Dante's Playground Revitalization | An adventure in rehabbing, on your own
- Thread starter Brett_N
- Start date
smforte
0
It has 2 coats on it - I waited overnight to do the second coat. It all looks good so far (aside from the dirt that got in it last night from the storm)
I have to laugh about the canvas on the pergola. It got shredded - there was a towel on a chair not 5 feet away that didn't move.
I have to laugh about the canvas on the pergola. It got shredded - there was a towel on a chair not 5 feet away that didn't move.
LOL on the towel!
Can you just get a new top or do you have to buy a whole new set up?
Kim
Can you just get a new top or do you have to buy a whole new set up?
Kim
I foundanew top on amazon - just need to double check that it's the right size, but should be fine.
Oh, and I did just hose off a section of the paint to test it - seems to be holding up and the dirt isn't sticking!
Oh, and I did just hose off a section of the paint to test it - seems to be holding up and the dirt isn't sticking!
paint is sticking and dirt is not???????? You must be smiling just right today! LOL
Got to love Amazon! it has become our go to place as well!
Kim
Got to love Amazon! it has become our go to place as well!
Kim
Yay updates! It's been a slow week, busy at work and it's been cold here in Phoenix.
I did manage to get one of the strips of Trim-a-slab in. I have to say, it looks pretty good! Since it's going in old concrete, the gaps aren't perfect, but I highly rate this stuff as a replacement. Once the sun hits it it should stretch and settle itself.
One thing to note - make sure you're putting it in the right direction. I spent a good half hour swearing that it didn't fit, only to figure out I was trying to install it upside down. Dummy. Oh, and if you have trouble getting it to seat, take a utility knife and cut the bottom off.
Since the cover on the gazebo was all torn up, it also gave me a good reason to fix the rope lights under that as well. At least for now, I have a view of the stars? Not sure that's going to help in the middle of July here though. The light on the backside of the pool is from another string of white ropelight that runs along the back edge of the concrete. Hopefully more this weekend, but it's the Phoenix Open and some football game, so I'll be busy.
I did manage to get one of the strips of Trim-a-slab in. I have to say, it looks pretty good! Since it's going in old concrete, the gaps aren't perfect, but I highly rate this stuff as a replacement. Once the sun hits it it should stretch and settle itself.
One thing to note - make sure you're putting it in the right direction. I spent a good half hour swearing that it didn't fit, only to figure out I was trying to install it upside down. Dummy. Oh, and if you have trouble getting it to seat, take a utility knife and cut the bottom off.
Since the cover on the gazebo was all torn up, it also gave me a good reason to fix the rope lights under that as well. At least for now, I have a view of the stars? Not sure that's going to help in the middle of July here though. The light on the backside of the pool is from another string of white ropelight that runs along the back edge of the concrete. Hopefully more this weekend, but it's the Phoenix Open and some football game, so I'll be busy.
- May 16, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Nice rope lights (around the decking too)! How do they connect to each other and then plug in?
The ropelights will plug in to one another. You can connect like 15 strings of them togethor, as long as they are all from the same manufacturer. BigLots is the best source for the white ones. $30 or so for 50 feet, and those you can connect end to end.
- May 16, 2011
- 1,180
- Pool Size
- 28000
- Surface
- Plaster
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
LOL at the "seeing the stars"! Good for night time but.........
That gap strip looks great! LOL at the upside down.......that would be me! "what is wrong with this stuff?" Glad you figured it out!
Kim
That gap strip looks great! LOL at the upside down.......that would be me! "what is wrong with this stuff?" Glad you figured it out!
Kim
Happy singles awareness weekend!
Things are finally coming to a close on Dante's Adventure. The next step is getting grass to grow, so I won't bore you with that!
Anyway - I bit the bullet after looking at some "other things" I needed to do to the pool, so I went ahead and drained it last night. (Now, mind you I'm doing this while hobbling around with a massive ankle brace on after partially tearing 2 ligaments on wednesday)
Let the draining commence! (Oh, keeping score, I had a submersible pump (thanks Dad) but I did need a hose for it. $10 at lowes.
Almost empty....Total drain time was overnight, with an hour this morning. I started scrubbing the shallow end while it was still draining. I used a very mild acid solution - maybe 4 or 5:1 after evaluating the plaster situation. The long story, my plaster is shot. So, I need to start saving pennies and have it all torn out. I also used a TSP solution, but there's only so much you can do.
Cleaned as best I could get it. Scraped down the lumpy things, but I'm assuming they'll be back anyway.
While it was drained I went ahead and glued my light back in. The lousy replacement housing just doesn't work right, so I ran a bead of construction adhesive around it. Hopefully that will hold, we'll see (I'm sick of finding my creepy krawly wrapped around it in the morning)!
I also went ahead and replaced the pesky diverter valve. Rather than spend $80 on a tool, I figured, battery sawzall. Here's a tip - if you are going to fix this thing while your pool is empty? Do it BEFORE you start putting in clean water. I didn't. As soon as I rinsed the skimmer out, since no water has been through the main drain in I don't know how long, all the nasty came right up through the bottom drain into my nice clean water. The NY'er came out, and 4 letter words ensued.
Albeit a bit dirty, not a bad shot of the Trim-A-Slab.
Oh, and I finally got a replacement top for the gazebo.
Getting close to done! Once the pool is full, everything is getting a good hose down and the water needs to be balanced. (Our water is pretty good here, it's just hard, and I've yet to find a de-calciumfier or whatever it would be...)
- - - Updated - - -
Oh - duh - I forgot to add acid and a pump sprayer to the list.
