home from school in time to see the last half hour or so. They are happy to see progress, but probably not as excited as I thought they'd be. I think they just want a pool... now!

Dogs are exhausted after been kept awake all day... one is a bullmastiff and the other a mastidor (lab x mastiff)... they live to sleep!

Have attached a photo that shows how tight our access is.

Hoping for another good day tomorrow.

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I wondered about the black one! He looks just like my Bullet! He is also a mastiffxlab-best dog ever! LOL on him finding his way into the dig area! Let me guess he just leaned on the fence until he found/made a gap :roll:

SO glad the boys got to see some of the dig!

Kim:kim:
 

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Small Pool Build - Brisbane, Australia ??

Thanks Kim. Hoping they will at least scrape the front yard to level before they leave. The tracks are a lot deeper than they look. I'd say another day of digging after today will be needed. We had accounted for 30 hours as we knew it would be hard going. I'd say we will need and additional 2 or so hours. Hopefully not much more. Exiting will be the toughest thing for the excavator operator because he's quickly running out of space.
 
Small Pool Build - Brisbane, Australia ??

Photo from yesterday at the end of day 3! Getting very tight for the excavator. Exiting will be a challenge. Today will be day 4 of the dig and I'm off to work. Hoping to come home to a finished dig. After they hit the 6 hour mark today we will be paying additional costs as our 30 hour contract for the dig will be up.
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Almost there! Turns out we had 8 hours left today. Whatever time it takes them to finish tomorrow will be at an additional cost. Really pleased with how close they were with their estimate. Estimated 32 hours, which we're now at. Will likely take another 4-6. All other quotes we had estimated under 10 hours, which we knew was rubbish and would see us paying a huge additional cost mid way through.
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10 hours?????????? to dig through THAT???????? :shock: nope!!!!! smart of you to know that would not fly. Of course you could have negotiated that if you wanted to sign with one of them but I would have worried where they would have tried to "make that money back" by cutting corners.

Kim:kim:
 
Small Pool Build - Brisbane, Australia ??

I know right!!! None of the decent pool builders here do fixed price dig so we went with the one who turned up to quote in their work truck, rather than an Audi, and told us the truth not what he thought would make us sign. He actually said we'll need to allow 32 hours and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise they're full of it! They worked none stop on the 3 days I witnessed. With the size of the equipment, the access and the shale, there's no way it couldn't go much quicker. We're really happy with our pool builder so far, even though it's early days. We know they'll be problems, but hoping we can work through it easily enough. Looking forward to coming home tomorrow and seeing it finished... and hopefully not finding an upside down excavator in my hole!
 

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