Continuation of an odyssey

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Arizona is odd in that the state (it's an actual law) spells out when the checks are due. You must follow that schedule, you can't even agree not to. Odd, really for a "conservative" state, but there is a LOT of contradictory things about living here, especially in Tucson. (It's still a beautiful place...)

Honestly my wife shouldn't have given him the next check until after the rebar.... we will see. I was up on time this week at work so I came in a little late and they still weren't there as of the time I left for work. Typically it's so hot here that the workers come really early.... hopefully, having a rebar cage will protect the excavation from collapsing.. I've been worried about that since they dug and then said "see you in a month". Yeah, it's been moved up a week from that but probably because I tore down their advertising sign and sent them a picture. That was dumb on my part because if it takes them forever other people will notice that, won't they?
 
Arizonarob said:
:laughblue: :laughblue:

You’re funny Fred, like anyone is going to look away from their phone to notice.....anything!!
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Yeah. I suppose so. "Steel" crew was apparently a no show again today. I suspect that Kim might be right. Sigh. I told me wife that the next check isn't going to happen until EVERYTHING required by law is done. I think it was a ruse for us to pay them early. Which is unlawful in Arizona.
 
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Well I was told I have to be nice to them regardless, since they are also the shotcrete crew.... They supposedly had a "mechanical breakdown" and didn't call anyone. Hired help these days....
 
Your thread is a scary read for someone about to start a build. I'd be charging my liquor bill to my builder during the wait. Good luck and hope everything works out.
 
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JJ_Tex said:
Your thread is a scary read for someone about to start a build. I'd be charging my liquor bill to my builder during the wait. Good luck and hope everything works out.
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The pools in the neighborhood they have done all turn out good but almost all of the contractors (not just pool) here take forever to do anything. It's frustrating coming from the Midwest where if you didn't get the poop done by the first freeze then you were in a world of hurt. Road construction is epic here to say the least.

I have been recently told that I complain about it too much so this is my last post to the effect. But it's a major culture shock for me moving here. It just is.
 
Rattus Suffocatus said:
The pools in the neighborhood they have done all turn out good but almost all of the contractors (not just pool) here take forever to do anything. It's frustrating coming from the Midwest where if you didn't get the poop done by the first freeze then you were in a world of hurt. Road construction is epic here to say the least.

I have been recently told that I complain about it too much so this is my last post to the effect. But it's a major culture shock for me moving here. It just is.
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It is definitely a culture shock when it comes to work out here in AZ. I’m used to the East coast go go go mentality, and here, it’s hurry up and wait. ?
 
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We couldn't be here today to supervise, because it's my off day on a 9/80 schedule and I had stuff to do way on the other side of Tucson. We got a text at about 10:45 AM from the PB saying the "steel" crew were there but complaining about a car parked on the street being in their way. It was relayed back to the crew that we had no control over that. We were then were told that they were "training someone" and because of that they wouldn't be getting the rebar done today, though it's normally less than one day job. We got home at 2:45 PM and they had already left for the day. IMG_20190719_154004486.jpg
A picture of what got done is attached. Very frustrating. I didn't work on this Friday either, but all of that time is made up in advance.
 

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And.. By the way... One of my neighbors swears by what I understand is the cheapest pool service out here. I saw them today and they had a flatbed pickup with what I think was a bunch of chlorine gas tanks. More than what I would be comfortable with. I saw him bringing a tank back to the truck after being at their pool.

I have to admit I was horrified and felt sorry for the "technician". I am not really sure that I would want to swim in their pool now... You guys ruined the pool service option before I even considered it.

Not that I would have considered anything but doing it myself anyway!
 
Rattus Suffocatus said:
And.. By the way... One of my neighbors swears by what I understand is the cheapest pool service out here. I saw them today and they had a flatbed pickup with what I think was a bunch of chlorine gas tanks. More than what I would be comfortable with. I saw him bringing a tank back to the truck after being at their pool.

I have to admit I was horrified and felt sorry for the "technician". I am not really sure that I would want to swim in their pool now... You guys ruined the pool service option before I even considered it.