I did some reading on acid washing. I can't figure out where the numbers they came up with are from. I bought 8 gallons, figuring I would need around 6 or so. Using a garden pump sprayer, I used a total of 3 since I was diluting it.
add $15 for the pump sprayer, and $40 for acid. Hope this stuff stays good for a while, I think I have enough to last!
- - - Updated - - -
Oh oh oh - also forgot to add - I CAN NOT get rid of the lime scale toilet bowl ring on the tile. I tried CLR, I tried Lime-Away, I even tried full strength acid. No luck. It just laughed at me.
Things are finally coming to a close on Dante's Adventure. The next step is getting grass to grow, so I won't bore you with that!
Anyway - I bit the bullet after looking at some "other things" I needed to do to the pool, so I went ahead and drained it last night. (Now, mind you I'm doing this while hobbling around with a massive ankle brace on after partially tearing 2 ligaments on wednesday)
Let the draining commence! (Oh, keeping score, I had a submersible pump (thanks Dad) but I did need a hose for it. $10 at lowes.
Almost empty....Total drain time was overnight, with an hour this morning. I started scrubbing the shallow end while it was still draining. I used a very mild acid solution - maybe 4 or 5:1 after evaluating the plaster situation. The long story, my plaster is shot. So, I need to start saving pennies and have it all torn out. I also used a TSP solution, but there's only so much you can do.
Cleaned as best I could get it. Scraped down the lumpy things, but I'm assuming they'll be back anyway.
While it was drained I went ahead and glued my light back in. The lousy replacement housing just doesn't work right, so I ran a bead of construction adhesive around it. Hopefully that will hold, we'll see (I'm sick of finding my creepy krawly wrapped around it in the morning)!
I also went ahead and replaced the pesky diverter valve. Rather than spend $80 on a tool, I figured, battery sawzall. Here's a tip - if you are going to fix this thing while your pool is empty? Do it BEFORE you start putting in clean water. I didn't. As soon as I rinsed the skimmer out, since no water has been through the main drain in I don't know how long, all the nasty came right up through the bottom drain into my nice clean water. The NY'er came out, and 4 letter words ensued.
Albeit a bit dirty, not a bad shot of the Trim-A-Slab.
Oh, and I finally got a replacement top for the gazebo.
Getting close to done! Once the pool is full, everything is getting a good hose down and the water needs to be balanced. (Our water is pretty good here, it's just hard, and I've yet to find a de-calciumfier or whatever it would be...)
- - - Updated - - -
Oh - duh - I forgot to add acid and a pump sprayer to the list.
I did some reading on acid washing. I can't figure out where the numbers they came up with are from. I bought 8 gallons, figuring I would need around 6 or so. Using a garden pump sprayer, I used a total of 3 since I was diluting it.
add $15 for the pump sprayer, and $40 for acid. Hope this stuff stays good for a while, I think I have enough to last!
- - - Updated - - -
Oh oh oh - also forgot to add - I CAN NOT get rid of the lime scale toilet bowl ring on the tile. I tried CLR, I tried Lime-Away, I even tried full strength acid. No luck. It just laughed at me.
I have tried numerous times to get the white scale off with very little luck. I tried every known chemical and only got about a 3 inch part cleaned after about 30 minutes of scrubbing with acid.
NOw that I think about it, stupid me, I should have used Acid and an electric orbital cleaner
dirty water into clean water = dirty words for sure!
The pool looks good in the pictures so it is all good!
I hope you will have plenty of time to save the pennies so you can get the best, blingest plaster ever!
Kim
The pool looks good in the pictures so it is all good!
I hope you will have plenty of time to save the pennies so you can get the best, blingest plaster ever!
Kim
Thanks. I'll take some more pictures once the grass grows and I hose everything down. It looks good. All in I think I'm right around $700 or so which is what I figured on.
I'll just have to deal with the lumps for now. My neighbors mentioned they have the same problem, so it's gotta be the age of the pools, since I don't think there's has had anything done to it either. Oh well.
Guess I need to start eye-balling tile colors.
Anyone know if you can put pebble tek over gunnite once I'm ready to have it re-plastered?
- - - Updated - - -
What I didn't factor in - the fact that the pool is right outside my bedroom. I have to listen to running water while it refills all night.....
I'll just have to deal with the lumps for now. My neighbors mentioned they have the same problem, so it's gotta be the age of the pools, since I don't think there's has had anything done to it either. Oh well.
Guess I need to start eye-balling tile colors.
Anyone know if you can put pebble tek over gunnite once I'm ready to have it re-plastered?
- - - Updated - - -
What I didn't factor in - the fact that the pool is right outside my bedroom. I have to listen to running water while it refills all night.....
LOL! Is that not like a soothing waterfall.
Yes, you can install Pebbletec in a gunite shell. Or any other plaster, pebble, quartz or marble products.
Yes, you can install Pebbletec in a gunite shell. Or any other plaster, pebble, quartz or marble products.
Thanks DV - hey quick question - how do you like the Pleatco cartridges? I need to replace the filters pretty soon in my hayward setup and those are a much lower price than the OEM's.
Pool's filled and the pump is back up and running. I can swing the diverter valve freely now, but I can't tell if it's pulling from the bottom drain or not. I lose suction in the skimmer (I can feel it on my hand changing) but I also loose pressure. Anyone know if that's normal? Hydraulics says yes since the bottom drain is a much larger opening, but I didn't think I would loose 2 or 3 PSI...
Pool's filled and the pump is back up and running. I can swing the diverter valve freely now, but I can't tell if it's pulling from the bottom drain or not. I lose suction in the skimmer (I can feel it on my hand changing) but I also loose pressure. Anyone know if that's normal? Hydraulics says yes since the bottom drain is a much larger opening, but I didn't think I would loose 2 or 3 PSI...