Big thank you to TFP and fellow posters...it helped me so much this summer while we were designing the pool and picking materials. We've been in the house almost 6 years, and finally decided end of May to put in a pool and spa. We have a really small backyard with an 8 ft. easement from the back fence that we couldn't get changed because of utility lines, especially the 2" gas line that was placed 7 feet or a little more into the 8 ft. easement. 
Soooo..that meant a very small pool. BUT, we compromised and did a nice-size Ultimate Spa. After reviewing bids, we signed with CastleRock Pools in Katy, Tx. at the end of August. We wanted to wait until the worst of hurricane season in September was over to start the build, and luckily we did. Avoided cleaning up a pool mess after Hurricane Ike.
Our pool build has already started, so I'll have to catch up with one big post on the progress so far. We've been moving very quickly since the pool layout on Oct. 8, excavation on Oct. 9th, steel, plumbing, etc. Got the gunite on Oct. 14. Moving right along. Very happy so far with the work, the workers and the company. Our PB has been very easy to deal with, and made accomodations for some special glass tile (Oceanside Glasstile) and travertine moldings I wanted to use, and ordered separately from Materials Marketing. I'm also using tumbled natural stone 3x6" tiles on the raised bond beam, and shellstone on the coping. Aqua Blue PebbleSheen for the interior. Stamped concrete deck. The tile I ordered held us up just a little, but it's in now, and will be installed next week. It all came in much sooner than I thought it would. The travertine moldings in one week, and the Oceanside tile in less than two weeks.
The plan and drawing:
The columns on the raised bond beam are larger now. 30" x 30", with 12" waterfalls or Florida Falls at the top. The raised bond beam is 12" on either side of the columns, and 18" in the center with a pool bench between the columns. Natural gas fire bowls will sit on top of the columns. Yes, we are crazy. It's official.
The fire bowls to be fitted with gas fire rings:
The mini-backyard (Why didn't I buy a house with a bigger back yard? My neighbor could literally build a baseball diamond in his)
:
That yellow stripe on the pic below? Oh, yeah...that's the gas line, and a main one for the neighbors so no moving it. Hello, even smaller kiddie pool. :grrrr: Oh, well...at least it's not where we'll be putting plants.
Sooo....one weekend before Hurricane Ike hit on Sept. 12th-13th, my husband decides he wants the palm trees delivered. Good Call!
Actually it worked out OK. The queen palms blew right over, but we had a couple neighbors help put them back up. They're fine now. These are all 'befores'.
My one 4ft. Medjool Date palm...the only one I could afford, but was determined to get. I joke that at a 4-inch a year trunk growth rate, it's going to look really great by the time I'm 70 or so.
Pygmy Dates:
Pool layout October 8th:
CastleRock helped us make use of every available inch of space, and still have some deck and small outdoor kitchen space for later.
Excavation October 9th:
Framing:
Saturday Oct. 11th: plumbing, electrical, equpment pad, etc:
Spa Pipe:
Sunday 12, Monday 13th, Steel:
Ooops...wrong steel. We contracted for 1/2 inch steel, and some of this was 3/8. They used what they had, and exchanged the smaller steel for more 1/2 inch.
Spa plumbing:
Equipment started:
Gunite done Tuesday Oct. 14:
Rained like crazy starting at about 4:30 am. Got a break in the weather and they did gunite from noon until about 4:00. Didn't get pics of them doing the gunite..I was at work. Modern Method Gunite did a really great job.
My big mudhole. Those poor guys tromped around and worked in this stuff for the last 2 weeks. It's almost dry now:
Spa Jets:
More equipment:
Some pipes in the spa were out of place. It's getting fixed next week before the tile. It's hard to tell here, but the spa spillover is a negative edge. There will be glass tile on the 6-inch spa waterline, and continuing over the spillover edge down to the waterline.
Mmmm...that beautiful algae-green color "come on in, the water's fine"
Sorry for the one big catch-up post...we'll start the tile next week. I'll take a picture of all the materials and post it later. I also have a diagram we drew up of how the materials go on the raised bond beam to post later. I'll also work on my signature to put in all the specs and equpment. Enjoy, guys!
