New pool build (soon!) in San Fernando Valley

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JenLA

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Mar 30, 2018
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Los Angeles, CA
We're just underway with landscape redesign - contract signed, permits obtained, just scheduling the walkthrough and hoping to start construction in April! This will be the first pool for both of us, so thanks for all the information you've already provided on how to get started and maintain a pool. You've made it a much less intimidating prospect than it would otherwise be. I've been looking around and wanted to get the thoughts of this community on a few things.

By way of background: We're putting in a quite small pool - 11 x 15 feet, rectangular, with a bench and spa jets on the side opposite the entry stairs. We're planning a cover, heater, and automation. For the depth, probably around 5.5 feet, I think...still working out some of the details. Now, to the questions:

We are leaning toward a salt water pool - being first time pool owners, I was a little concerned about corrosion, but it seems like the maintenance doesn't have to be difficult, it just has to be done regularly (and even that can be partially automated and monitored). Other than the upfront cost, are there things that we should be concerned about regarding salt water? Arguments in favor of liquid chlorine or other non-salt options?

In terms of the finish, we're pretty much set on some form of aggregate. We're looking for something a little more polished than most of the pebble options we've seen, and are considering QuartzScapes. We're looking for something smoother than pebble and more durable than plaster, so that's where we're leaning. We're considering colors like Grenadine Gray and Barbados Blue - we don't want anything too dark, but it won't be deep and is in sun for much of the day so I think those will be okay. Given the small size and relatively shallow depth, does that match any of your experiences? Most of what I've read about QuartzScapes has been pretty good. Any thoughts about PolishedScapes or Pebble Sheen? I think NPT and PebbleTec are the options we have with our builder - at least, those were the samples we were given.

We're doing a glass subway tile at the water line...and we really love the tiles that we found. I've seen a few pictures on this board with a row or two of tile on the stairs or bench. Does this complicate the plastering process significantly? Would glass tiles set into the aggregate make cleaning more complicated or anything?

Thanks in advance for any guidance, and for all of the information available on this board.
 
Hi fellow small pool builder! We’re currently half way through our build. Our pool is roughly 10 x 20 feet. We also have a bench. Ours is full length along one side. We have gone with salt water. Here in Australia it’s very rare not to go salt water. No automation for us, although we do have an auto acid doser, which was standard. We’re having a heat pump and cover. Looking forward to following your build. You quite likely could be finished before us. My only warning is the destruction and mess... everywhere. So much dust during digging, then any lawn you may have. Even though our pool is in our backyard our front yard which they used for access fared so much worse. We seemed to be getting no where fixing it, despite working non stop. I was expecting damage and mess, but honestly not to this scale. I don’t think there’s really a section of the outside of our house that is not affected. Do you have any plans yet?
 
Thanks - that's really helpful! I've seen the pictures of your build-in-progress and it's looking great so far! Getting the final walkthrough scheduled is a bit difficult, but we're eager to get started. We took a long time deciding which landscaping company to use, so we're already going to be into summer before the yard is ready to go. Trying not to get our hopes up around the timeline as I know delays happen often, but our summer does tend to be dry so hopefully no significant rain delays will occur. We are redoing the entire yard and using a single company to coordinate it, so at the end I expect it'll all be in decent shape, but our fence contractor basically said there's no point in washing and sealing the fence before the construction is done, so we've put off fence maintenance until after this is done.

I admit I am curious about the AquaBright finish, but overall we feel like aggregate most closely matches the look we want and offers reasonable durability. Thanks for letting us know that the mini pebble isn't overly rough in your experience - I think it would most likely suit our needs so it's definitely one we're considering.

I forgot to mention that we are also looking at LED lights - I see that you are planning to use 2 and I thought that would probably be right for us as well. While it's easy to fall into decision fatigue, the end result will be well worth it!
 
That is great that you have the one company to do both the pool and landscaping. I’m not sure anywhere here does this, although I’m sure for a price they could contract someone in. You will end up with a beautiful finished product, with little to no work to do yourselves. We were expecting delays due to rain, but the amount of rain we’ve had this summer is crazy. We are just under 2 weeks delayed at this point. It’s actually working to our advantage as hubby has been able to get the French drains done before the paving. It would have made a huge mess of the paving had it already been done. As for the lights, we really weren’t sure we needed two and we probably don’t. But it’s one of those things you can’t add later, so we put it in. We thought it would also make the lighting more evenly distributed. Definitely decision fatigue. Even after signing, I’ve found so many other little things we needed to decide upon. I’m a bit of an overthinker, which doesn’t help and hubby has no opinion. Really keen to see your plans when you have them. As draining as it is, make sure all you ts are crossed and Is are dotted. It will be worth it.
 
Oh goody! Another pool to help build!!! With GLASS tile!!! What kind and color?

When you say 5'5" deep do you mean the whole thing that deep?

Both of the plaster colors are very pretty! You cannot go wrong with either one of them!

I would love to see a pic of where this wonderful pool is going!

