New Pool Build - Midland, TX

[Howren73]

Howdy Everyone! My wife and I started building our first pool a couple weeks ago. its a free form design with a tanning ledge and spa. here's some of the options we're going with:
salt water
Pentair pool equipment
stamped concrete deck w/ anti slip additive (wheat color)
Noche tumbled travertine coping from MasterTile
bluish-brown natural looking tile stuff from MasterTile
spa deck: neutral color limestone flagstone similar to the coping on top and the outer walls sealed of course (we didn't like the quartzite and i hear sandstone and slate flake easily)
Diamond Brite Ocean Blue plaster

if i missed anything your curious about, lemme know! i need all the help i can get so this thing satisfies the wife and keeps my pockets less empty for years to come!

right now the hole is dug, the rebar is mostly done, the plumbing is started. i've got them making a change on the spa, you can read about here: building-spa-should-i-put-jets-in-front-of-waterfall-t58074.html

here's the design i sketched and gave the builder, only change we made to this is my wife wants the whole backyard to be concrete so no landscaping (she wants to do pots with plants instead) and the middle of the pool will have a 4-1/2' water depth instead of 5':


this is where they were at on Monday... since then they finished the rebar in the pool, started the rebar in the spa but need to make changes to the bench per my request, and they started the plumbing.
iphone panorama distorted the pic somewhat

 

[Howren73]

progress going on today! rebar is complete, ground wire is complete and underwater light boxes in place, plumbing should be complete and pressure tested by the end of the day. They are scheduled for Tuesday to spray Gunite!!!

i'll snap a new pic this evening after they've left.

 

[jhalpinjr]

Keep us posted!!! Looking good so far!!!!!!!

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum. :lol: Nice l;ooking pool. They are off to a fast start. We all like to see the pics...Thanks!

 

[Howren73]

as of today... the air and water return lines for the spa are the only 2 things not done. hopefully that's complete tomorrow, the wife is growing impatient and wants to see some gunite up. it'll be interesting to see how they form the benches and stairs out of the stuff without rebar or form in place to help shape it.

we had to move the placement of the pool lights because one of them was too close to the gas line for the house. so instead we're doing a single one shining right down the middle of it. you guys think that's enough? the total length from that light to the stairs is about 28 feet. and the pool is between 14 and 16 feet wide. if we do a 2nd one, it'll be a smaller one the size of the one in the spa because it will have to be recessed into the stairs. and if it makes a difference, the plaster is called ocean Blue and is a light to medium grey color.

 

[257WbyMag]

Welcome to TFP from one ex-Midland resident to a current one. Keep the pics coming.

 

[Howren73]

gunite was done today. overall it went well. there's a couple things i wish they did different, like the placement of the umbrella and volleyball net anchors, but too late now. if my wife doesn't like it, she might just have them remove the umbrella anchor all together. she didn't really understand why i wanted that on there in the first place. i figured it would be useful to place an umbrella there and when we have kids they can enjoy that area without getting a blistering sun burn

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, Howren73

I know I am late to the party...but your build look great!

The only (late) comment I have is I would not have the light pointing right at your sitting area like it appears to be. My understanding is that for best nighttime viewing, it is best to point lights away from such areas and the house. I am probably to late with this

 

[257WbyMag]

I'm going way ahead here but you are probably going to have to watch your calcium hardness out there really close. Super hard water in Midland.

 

[Howren73]

I'm going way ahead here but you are probably going to have to watch your calcium hardness out there really close. Super hard water in Midland.

i figured!

 

[Howren73]

i just got my TF-100 kit in, the source water i'll be using to fill the pool shows:

FC = 0
CC = 0
pH = 7.6
TA = 170
CH = 400
CYA = 0
Salt = 530ppm

the TA and CH are higher than the recommended levels for a SWG plaster pool. any suggestions on how to get the CH down?

 

[linen]

One option is to have low CH water trucked in.

If you decide to use your current water, there really isn't a good way to get it down initially, you will just have to be vigilant that you keep your ph a little lower, and get your TA down some. Richard320, is a resident expert on using his rainwater from the roof to slowly lower his high CH.

 

[pragmatic]

Looks great! Nice job

like the placement of the umbrella and volleyball net anchors, but too late now.

Whats wrong with the umbrella placement? It looks good to me and will serve the purpose. If it's the shadowing, you could use a tilting type umbrella for better placement.

 

[Howren73]

Looks great! Nice job

like the placement of the umbrella and volleyball net anchors, but too late now.

Whats wrong with the umbrella placement? It looks good to me and will serve the purpose. If it's the shadowing, you could use a tilting type umbrella for better placement.

It's off center. Just me being OCD

 

[bacevedo]

It's off center. Just me being OCD

I am OCD like that, too, and I know what you mean. With as much money as we pay for these pools we expect everything to be put in perfect. But I have realized through the process to ease up on my OCD and know that little things like that won't really be noticed once everything is done and water is in the pool.

 

[Patrick_B]

Nice pool! I'll be looking forward to this one for sure. Fellow Midlander here too. We have contemplated a pool build here for a year or so now ourselves. Cant wait to see some progress on it. Looks like it will be fabulous. Good to see a local on the forum.

 

[Patrick_B]

I'm going way ahead here but you are probably going to have to watch your calcium hardness out there really close. Super hard water in Midland.

Yep, liquid rock. :lol:

 

[Howren73]

One option is to have low CH water trucked in.

If you decide to use your current water, there really isn't a good way to get it down initially, you will just have to be vigilant that you keep your ph a little lower, and get your TA down some. Richard320, is a resident expert on using his rainwater from the roof to slowly lower his high CH.

that is easier said than done, i'm afraid. ever since the drought last year, pool builders were required to truck in fresh water. not a requirement anymore, but the only times i would legally be allowed to fill it with city water is on my 2 watering days for 4 hours each day. but its cheaper to pay the fine if i get caught doing that after after watering hours than it is to truck it in.

also, trucking the water in comes from fresh water wells, and well water in this area is much harder than the city water. i'm talking water spots will scale up on cars if not washed off immediately! i'll have to check with the PB where he sources the water from when he trucks it in.

 

[Howren73]

Little update since the gunite was sprayed last week. This week they got the coping done, the water line ready for tiles, and the ground leveled ready for the stamped concrete. They're putting the grout between the coping today and waiting for inspection on the rebar.

The coping is tumbled noche travertine and turned out great! It's the perfect color we were after when you wet it so it should be the same once the sealer is on.

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[Howren73]

Been awhile since I last updated this. We had to wait about 10 days for rebar and ground wire inspection from the city. Last week they poured the concrete deck and got the first color and sealer on; one more to go once everything else is done. Rain delayed them late last week and they've spent 3 solid days doing the stone for the spa. PB plans on plastering tomorrow. Can't wait to see that Diamond Brite ocean blue color! Should be up and running Tuesday or Wednesday!!!