El Duderino's Austin Pool Build - FINISHED with PICS

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Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

It's hard to stay patient, but do your best. I would think they would be pulling LOTS of rock out of the soil due to where you live. Keep us updated - I like to see builds come together.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

Thanks. We're stalled out today due to rain. We're okay with it. That's one of the great things about beginning a pool build in October. We're not racing the clock.

Please check out my external diary while I figure out a better way to document the build here.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

Plaster still tbd. Pool builder is big on DiamondBrite, but we want to look into the Beadcrete. I'm supposed go to see a few pools with it soon and decide if it's doable in the budget.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

I'll take it from the high number of views and lack of posts that people aren't "digging' (pun intended) my external link to my pool build. I'm trying to figure out a way to get access to pics. I guess i'll just post them after hours.

I was hoping to at least get some hate comments on my format. Oh well, I guess the rest of the world is "over" pool time since it's autumn.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

I've been checking in every now and then on your progress. Myself, I find it easier to post a link rather than post a bunch of pictures here. But anyway, because of your geographic location, it seems like you have a whole host of issues regarding your dig. Being in the Houston area, we had none of those problems. Just had our pool school last night and we are so far quite satisfied with our builder. Good luck with the rest of your build process. Hope everything goes smoothly.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

Thanks for checking in. Hopefully, once we get through excavation, things will speed up. We're dealing with delays due to rock and then the weather isn't cooperating. They have to get the cat up an incline to get the rock to the dump trucks...has to be bone dry to do that. Every time it rains (i.e. today), it delays us several days. We've seen little/no progress since my last "blog" update (last week!).

Trying to just go with the flow...we're in no hurry.

Yes, Austin has it's share of challenges, especially where we are. So far, we're very happy with our pool builder. They've been very communicative about everything. There's really nothing anyone can do at this point. We did move forward knowing that we were probably going to face many rain, weather delays. Of course, it didn't rain all summer, so it is poetic justice that it would start raining weekly while we're trying to excavate.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

Hi there.....we are actually ffrom Austin and now live in the Houston area and we are in the beginnings of building a pool. I have been on your site several times and now see that you are considering beadcrete. We also are considering this and have not been able to see any pools with this product. I was wondering if you have found out any more about the beadcrete product and if you have seen pools with it what did you think? Are they telling you that it is quite a bit more expensive but well worth it?

Connie
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

Coolblue,

Regarding the Beadcrete, I have seen 3-4 pools with it. I was pretty much figuring out how to budget for the extra expense based on what I had heard about beadcrete. However, after seeing it, I must say I was underwhelmed. I think that if it was priced more inline with the pebble aggregate finishes, that it would be a compelling option. However, I just couldn't tell enough difference to really justify the huge expense. I believe some of the beadcrete colors might do it for me, but the pools I saw just didn't. And as I mentioned, I was pretty much writing the check before seeing it. I really hoped/thought it was going to be the end all.

I have heard a few reports of it's unparalleled beauty, but haven't really gotten anybody to rave about it that actually has it in their pool.

I haven't closed the case on beadcrete, but we're probably not going to do it. It has a 15 year life expectancy, whereas the DiamondBrite is supposed to be closer to 20-30. I saw the midnight blue color of this plaster (upcharge of course) and was stunned.

In other news, despite the lack of updates to my blog (I'm out of town) there has been some progress this week. The excavation is actually complete. Just need to get all the rock out of there. Forming, steel and plumbing up next.
 

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Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

PICTURES:

For those who haven't followed my personal build diary (in my signature), here are some pics of where we are to date. We just completed 8 days of excavation! After getting through all the rock, they are working on forming and according to plan, we will have steel and plumbing done by the end of the week. Things are really starting to take shape!

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Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

The updates have been a bit slow. The next major phase is Shotcrete (Gunite) on Tuesday. However subtle, the pool is really starting to take shape.

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view from the "top" deck, which will be at the level of the 2 foot raised beam, looking "through" the negative edge into the basin where the negative edge spa will live.

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view from halfway up the existing wooden stairs to our 13 foot wooden deck (which contains the entry/exit to the house). The 12" centered rebar you see is the "ground zero" decking and will be stone.

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Miles of pipe...literally.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

Thanks Eggman!

It's cool to finally see the 2D sketch coming to life. It's funny, based on the rendering, we were afraid the pool might be too small. Looking at it in it's current state, it is anything but small. I'm sure once it gets shot and the coping comes together, it will close it in quite a bit, but as she stands, not too small :lol:

The wife and I have come pretty close to making final decisions on tile, decking, plaster, etc. so we now have the vision. We just have to wait...I jokingly asked PB if we would be done by Thanksgiving and he said "very possible."

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it would be great to be completed by then, but that seems awfully tight!
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

SeanB said:
Great layout...thanks for sharing.

The leaves will probably be a bit of a pain but I really like that you were able to incorporate the tree in the design. :goodjob:
Click to expand...


Thanks. The live oaks don't drop too many leaves around here, but I'm sure what does drop will be hard to deal with. Worse yet, will be the acorns. When they drop, we will most likely have a greenish tint to the water. However, I'm assured that it's temporary.

We can always take the tree out if it comes to that as a last resort. However, we will try our hardest to live with it as it is a great source of natural shade and beauty.
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

The people that lived in our house left a Live Oak near the pool when it was built, as they wanted the shade. 5 or 6 years later, the concrete decking around the pool started lifting a bit and roots started showing up in a nearby skimmer. A few weekends with the chainsaw and ropes and now all that's left is a stump. :( We were very concerned that the tree was going to break through the side of the pool and cost us thousands of dollars in repairs. :shock:

As for what to expect in the meantime... Some leaves dropping in the fall, LOTS of leaves dropping in the spring, pollen tassels in the spring, and acorns in the fall. Some spring days I was cleaning out the skimmers and the Polaris bag 5 times per day. :rant: They also drop stuff in the pool that leaves long, brown stains on the pool surface as it moves down the slope to the deep end. Chlorine eventually bleaches the stains out, but they're pretty ugly in the meantime.

We miss the shade, but we sure don't miss the mess that the tree made of our pool. 8)

Just so you know what you're in for... :wink:
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

Harry, that's a scary story. I'm hoping that the path of least resistance for the roots will be the water spring that we're on rather than the pool shell.

I'm sure I have no idea what we're in store for in terms of leaves and acorns. I really do hope it's manageable as I would hate to lose the tree. However, if it happens, we'll have a nice planter ready to go right by the pool!
 
Re: El Duderino's Austin Pool Build

El Dude...I've been following your blog, and your pool is one of the prettiest and most unique builds I've seen...it belongs in a pool and spa magazine...congrats on the design! Love your glass tile...I'm a glass tile fan myself..headache to install that it is, I think the visual payoff is worth the time and expense. 8) Looking forward to more blog posts and the finale!
 

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