Kim:kim:
 
Hi JenLA, welcome to TFP:wave: I love small pools. We have a small pool aka Spool, which means social pool. Look at this for ideas.
Our New Poolbuild, Jacksonville, FL yr 2009
BTW small pools are easier to maintain, use less chemicals, heat up faster, take up less space which gives you more room for other stuff like summer kitchen and furniture:cheers:
 
Thanks to all who have chimed in - we are especially glad to hear from others who have and enjoy small pools! We weren't really sure about what makes something a "spool" versus a small pool, and our landscape designer refers to it as a spool. She described it as a spa/pool hybrid, but I like "spool" being for social pool. Certainly suits our use case.

As to the tile, we found a beautiful glass subway tile that we think will look great at the waterline - it's got muted blue and green tiles mixed in, so we figure we'll be okay even if the aggregate finish gives it a greener tinge than we expect. There's an NPT warehouse near us, so we were able to go there and look at anything they had rather than just using the samples our builder had on hand. Naturally, we ended up liking one that, while not overly expensive, has to be shipped from Florida so the freight cost will be high. We're justifying these costs because it's a small pool and because we plan to live with this for a very long time, so we want something we love.

I'm not sure yet if the depth will be uniform...I was mostly assuming yes so that I was calculating the largest possible volume. I'm wondering if we might actually want it a bit shallower around the end where the bench will be. That's one of those details yet to be decided, but input on that would be appreciated - I've seen some people describe the depth as (for example) 3.5-5.5-4.5, so I wonder if maybe we want to taper that way with the center deeper than either end? Glad to know that the possible finishes are nice - our first thought was a StoneScapes Tahoe Blue, and as we researched it more, we found it too intense for our liking...so we're trying to really spend a lot of time with each decision, even if we have a first impression that we like.

I will work on getting a couple of pictures - and hopefully by the end of the month we'll have some actual construction pictures to share!

Edited to add - Brentr, I love the pictures of your build! So great to see how many people fit into your spool...ours will be a bit smaller but still will have plenty of room for our uses. Also nice to see the tile along the stairs; that's something we're considering.
 
For the depth-5'5" very few people will be able to walk around in the pool. I am 5'5" so...........

The varied depth is for volley ball and such in the pool but I have not really understood the why of it. I say get out the tape measure and think about where you want the water to hit on the people who will be using the pool the most. Know kids are still growing so I would not worry about using them for the depth look.

Kim:kim:
 
Just completed the job walk with contractors, and we should be getting underway (finally!) in about 2 weeks. We decided to go with a depth of 3.5-4 feet, which initially seemed shallow but the two of us using the pool most often are 5 feet and 5’7”. So I think that depth is fine. We opted not to build in a cover - why build something so lovely and then hide it?

We asked about regular chlorine versus SWCG, and the pool builder seemed to want to push us toward standard chlorine and indicated that changing it to salt would be an easy project if we decided to do so later. I’m not sure about that so I am interested in this group’s thoughts. It seems to me that SWG have more positives than negatives, but maybe I’m missing something? Negative aspects seem to mainly be potential for corrosion which can be minimized by keeping pH under control, and the upfront costs. Are there others?

As for automation, the system they use is iAqualink (not sure which model but will check), and this seems to be for pump, heater, lights...but is there something specific I should ask for regarding monitoring the chemistry through an automatic system? If we do that, is it easier to automate chemistry for salt compared to liquid chlorine, or does something like a Stenner pump allow some degree of automation for liquid chlorine?

Finally, if this link works, here’s the waterline tile we chose (sorry, wasn’t sure of the best way to get photos up):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/73832113@N06/41459039891/in/dateposted-public/
 

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Make sure that is water depth. It sounds like the purrfect depth for the two of you! Glad you got that out of the way!

SWG=YES!!! Oh so easy!

Get the model number for the iAqualink so we make sure we know what you are getting. Too many variables without it.

These is NO good automation system for monitoring the chemistry. We suggest having your own test kit so you are in complete control of the water. Once you get used to doing the tests you can do the daily ones in about 5 mins! I am going to share a link to help you learn our language: TFPC for Beginners

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that tile!!!!! Now for another two decisions-mortar color and grout color. What I would do is bring a sample home. Get a white piece of paper and some paint color cards that are light gray, medium gray, and darker gray. Sit the tile on each one and take a pic. You will see how the different colors really change the look of the tiles. I would do this outside by where the pool will be going. The grout, they have color sticks for you to play around with to help you pick out what color to use. White will make each tile stand out. Gray will help the tiles blend. Both are good looks so it is up to you to find the one you like!

Kim:kim:
 
Hi Jen! That’s exciting! I would say given no major delays, you will definitely be swimming well and truly before the end of the season. Do you have a photo of the tiles? They sound beautiful. Great that you were able to go and look in person. Also, a photo of your yard as it is currently would be great to see. Grout colour is an important decision as it will really affect the the look. I anguished over the grout colour at the last minute, thought I was happy with my decision until the tiler questioned it and suggested a different colour. I’m so glad I took his advise now that it’s in.
 
Grew up in the San Fernando Valley. A pool is a must have.

Your glass tile is very similar to ours. If you mentioned the name, I missed it. Is it the 2"x1"?