Not that I would have considered anything but doing it myself anyway!
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When I was a kid I remember the pool service my parents used in the mid 70's was like that. The pool guy was a grumpy old dude that seemed to partake of the chemicals he dispatched. He had a tank of chlorine gas and threw this thing in the bottom of the deep end of the pool that looked like parts that were ripped from a old gas stove. He turned the knob on the tank and started a stop watch. The chlorine gas bubbled up from the bottom and dissolved by the time it got to the surface where there was only surface turbulence from the moving water. When the appointed time came he shut off the knob and gave me a crusty wink... "no swimming for 6hrs" he grumbled and he lumbered off with his tank. I didn't think that kind of pool service existed anymore.
 
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Chlorine gas is just about the best way to add it. Just very dangerous. There used to be a few companies that used it but I know 1 switched away from it.

Problem is they try to only add it every 1 or 2 weeks, so states very high and drops to low. They jack the CYA up to over 200ppm often.
 
Yeah that is what I figured. I think they come out once a week so my thought is that the FC level would have to be very high at the beginning of that week and by the next it would be low. I guess it can be done that way... But I would consider it to be rather non ideal.

I suppose if they drop it to the bottom of deep end that would explain the technique, but ugh that seems dangerous.

I hope they don't run super high CYA levels though... Its a brand new pool, it would be a shame if they did.
 
So, I think they are almost done with the rebar. Hopefully we can get the gunite done soon and I will be much less worried about the build. The half inch of rain we got on Monday seemed to wash out part of the lagoon a bit but the rest of it still looks okay. We have been very locally lucky in that we weren't one of the high rain areas. Being in the SE corner of the valley here means we usually get the most rain.

But there was one very hard working guy doing it today and overall it looks good so far.

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Rattus Suffocatus said:
.. hopefully, having a rebar cage will protect the excavation from collapsing
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It is just the opposite. The biggest issue will be water running into the hole and eroding the soil with it, the rebar will not help with this. If you had some dirt wash in before the rebar then they could simply dig it out. Now it will be a very time consuming tedious process to get any muck out from around the rebar and it will simply never be as good as the virgin dig. Now would be the time to be a very squeaky wheel untill it is shot. You might be able to help if you can see where the water was flowing in before and build a few dams to divert the water away from the pool. Most of the times this is not possible because the grade around the dig is already lower then existing grade.

If the PB says it will be a while before it is shot then simply ask him how he will protect the hole at this point and (kinda playing stupid) ask him if they will need to take out the rebar to properly clean out the hole if it does wash in. Make it clear you are very nervous about a wash in and do not want any loose dirt left under the rebar from a storm event.
 
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I am glad they are moving on it with the rebar. Does the steel follow the basic shape you were wanting for the shelf and such? They can form steps and such out of the gunite.

I like Rich's idea. Now that steel is in it will be even harder to fix if there is a big rain. There are some things they can do to keep it from being as bad-----------plastic, lots and lots of plastic!

Kim:kim:
 
Trust me, they know my feelings on this. Hopefully they will get moving on it. The lagoon keeps growing in size and I probably will comment on that as I really could have done without it in the first place. They did grade the lot a bit as you can see by the dirt mound at the end of the fence, and that seemed to help. At least I don't have any standing water in the lot like usual, and a big part of the reason I went along with my wife on a pool in the first place was to fix drainage that the home builder weaseled out of fixing in the first place.

But it is starting to look not as crisp as it did after the dig, but it's almost been four weeks and we have had 0.8" of rain fall on it since then, 0.5" of that in one day. Again I asked them why they even bothered to dig if it was going to be over a month for shotcrete, but what can you do? I wouldn't have let them dig if I knew the schedule... and I suspect that they knew that, but wanted the $$$.

In fact they are now not really working with me. They are working with my wife. That should tell you something.

Doesn't mean that (when I have time which has been a real issue in the last 3 weeks as well) I can't start sending sarcastic texts.....
 

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