Soooo..that meant a very small pool. BUT, we compromised and did a nice-size Ultimate Spa. After reviewing bids, we signed with CastleRock Pools in Katy, Tx. at the end of August. We wanted to wait until the worst of hurricane season in September was over to start the build, and luckily we did. Avoided cleaning up a pool mess after Hurricane Ike. Our pool build has already started, so I'll have to catch up with one big post on the progress so far. We've been moving very quickly since the pool layout on Oct. 8, excavation on Oct. 9th, steel, plumbing, etc. Got the gunite on Oct. 14. Moving right along. Very happy so far with the work, the workers and the company. Our PB has been very easy to deal with, and made accomodations for some special glass tile (Oceanside Glasstile) and travertine moldings I wanted to use, and ordered separately from Materials Marketing. I'm also using tumbled natural stone 3x6" tiles on the raised bond beam, and shellstone on the coping. Aqua Blue PebbleSheen for the interior. Stamped concrete deck. The tile I ordered held us up just a little, but it's in now, and will be installed next week. It all came in much sooner than I thought it would. The travertine moldings in one week, and the Oceanside tile in less than two weeks.
The plan and drawing:
The columns on the raised bond beam are larger now. 30" x 30", with 12" waterfalls or Florida Falls at the top. The raised bond beam is 12" on either side of the columns, and 18" in the center with a pool bench between the columns. Natural gas fire bowls will sit on top of the columns. Yes, we are crazy. It's official.
The fire bowls to be fitted with gas fire rings:
The mini-backyard (Why didn't I buy a house with a bigger back yard? My neighbor could literally build a baseball diamond in his)
:
That yellow stripe on the pic below? Oh, yeah...that's the gas line, and a main one for the neighbors so no moving it. Hello, even smaller kiddie pool. :grrrr: Oh, well...at least it's not where we'll be putting plants.
Sooo....one weekend before Hurricane Ike hit on Sept. 12th-13th, my husband decides he wants the palm trees delivered. Good Call!
Actually it worked out OK. The queen palms blew right over, but we had a couple neighbors help put them back up. They're fine now. These are all 'befores'.
My one 4ft. Medjool Date palm...the only one I could afford, but was determined to get. I joke that at a 4-inch a year trunk growth rate, it's going to look really great by the time I'm 70 or so.
Pygmy Dates:
Pool layout October 8th:
CastleRock helped us make use of every available inch of space, and still have some deck and small outdoor kitchen space for later.
Excavation October 9th:
Framing:
Saturday Oct. 11th: plumbing, electrical, equpment pad, etc:
Spa Pipe:
Sunday 12, Monday 13th, Steel:
Ooops...wrong steel. We contracted for 1/2 inch steel, and some of this was 3/8. They used what they had, and exchanged the smaller steel for more 1/2 inch.
Spa plumbing:
Equipment started:
Gunite done Tuesday Oct. 14:
Rained like crazy starting at about 4:30 am. Got a break in the weather and they did gunite from noon until about 4:00. Didn't get pics of them doing the gunite..I was at work. Modern Method Gunite did a really great job.
My big mudhole. Those poor guys tromped around and worked in this stuff for the last 2 weeks. It's almost dry now:
Spa Jets:
More equipment:
Some pipes in the spa were out of place. It's getting fixed next week before the tile. It's hard to tell here, but the spa spillover is a negative edge. There will be glass tile on the 6-inch spa waterline, and continuing over the spillover edge down to the waterline.
Mmmm...that beautiful algae-green color "come on in, the water's fine"
Sorry for the one big catch-up post...we'll start the tile next week. I'll take a picture of all the materials and post it later. I also have a diagram we drew up of how the materials go on the raised bond beam to post later. I'll also work on my signature to put in all the specs and equpment. Enjoy, guys!
and I know concrete has to cure before you put tile on it. So it may push our tile install back. I'm ok with that...I just want it done right. I know I can't swim until next May, so I'm not in a huge hurry to finish the details. It'll work out. 
I'd love to do the remote control automatic lighters for the firebowls, but that kit is way expensive. Way. It'd be a really cool way to surprise people who didn't know they were fire bowls. *snicker*. I'm nuts.
ale: 
