OK -- Without further ado -- appropriate "before" photos.
To recap: This is the pool. It has not been substantially redone since original instal circa 1966. It was painted several years ago and the paint has been chalking up. However, about the time we started to gather some quotes to resurface, we began to have pump problems -- Allen, you have pegged the belief -- we have all copper piping, so the working theory is that somewhere under all the concrete, there is a hole or holes in the pipes. Because the pool is old, no one knows where the pipes were laid -- and at some level, it doesn't matter, the concrete needs to be brought up and a full renovation undertaken. So that is what we are going to do.
The pool was built to be 1/2 under the roof and 1/2 outdoors. So the shallow end runs under the roof to the dog leg (photos). There are 2 returns in the shallow end and the one skimmer sits just at the dog leg on the right. I don't know what the other box is next to the skimmer. The photos with the bare fencing next to the slide used to be trees -- a vastly overgrown magnolia and a friend -- so the've been removed to enable access to the back and that fence will become a living wall. The decking will be from the same paver trimix that we used in the front (photos in a different post).
The landscaping plans (which are being reworked) will expand the deck a bit, and currently suggest a fire pit. we are tossing around the concept of a spa - and based on comments here as well as our local experts, we are going to redraw the backyard plans to put some kind of portable spa that is lower to the ground. I included photos of sliding doors -- the design of the house is such that the kitchen, which is quarry tiled, actually opens onto the pool deck via these large sliding doors, eliminating the need for a second outdoor kitchen. We are discussing where the BBQ should go.
I don't know how to create a link to refer people do -- but these are going to be the working 'before' photos.
Based on some excellent input to date we are going to look into an autofill for the pool (the house water lines are right near it at the back of the house), run conduits before the deck is laid for future uses, we are talking to Pentair to turn our local pool people into a pentair distributor and servicing group for us, and are really thinking about the spa a lot. And will likely become a SWG pool.
New Questions:
Returns and skimmer -- where should the second skimmer go? Allen, I realize now that because 1/2 the pool is under cover, the only wind is going to be coming in from angles off the deep end. And I believe most of the wind heads to where the existing skimmer is at the dog leg. Are skimmers these days larger etc? Ok with our two returns at the shallow end?
Bottom drain? Is there any real difference between our existing circular drain and these channel drains?
Anyone know what that box is?
Can we save the slide or should we get a new one?
Does anyone actually use a fire pit? Special call out to others up north like us who will only use the pool seasonally
Automation -- I'm still confused here. We have a ~40 year old Rayvak Gemini that is natural gas heating the pool -- I was reading a different forum, can I still keep this b/c it works? Ditch it b/c I need a new one for automation? Seems like Rayvak is still the leader here some 50 years later. . . .
Why are people not happy w/ their sand filters? We know how to use ours and the backflush works well -- so I don't see a reason to review this.
Back to the spa -- has anyone done a partially sunk spa? We are trying to future proof this one -- so making an elderly person climb up into a spa doesn't make sense. Most of you separate totally it seems.
Robots -- do the work well on sloped pools? The ads all have the robots climing pretty walls in very clear rectangles -- but our pool is all curves.
PS -- the pool water under that looks good -- other than the fact the paint stirs up the minute its touched making it unswimmable. Sounds like there isn't anything to be done about that this summer.
Thanks as always.
