Hi everyone! We have been planning and dreaming of a pool for years, and finally decided it's now or never. First, I will run down the equipment and plans. Then, I will get on to the first of MANY questions and advice needs. All are GREATLY needed and appreciated.
IG 16x36 rectangle steel wall kit with 8' vinyl over steps
8' deep end with no diving board
Ecostar VS pump
30" Hayward sand pump
2 skimmers
2 main drains (if possible)
3 returns
Wants include-
2ish' rock retaining wall with 5' sheer descent waterfall along entire deep end (we will need the wall due to slope of yard)
Low voltage LED light/lights (just enough to make pool safe, not see from space)
Hayward Aquarite SWGS for 40k gallon (hoping to come in under budget and start with it, but want it plumbed and ready either way)
So, the kit came in a couple of weeks ago and damaged part replacements arrived this week. We got excavation quotes from 4 different guys/companies ranging from $6000 to $12,500 (which is the reason it has taken us this long to get started.) We decided to take the bull by the horns and start digging ourselves on 7/22/18. We figured that best case, we would dig the whole thing for a $500 weekend rental. And worst case, we hit rock six inches down and have to regroup. Our optimism paid off and we were able to dig out the majority of the shelf. That is until we hit rock in the deep end. It was a hard sand stone that would break up but not really well with the midi excavator we were using. After conceding that we should leave rock to the pros, we left them to work it while we were on vacation. We chose the biggest company who also had a good reputation, were very willing and responsive, and ironically, the least expensive. They anticipated it would take a day and a half. At about 5.5', the sandstone turned into serious rock. It took two extra days of them working until 9pm to hit 8 feet (more than half a day on the last 6 inches). They had to twist and turn and move all around to get at it, but they did. Unfortunately, the shelf in the deep end is gone. We realize that this is not ideal and that the fix will not be easy, but we are confident that it can be overcome with some great advice from TFP. I will try to upload pics of the predig, our DIY dig and the rock excavation. Our initial thought is that we will need to rebuild the shelf with concrete block, rebar and concrete, but we would love any and all suggestions on this matter.
I had planned on asking y'all about fun stuff in my initial post, but that will have to wait until this is resolved. I will be needing advice on LED lights, valves, timers and the waterfall to start off, so feel free to throw your ideas at me anytime. I very much appreciate the advice I have received from this site as well any I will receive in the future. Thanks for reading!
PS. Yes, I originally laid the pool out with cans of corn because I'm kooky like that. :tongue:
IG 16x36 rectangle steel wall kit with 8' vinyl over steps
8' deep end with no diving board
Ecostar VS pump
30" Hayward sand pump
2 skimmers
2 main drains (if possible)
3 returns
Wants include-
2ish' rock retaining wall with 5' sheer descent waterfall along entire deep end (we will need the wall due to slope of yard)
Low voltage LED light/lights (just enough to make pool safe, not see from space)
Hayward Aquarite SWGS for 40k gallon (hoping to come in under budget and start with it, but want it plumbed and ready either way)
So, the kit came in a couple of weeks ago and damaged part replacements arrived this week. We got excavation quotes from 4 different guys/companies ranging from $6000 to $12,500 (which is the reason it has taken us this long to get started.) We decided to take the bull by the horns and start digging ourselves on 7/22/18. We figured that best case, we would dig the whole thing for a $500 weekend rental. And worst case, we hit rock six inches down and have to regroup. Our optimism paid off and we were able to dig out the majority of the shelf. That is until we hit rock in the deep end. It was a hard sand stone that would break up but not really well with the midi excavator we were using. After conceding that we should leave rock to the pros, we left them to work it while we were on vacation. We chose the biggest company who also had a good reputation, were very willing and responsive, and ironically, the least expensive. They anticipated it would take a day and a half. At about 5.5', the sandstone turned into serious rock. It took two extra days of them working until 9pm to hit 8 feet (more than half a day on the last 6 inches). They had to twist and turn and move all around to get at it, but they did. Unfortunately, the shelf in the deep end is gone. We realize that this is not ideal and that the fix will not be easy, but we are confident that it can be overcome with some great advice from TFP. I will try to upload pics of the predig, our DIY dig and the rock excavation. Our initial thought is that we will need to rebuild the shelf with concrete block, rebar and concrete, but we would love any and all suggestions on this matter.
I had planned on asking y'all about fun stuff in my initial post, but that will have to wait until this is resolved. I will be needing advice on LED lights, valves, timers and the waterfall to start off, so feel free to throw your ideas at me anytime. I very much appreciate the advice I have received from this site as well any I will receive in the future. Thanks for reading!
PS. Yes, I originally laid the pool out with cans of corn because I'm kooky like that. :tongue:
My husband was wondering if we could do the hopper then do the slopes and walls at the same time. But we won't be doing much until the mosquito factory goes away. We haven't even been able to get a good measure on the depth of the entire hopper yet because of the rain, but what are thoughts on losing the main drains if we can't manage to get enough depth on our own to set those. What are the pros/cons of not having them? 
