Build officially underway in Lehi, Utah

[sclarkenator]

First-time pool builder, building a 20x50 vinyl liner pool from a royal pools kit. I had the hole dug before the snow came. Built the steps on Thanksgiving. Tried building a section of wall that was then blown over with the first snowstorm.

Spring is finally here, I'm taking a break from work and getting started! I got the walls up Saturday and now am slowly squaring, leveling and plumbing the walls. Hopefully I get that done this week, main drains set so I can pour the concrete collar to lock it in. The goal is a pool party for Memorial Day. Wish me luck.

Also, quick poll: I am planning on documenting each step as I go. Better to have a whole bunch of small posts or 1 master post on it?

I've decided on the following equipment/automation.

Intellicenter P5 w/ IC60 SWG​

Raypak 406A heater​

Intelliflo XF VS pump​

Clean and Clear 520​

4 Globrite color LEDs​

 

[mknauss]

Better to have a whole bunch of small posts or 1 master post on it?

Keep your Under Construction thread right here. Just use this thread.

 

[an1vrsy]

Wow, not only an owner/build but an owner building it! Nice job… That’s over my head and skill set. I did an owner/build but that just meant in my case I was a project manager. Supervising the tradesmen. I will be watching your progress.

 

[TKpoolOH]

Awesome! That is going to be HUGE! Can't wait to see your progress, looking good so far! Good luck!

One/Two Questions: Looks like you are going to have two skimmers on the same side facing your rock wall. Is that the direction of the prevailing winds/will the wind even hit the pool with that landscape rock wall? Also, looking at your design, are those 3 returns pushing water to the skimmers or is that just showing 3 lights?

 

[sclarkenator]

Awesome! That is going to be HUGE! Can't wait to see your progress, looking good so far! Good luck!

One/Two Questions: Looks like you are going to have two skimmers on the same side facing your rock wall. Is that the direction of the prevailing winds/will the wind even hit the pool with that landscape rock wall? Also, looking at your design, are those 3 returns pushing water to the skimmers or is that just showing 3 lights?

Great catch. The winds tend to swirl here. I'm actually going to swap the skimmer in the bottom right up to the top right. The lights will all face the wall. The plans are actually showing 3 36" waterfalls which is why I'm going with the XF pump...I'm actually still trying to determine where to put the returns. Nothing that another 6 hours on TFP can't help me figure out

 

[sclarkenator]

So I have seen worse excavations in the forum, but I've been fighting the dig this whole time. My excavator had the transit level and everything, but now I'm thinking he didn't know how to use it...I've had to shovel out probably 20 yards of dirt so far. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Almost ready for the poolkrete.

My walls are set. I'm plumbing this week. I'll get the inspection and then hire out the poolkrete. Looks like I may even have water in the pool by the first week in May.

 

[sclarkenator]

Pool Krete is going in today. Found somebody to pay for this, which is the first thing I've hired since hiring the excavator. No rain in the 7 day forecast and nearly 90 degrees on Thursday. Sounds like a good day to do the liner. I feel once I start down that path I'm fully committed to getting water in and the auto-cover at least to the closed position. How long can I leave the liner in without water (just in case I go slower than I plan)?

Digging and shaping this pool has kicked my butt. Plumbing was ok. Pressure test showed I forgot to glue 2 joints and then I had the elbow at the bottom of my main drain pop. Glad I tested

Plumbing/bonding inspection passed.

 

[Foxer]

I missed glueing one of my joints too. Was a bit of a pain, but much easier now than after the pool was full!

I think you want to fill the pool as son as you can after the liner is in. That’s how I’ve always seen it, but I don’t know for sure. It’s still getting fairly cold at night, which might cause some problems.

 

[sclarkenator]

rapid-fire progress the last few days. Found somebody willing to do the pool-crete for me. I think they've done a decent job but man this stuff is soft. they mixed it a little dry in a couple spots and it just crumbled.

I wrapped the trench in filter fabric to get ready for gravel, which was shot in on a conveyer belt. 60 tons of it. The walls didn't move at all and now hopefully we're getting water in tomorrow. depends how fast I smooth things out...

also, you know what's worse than rain on fresh pool-crete? gravel falling from the sky (one of those things that probably never really needed to be said out loud). I wish I was in control of when certain steps happened, but I've learned I either need to be extremely patient and wait for everything to happen in exactly the right order, or take things as soon as people are willing to do them (especially true of concrete right now, there is a shortage here).

