Baltimore Pool Build

[BobinBaltimore]

We are nearing the completion of our build northeast of Baltimore, MD. We actually started last fall and are approaching the end now. A huge bonus to starting in the fall (especially with the brutal winter we had) is that the excavated dirt we used to form a flat quarter-acre play area adjacent to the pool compacted nicely...everything settled in and we've had no material erosion this spring.

Here are the stats on the build:

25 x 37 freeform gunite pool
Medium Gray marcite plaster
About 660 sq ft of water area
3'6" to 6'6" deep
2 - IntelliBrite LED lights
2 - skimmers
3 - return lines tee'd to 7 jets (4 wall, 3 floor)
1 - dedicated cleaner in-wall
2" plumbing all around
Dual main drains
Bluestone coping
2x2 waterline tile
Pentair Clean & Clear Plus 420 filter
Pentair VS-3050 pump, EasyTouch Contoller w/ Intellichlor SWG
Pentair Legend Platinum Cleaner w/ Booster Pump
4 lamp post positions around pool area
Conduit for low voltage (cable, phone, network) installed to house
1/2" water line installed from house
120 Foot freeform EP Henry retaining wall (from 1' to 3' high)
1,280 sq feet of decking and walkway from house

Original plan (showing boulders instead of the wall we actually used):

Excavation shown looking from the deep end back toward the house:

Rebar prior to plumbing:

Equipment area plumbing and main trench:

 

[BobinBaltimore]

Just after gunite was completed:

And from another angle:

View of retaining wall:

Retaining wall stairs (not quite finished in this shot):

And the far end of the wall:

 

[BobinBaltimore]

Bluestone coping and tile:

More coping and tile:

Plaster (just before water trucks arrived):

 

[BobinBaltimore]

And a night picture:

And from a distance, with Intellibnrites set to Blue:

 

[lbridges]

very nice, very nice indeed.

 

[Guest]

That looks like a first class build from start to finish! Great job!

Looks like you will be having a great summer

 

[BobinBaltimore]

Thanks, LBridges and Simicritnz! We did our first unofficial swim yesterday. Worth every penny!

We're waiting on caulking, a handrail for the steps (SR Smith powder-coated), and fencing. That and our county final inspection, and we're set.

 

[wmshay6]

Hey Bob-

If you don't mind me asking- who did your build? Are you happy with them? I am thinking of a vinyl inground and I am NW of Baltimore.

 

[BobinBaltimore]

@wmshay6, we got 4 bids, one form a national builder and three from local firms. It came down to Pleasure Pools (http://pleasurepoolsmd.com/) and Elite Pools (http://www.elitepools.com/). Both are great operations that have been around a long time and both are local to MD. We went with Elite and had an excellent build experience. Great creativity both in the pool and in suggestions for landscaping (which was not part of their contract). They worked extremely well with a hardscaper that I brought in. Quality has been excellent to my eye (I have some experience with construction matters), delivery and communication have been great.

Good luck with your project!

 

[markadamarnold]

Bob,

Do you have any pics of your pool during the day with the sun shining? I am leaning toward a grey plaster, but was wondering how it looked filled?

Thanks!!!

Mark

 

[bmoreswim]

Mark -You can follow the link in my signature to our build thread for some pics also. The best ones are on page 4. We too have gray plaster. We love the steel blue look it often displays. Do know that dyed plaster will not be uniform in color - and may be downright blotchy. Ours turned out pleasing to our eyes.

This thread of Bob's was one that interested me for a variety of reasons as we were planning.