Regarding the iAqualink, if you haven't seen the recent threads on here, the advice I would give is to consider what your back-up control method will be. And as Kim asked, what exact iAqualink product are they quoting? I think there is a new product coming out shortly, but I know nothing about it. The recent problem with the traditional iAqualink is that Zodiac servers went out for several days last week and a few hours today. Those who don't have secondary automation control had a hard time turning on various features on their pool/spa. I won't go into detail, but just have that discussion with your PB. I have the wired OneTouch, and I know some have the PDA. Many would consider those out of date for new pool builds, but those of us with those older controls had a back-up when iAqualink went down.
 
Thanks again for the responses! We're working with the neighbors to (hopefully) remove some huge trees and tree limbs that are on their property but overhang ours, and making a few decisions on cabinets/drawers for the BBQ island, so we probably have a week or two before they actually start the demolition of the existing yard. I've got a link below that should contain a few photos of the yard as-is and a few renderings of the finished product. We minimally increased the size of the pool, and I believe slightly modified the BBQ island, after the renderings but it includes the basic idea. We currently have a lemon tree and an orange tree in the yard, though the lemon is approaching end of life. We're going to replace it with a new (semi-dwarf) lemon tree and a lime tree. There'll be some native plants around the periphery of the yard and between the house and BBQ island, and next to the island you'll see the detached garage. We were a little concerned about hardscaping the whole thing, but are hoping the patches of garden will help with that.

The Aqualink is the Z4, though we do have some flexibility to change things at this point. I don't know much about the automation systems - as I understood it, people generally tend to like what they have - but when I went to their site to check it out I saw that there had been some down time and that was definitely concerning.

As to SWG, I'm still feeling like that's the way we want to go, all things considered. I'll continue to do research but it may just come down to us telling the builder that we know we want it, so they should build it that way.

Edited to add - yes, the tile is a 1 x 2" subway tile - I don't actually know the name of it - it wasn't on cardboard backing at the warehouse. We just saw it and liked it. But the guy who works in the warehouse said that he could identify it. All I know is that the cost of the actual tile is similar to the other options but it will (of course!) be more expensive because they have to get it shipped from Florida. I feel like it's a small pool, so better to just accept the expense in order to get something we love. I suspect we'll go with a very light grey for the grout, in order to match the shades of grey throughout the stone and concrete - but we'll definitely play around with it! And one more thing @Dodger - how do you like the QuartzScapes?

Apologies for the link rather than directly embedding images - I am photographically impaired. The linked album should include three images of the backyard today, and three renderings of the planned renovation. Hope it helps! https://flic.kr/s/aHsmiR1B5K
 
What great use of the yard! LOVE it all!!

So which trees/branches are you wanting gone? Do you think the neighbors will go for it? You do know you can have the branches on your side of the yard if you want to. Of course it would be OH so much better if they agreed to it!

Kim:kim:
 
Kim,

The neighbors have an odd, L-shaped lot where their driveway is to the south of us but the house is to our west. The tree in question is a huge Chinese elm, of which the stump is on their side of the fence but it splits into two main branches pretty low. One of them comes through our fence. There's already been one huge limb from that tree which came down into our yard (where the pool would be) in high winds and we have had a tree service cut it back. There's a large section on their side of the fence that is dead, and the biggest problem is a section that crosses to our side of the fence and is over the garage - but that limb is probably a good 20+ feet high where it crosses the property line. I think that even if there's a way to safely remove everything that crosses the property line, the safest way for it to be done is by accessing the tree on the neighbor's property. (There are also some trees along their driveway that overhang our driveway, and we'd like to remove some branches there too, but it's nowhere near the problem of the first tree.) One of the issues is that we don't really know them...everyone sort of keeps to themselves here - I feel like most of the time, people around here get to know their neighbors either because their kids are in school together or because they walk their dogs together...and we have neither kids nor dogs! We knocked on their door and then left them a note explaining that we want to discuss it, so hopefully we'll get good news. Even if we don't hear from them, we will have a tree service cut back what they can from our property (as long as the tree remains structurally sound).

So many things to decide and discuss! I really appreciate everyone's thoughts on the project. It's by far the biggest expense we've taken on, other than the house itself - but as Dodger mentioned, the Valley is stifling in summertime, and I think we'll be absolutely happy to have it once it's done.

I'll update my profile with the details (size, hardware, finish) once those things are finalized...and while I think our designer's estimate of "a couple of months" is optimistic, I am hoping for some late-summer swimming!
 
You might want to give us your equipment list with model numbers so can take look at it to make sure it is exactly what your pool needs. It will be helpful if shared the approximate gals as that will matter quite a bit for most of it.

Kim:kim:
 
I just love your design and the way it works seamlessly with your yard. I think it is the perfect size and depth for your needs. We also had the opinion that being a small pool, we would just spend whatever we needed to in order to get the result we were after. When something is the focal point of a small yard you don’t want to do it on the cheap. Hopefully your neighbour agrees to removing the encroaching branches. We need to approach our rear neighbour about a small modification we need to make to our shared boundary fence. I hate putting people out, so I hope it’s an easy conversation and yours is too.
 

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