 

[sclarkenator]

Well, my goal was water by the end of May. This is not what I had in mind.

Almost made it but I've been struggling trying to get this pool crete floor smooth (forget level or even).

 

[Foxer]

We desperately need rain, but it really is making it difficult to work on my pool!

 

[sclarkenator]

Big day yesterday. I am sore all over. I was using finger muscles I didn't know I had.

We wrapped the walls/stairs in foam. Meticulously cleaned out, swept, vacuumed and did it all again. Put all gaskets in place. Fished pull lines for 4 lights. Put the liner in. vacuumed the wall. worked on some wrinkles, started filling water (9 days after my goal). Oh yeah, and the retaining wall behind my raised bond beam is complete.

I overdug the deep end an extra 3 inches and things are TIGHT. Like too tight for a cyclone and a shop vac to securely pull the liner tight everywhere. I'm hoping the 90 degree weather today helps out with that.

Other than trying to figure out how to get the liner to stay in place on the tight 6" corners, the only thing that went wrong today is we bumped a little 1/4" piece of gravel in the deep end behind the liner when we were trying to set the corner. I think it will be fine and hoepfully I don't end up having to do a janky flex-seal tape fix in my first week of having water in it.

Was definitely unnerving letting the water and vacuum run unsupervised all last night. but I really want to get the water level up high enough so I can get the safety cover in place.

I have a day of smoothing out wrinkles ahead of me

 

[Foxer]

Looking good - you are moving quick!

 

[sclarkenator]

Well, I tell people I'm actually building 2 pools, because I've almost done everything twice in this process. I had to re-dig. re-pool-kreted a chunk of my pool floor. my walls fell down. the foam on the walls blew off. and now my liner had about 10 major wrinkle show up after I left the water and vacuum on overnight, 8K gallons later

So I bought a cheap above-ground pool (the kind you just inflate the top and the water "builds" it for you that could hold 6-7K gallons of water. Used my pond pump and pumped it all into the "holding pool".

I used a lot of hot water to relax the wrinkles. set the cyclone and shop vac and still couldn't get the glove-like seal, so I did it old school. Started my hose and a hose from each neighbor and started the siphon to get all the other pool water back in. I figured if I could get 3-4 feet in the deep-end set wrinkle free, I could manage the rest.

It worked (mostly). I am getting close to full now and only have 1 wrinkle I couldn't manage. given this is a 20x50, with vinyl over steel stairs AND a hand-dug hopper which is now obviously off, I'm very happy with it!

 

[sclarkenator]

I'm loving having a pool already. Can't wait to finish the yard and everything else around it, but it's so fun for the kids and their friends, too. I'm almost sad to fill it up all the way because they were loving the slip-n-slide to the deep end.

 

[Foxer]

I'm jealous you've got water already! We were supposed to get plaster and fill it up last week, but got delayed. Really getting anxious to get in, even if the rest of it isn't done yet!

 

[sclarkenator]

I'm jealous you've got water already! We were supposed to get plaster and fill it up last week, but got delayed. Really getting anxious to get in, even if the rest of it isn't done yet!

Not going to lie. it's been so fun and satisfying. Feels like it has been a long process. No kids have jumped in yet today with this non-coastal utah hurricane happening

Good luck! Delays suck so much. It's frustrating for sure.

 

[sclarkenator]

Update time. I got a lot done since I posted a month ago.
Filled pool.
Installed cover.
Ran gas lines to pad and outdoor kitchen.
Connected equipment pad.
Leveled and graded yard.
Backfilled raised pool deck.
All pool bonding completed.
Had 1,400 ft2 concrete poured. (this was a nightmare, but it's done now)
Placed (yet to set) 71 linear feet limestone coping
Built raised bond beam melville block wall (for waterfalls)
Built melville block retaining wall
Connected 4 globrites
Lots of swimming.

Still working on:
Bracket for pool cover.
Chemicals.
Waterfall.
Final pavers to tie faux-raised-bond-beam wall in to raised patio (2x3 concrete pavers @ 150lbs a piece. That's going to be fun to set 30 of these)
Landscaping.
Pool heater.
Clean up bad concrete edges.
Set skimmer lids.
Set coping.

 

[sclarkenator]

Also, the day I poured concrete a picture came up in google photos from exactly 1 year ago. Crazy transformation!

 

[an1vrsy]

Before and after shots are always the best to show the transformation. Great job! You are so close to be finished. But is great that you've been swimming. Did you get one of the recommended test kits? If so, update your signature.