Greetings everyone!
I am brand new here... just found this forum! This looks like an excellent place to network with others as we begin our journey. We are especially looking forward to networking with others in the DFW Metroplex to learn from their experiences.
Background: I retired and transplanted to Southeast Tarrant County from Chicago a few years ago. Fortunately, my (later to be) better half received a very timely job transfer opportunity. We have bantered about adding a pool since we arrived. I perused Internet resources off and on, trying to learn a bit. One resource that really attracted my attention during my initial knowledge quest was River Pools and Spas. They have a treasure chest full of information to educate homeowners on different pools, best practices, etc. Unfortunately, they don’t service North Texas.
Anyway... we finally decided to pull the trigger this year. So now it’s time to get serious and figure stuff out!!! During my recent web surfing, I found you guys!
We have many questions and as we progress will have many more. We look forward to any guidance and knowledge transfer opportunities.
Where We Are Now: Our project will be a low budget venture, but hopefully one that can still bring significant value. At this point, we are thinking roughly 15x30 for our pool. Adding a spa may exceed our budgetary limitations. We shall see.
We have two big questions at this point. I will also post these in the appropriate section for better exposure...
1. Concrete or fiberglass pool? Customization vs significantly decreased maintenance and major repair costs down the road? Without turning this into a type of Ford vs Chevy debate, what stands out to you guys based on your experiences?
2. Metroplex contractors - At this point, we are seeking information on both concrete and fiberglass pool contractors. Who are the go-to contractors (aces) and who are run-away-from (inept) contractors? If you prefer, kindly share your recommendations and warnings in a private message.
As of this writing, we have had one pool designer visit our home. He represents a concrete pool company that has been in business A VERY LONG TIME (hint hint). To say we were impressed with him would be an understatement. He blew our socks off and we don’t even have a rough estimate yet!
While he was the first, we still need to meet with several more on each side of the isle. Once we decide on gunite or fiberglass, hopefully we will have found our competent and respected contractor who can deliver a turn-key operation within our budget.
I was reading tenderfoot’s contractor horror story. That scared the heck out of me! We have to avoid land mines like that. But how do you know?
Saddle up! This is an adventure!
I am brand new here... just found this forum! This looks like an excellent place to network with others as we begin our journey. We are especially looking forward to networking with others in the DFW Metroplex to learn from their experiences.
Background: I retired and transplanted to Southeast Tarrant County from Chicago a few years ago. Fortunately, my (later to be) better half received a very timely job transfer opportunity. We have bantered about adding a pool since we arrived. I perused Internet resources off and on, trying to learn a bit. One resource that really attracted my attention during my initial knowledge quest was River Pools and Spas. They have a treasure chest full of information to educate homeowners on different pools, best practices, etc. Unfortunately, they don’t service North Texas.
Anyway... we finally decided to pull the trigger this year. So now it’s time to get serious and figure stuff out!!! During my recent web surfing, I found you guys!
We have many questions and as we progress will have many more. We look forward to any guidance and knowledge transfer opportunities.
Where We Are Now: Our project will be a low budget venture, but hopefully one that can still bring significant value. At this point, we are thinking roughly 15x30 for our pool. Adding a spa may exceed our budgetary limitations. We shall see.
We have two big questions at this point. I will also post these in the appropriate section for better exposure...
1. Concrete or fiberglass pool? Customization vs significantly decreased maintenance and major repair costs down the road? Without turning this into a type of Ford vs Chevy debate, what stands out to you guys based on your experiences?
2. Metroplex contractors - At this point, we are seeking information on both concrete and fiberglass pool contractors. Who are the go-to contractors (aces) and who are run-away-from (inept) contractors? If you prefer, kindly share your recommendations and warnings in a private message.
As of this writing, we have had one pool designer visit our home. He represents a concrete pool company that has been in business A VERY LONG TIME (hint hint). To say we were impressed with him would be an understatement. He blew our socks off and we don’t even have a rough estimate yet!
While he was the first, we still need to meet with several more on each side of the isle. Once we decide on gunite or fiberglass, hopefully we will have found our competent and respected contractor who can deliver a turn-key operation within our budget.
I was reading tenderfoot’s contractor horror story. That scared the heck out of me! We have to avoid land mines like that. But how do you know?
Saddle up! This is an adventure!
Well, I'm not from the DFW area so I can't give you too much there, but I can simply say that either a plaster or fiberglass should give you many, many years of enjoyment when proper water management is used - home testing. Conversely, both shells can give you headaches when not managed properly (i.e. scale), so neither has a failsafe if you will. FB sellers might try to tell you those pools require less chemicals. Maybe compared to new plaster that's true, but once cured, I'm not so sure about that. Do your research on local contractors and read this forum as much as you can for lessons learned. There are LOTS of them. A majority of the work boils down to the prep. Once you do commit to a builder/design, let us know what you are being offered and we can give you some advice on the equipment and set-up. Good luck on your adventure. 
